All the Best, George Bush; My Life in Letters and Other Writings

New York: Scribner [A Lisa Drew Book], 1999. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. Alexanders of Houston (Jacket photograph). 640 pages. Glossary of Names. Illustrations. Footnotes. Timeline. Index. Signed by George Bush on a George Bush bookplate affixed to fep. Plate signed by George Bush on the title page. One of the most private presidents since "Silent Cal" Coolidge shares his life in correspondence, diary entries, memos, and other writings, from his letter home as an eighteen-year-old Navy pilot during World War II to one written to his children on the eve of Desert Storm. All the Best: My Life in Letters and Other Writings is a 1999 compilation of his writings by former U.S. President George H. W. Bush. The book is a collection of letters, diary entries, and memos, in the structure of an autobiography. George Herbert Walker Bush (June 12, 1924 - November 30, 2018) was an American politician and statesman who served as the 41st President of the United States from 1989 to 1993. Prior to assuming the presidency, Bush served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He had previously been a congressman, ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence. During his career in public service, he was known simply as George Bush, but after his son George W. Bush became the 43rd president in 2001, he was referred to as "George H. W. Bush" or "Bush 41". This collection of letters, diary entries, and memos provide insights into Bush's service during World War II, the oil business, his two terms in Congress, his ambassadorship to the United Nations, his service in China, his tenure with the C. I. A., and the vice presidency, the presidency, and the post-presidency. Though reticent in public, George Bush openly shared his private thoughts in correspondence throughout his life. This collection of letters, diary entries, and memos is the closest we'll ever get to an autobