MOBI Þ DOC Destiny and PowerFREE ä JON MEACHAM

DOC Destiny and Power

MOBI Þ DOC Destiny and Power FREE ä JON MEACHAM ¾ ❮PDF / Epub❯ ☂ Destiny and Power ✎ Author Jon Meacham – Gwairsoft.co.uk From Pulitzer Prize winner and #1 New York Times bestselling author Jon Meacham comes a sweeping yet intimate biography of George H W Bush Based on rigorous researchFrom Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestselling author Jon Meacham comes a sweeping yet intimate biography of George H W Bush Based on rigorous research hours of private interviews and extraordinary acc The world lost a great manIn this highly educational biography of George HW Bush Meacham offers the reader an insightful look into the life and times of the 41st President of the United States With scores of interesting anecdotes wrapped in a fluid narrative the author brings to life a man who sought to influence American politics in the latter part of the 20th century while trying to keep from being subsumed in the shadow of his presidential predecessor Bush was a man of honour and dignity but also held firm to his beliefs which changed as life shaped them Meacham depicts the elder President Bush as a man of numerous perspectives three of which rise as themes throughout the tome Bush was a passionate family man an ever ready compromiser and the effective political figure personas that spanned his entire life at least up to the the publication of the book Meacham helps personalize Bush to the reader while not shying away from the lustre garnered from a life of privilege in Connecticut that hung over the man for his entire public life A wonderfully refreshing biography that will keep the reader enthused until the final pages not to be missed by the curious and those willing to open their minds to rediscovering this manFamily was the lifeblood of George Herbert Walker Bush and proved to be a means of support his entire life From his early years Bush always had a strong relationship with his family be they his parents grandparents or siblings This love of family grew when he left to fight in the Pacific Theatre during the Second World War Meacham explores the love Bush had for his fellow navy men and the pain of losing them during a Japanese bombing campaign late in the war Bush began thinking of his own family when he married Barbara Pierce a woman for whom he held as much regard From the birth of George W Bush the elder Bush saw a new type of familial love which only grew as children joined the brood It was the crippling illness and eventual death of his daughter Robin that the author uses to best personify the family While the entire family was crushed Bush did all he could to keep the family on track but was devastated in private and away from prying eyes As head of his own family Bush sought to provide for them which meant entertaining options out in Texas where oil exploration and processing could garner a substantial wage Bush never shied away from ventures that would foster a sense of upward mobility producing a self made man who chose not to ride on the coat tails of his family or its name As his children grew Bush continued to foster the passion of family from grandchildren through to other non blood relations never forgetting the passion instilled in him by his mother Dorothy or the support his children were able to offer him From his highest moments through to his worst feelings Bush always turned to his family for support and offered just as much to those who struggled and needed his shoulder Even in his latter years when the next generation took up the reins of political power Bush sought to counsel and advise his sons offering praise or a strong shoulder when needed Meacham depicts George Bush as a man whose reliance on family proved essential and who would never compromise on their importanceBush spent his entire life as a man of compromise seeking to keep his options open as he sought upwards mobility Bush proved himself the true negotiator from a young age bartering with his family in order to win their approval When he married Barbara Bush sought to compromise with her as he took them out of their comfort in Connecticut and to the barren wasteland of Texas Compromise ensued from here as the oil business had them move throughout the state with Barbara acting in a firm but agreeable way Even when Bush sought to run for political office he had to compromise on some of his beliefs finding himself running as a Republican in a strong southern Democratic area Appeasement outweighed personal beliefs to a point as Meacham argues throughout the political narrative embedded in the biography Bush could not shake his rich boy upbringing but was able to cobble together enough support from business interests and the general public that he could make his way to Congress and represent his constituents effectively namely by finding common ground As shall be discussed below Bush compromised from there touted as an up and comer by Richard Nixon By 1980 compromise helped him garner the presumably impossible role of vice presidential running mate alongside Ronald Reagan which did cement a friendship between the bitter rivals It was after serving as second in command for a time that Bush realised that he had to reinvent himself again if he wanted to run for and capture the GOP nomination in '88 His moderate views needed sharpening and his persona a strong polish ahead of the run for the White House Meacham illustrates this compromising as being for the betterment of the party while Bush allowed his own beliefs to evolve or at least morph into something else as politics and age shaped him as a right of centre thinker As president Bush had to open new avenues of compromise even though he led a military powerhouse With the economy in a state of disrepair compromise from his Read my lips 'no new taxes' gaffe forced Bush to determine that he needed others even at the zenith of his power However compromise proved a political downfall when the electorate chose not to renew his time as POTUS in '92 making room for the next generation While some depicted Bush as a man who had little leadership material because of his lack of an iron clad set of beliefs this compromising manner fostered the sort of compassionate persona that Bush never wanted to loseWith the power of a family foundation and the ability to compromise Bush entered the world of politics well armed for the trench battles ahead Coming from a family where monetary influence could sway those in politics Bush sought to follow his own father Prescott into the world of American politics The elder Bush was a senator who after some staggering was able to find his way and sought to push George HW Bush towards the political promised land After a move to Texas to pursue oil Bush had to reinvent himself to the southern base As a rich Republican from the New England Bush had a difficult time making a name for himself in the Democratic south home to the fiery Lyndon Johnson Bush faltered as his father had but was able to secure a seat in the House of Representatives where he began planting seeds of a political future Even after a crippling loss in a Senate run Bush caught the eye of Nixon who brought him into the fold first as Ambassador at the United Nations and then heading up the Republican National Committee While life in Congress was a sobering experience Bush found his political acumen when trying to steer the GOP through Watergate and worked hard to prove himself as he watched Nixon implode President Ford rewarded him with a post in China where he tried to strengthen the still new relations with that Communist country Meacham explores how Bush surmised that the next stop on his political journey might have been a means to ensure he suffered a slow political death when Ford put him into the Director's chair at Central Intelligence An apolitical spot if ever there were one Bush against tried to remain calm and do all he could to support the president while wondering if his own presidential ambitions might be lost Ford's loss in '76 to Carter left Bush in a position to rebuild his political acumen as Carter sought to place Democrats in key positions Bush used this time to help garner name recognition for the Republican primaries of 1980 Standing in his way was political Goliath Ronald Reagan Meacham builds up his narrative and uses this rivalry as a central part of the book pitting the moderate Bush against the strongly conservative Reagan the face of the new Republican Party's values The journey found the two men coming to a compromise proof that Bush's ways did bring him success and leading America into a new decade of conservatism By the time Bush took the helm in '89 America was in a severe Reagan hangover though Bush took it upon himself to differentiate his presidency A military campaign against Ira and economic struggles at home forced Bush to play a less than all powerful role in the political realm though Meacham does balance criticism with praise during this period However his single term presidency may stymie some from offering too much positive outlook on his time in the White House Still he did not blame others choosing to accept the decision and hold his head high As politics ran through his veins Bush attempted to shape his time in public eye with a mixture of compromise strong family values and a sense of leadership History will judge how effective he could beMeacham offers an effective view of Bush in his retirement years after leaving the public eye A resurgence of popularity seemingly came when his son George W won two terms in the White House though no one offers that the elder Bush used his son's power to act as puppet master Bush remained respectful and even sanguine when press coverage of his son's time in office came under scrutiny By the time Obama made it to the White House Bush was secure in his retirement and sought not to appear too often in the public eye He did not need to be flashy to know that he made a difference Humbleness was his means of steering his own ship in the waning yearsMeacham constructs a powerful biography of this 20th century political figure mixing the public record with a collection of letter interviews reports and diary entries With such a tremendous collection of documentation it would be easy to weave a narrative that relies too heavily on one thing or another The author chooses of a 'leapfrog' approach never sitting too long on any one issue or time period While there were formative events throughout Bush's life the reader is never stuck reading scores on anything as the book offers a glance on the arc that was Bush's life stopping in to analyse some of the important areas With an easy to read format and enticing style the reader wants to forge ahead learning with each chapter Keeping said chapters somewhat succinct also fosters a desire to 'read just a little ' which can only help substantiate the readability of this biography The lay reader should not shy away from the book's length for it is as fluid a read as it is education and entertainingKudos Mr Meacham for this wonderful biography As you have done with other presidential figures you offer the reader much insight and a passionate interest in your subjectLikehate the review An ever growing collection of others appears at

BOOK ´ Destiny and Power Ê Jon Meacham

Ecticut his heroic service in World War II his entry into the Texas oil business and his storied rise in politics from congressman to UN ambassador to head of the CIA to forty first president of the United States in 2015 “Destiny and Power The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush” by Jon Meacham is the most recent full scale biography of the 41st president Meacham is a presidential historian and author whose biography of Andrew Jackson won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize He has also written about Thomas Jefferson and Franklin Roosevelt and is currently working on a biography of James and Dolley MadisonWith 601 pages of text and nearly 200 pages of notes and bibliography “Destiny and Power” is not a light read Yet this meticulously researched and largely sympathetic biography feels sprightly than it appears In his customary style Meacham has written a thoughtful well informed and exuisitely articulate life and timesIt is uncommon for a biographer and his or her subject to meetand even extraordinary for an author to receive the type of cooperation Meacham received from George H W Bush For than a decade Bush sat for numerous interviews provided access to his personal diaries and encouraged the cooperation of his family and political colleagues This is one of the book’s greatest strengths – but also one of its latent weaknessesAs a result of this intimacy between biographer and subject the reader is treated to a degree of familiarity which cannot be captured in most presidential biographies In many respects Meacham’s biography often feels like the memoirs Bush 41 never wrotebut with a professional patinaBush’s pre presidency takes up just over half the book while one third of the biography is allocated to his single term in the White House The final sixty pages are spent reviewing Bush’s retirement with an emphasis on his relationship with Jeb George and Bill ClintonThe earliest decades of Bush’s life are nicely covered but seem to pass too uickly particularly since the author had a uniue opportunity to explore his subject’s years at Andover in the Navy and in his business career with even greater depth Similarly Bush’s early political career retreats too rapidly – his transition into politics his first campaign for Congress and his service at the UN RNC and CIA hardly linger long enough to leave a distinct impressionThe narrative’s pace slows once Bush seeks the presidential nomination in 1988 But while Meacham’s description of the president elect assembling his inner circle is often fascinating there is very little insight into how he selected most of his Cabinet And throughout the book important supporting characters such as James Baker Bob Dole and Dan uayle receive only the briefest of introductionsIra’s invasion of Kuwait and Bush’s response features prominently in Meacham’s coverage of the Bush presidency; these four chapters are among the most interesting in the book And the most intriguing of Meacham’s revelations may be Bush’s thoughts on Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld – and their impact on the Bush 43 presidencyIronically given its length if Meacham’s biography has one overarching flaw it’s that it is not nearly long – or detailed – enough As a result while it covers discrete events well and always seems to know what is on Bush’s mind too freuently it fails to answer uestions that fall out of the narrative or to probe deeply or to fully analyze or assessOverall Jon Meacham’s biography of George H W Bush is very goodbut fell short of my expectations Because as revealing as this biography proves to be – largely due to the relationship between author and subject – it is never as deep critical or penetrating as I hoped But it provides an otherwise excellent if admiring review of the remarkably eventful life and career of George H W BushOverall rating 4 stars Note Bush was to live another three years after this biography was published And while he reviewed much of the manuscript he apparently exerted no editorial influence Meacham of course was chosen to deliver one of the eulogies at George HW Bush’s funeral

Jon Meacham Ê Destiny and Power MOBI

Destiny and PowerEss to Bush’s diaries and to his family Destiny and Power paints Destiny and ePUB #199 a vivid and affecting portrait of the distinctive American life of a man from the Greatest Generation his childhood in Conn George H W Bush is one of the few presidents that did not write his autobiography after leaving office Jon Meacham has produced the “official biography” on HW Bush I have read a number of Meacham’s books including “American Lion” which won the 2009 Pulitzer PrizeMeacham did extensive research for the book and was allowed access to Bush’s diaries and numerous interviews with family and friends Needless to say he also had access to the presidential papers and other archive materials Bush 41 comes across as an ambitious and emotional man which is different from the aloof and polished figure we normally see Meacham also reveals him to be a witty observer of other people’s uirks Bush 41 was raised in privilege but did service to the country in World War II and as an elected official The book covers his life from birth to the current date I found the last uarter of the book the most interestingThe book is well written and meticulously researched Meacham comes off neutral and lacking ideological fervor that allows him to paint a picture of Bush that is new The book does have an affectionate feel for Bush but Meacham has a judicious balanced approach to the material The book also provides uite a bit of new information that makes the book well worth the read I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible The book is long at 800 pages or 25 hours Paul Michael does a good job narrating the book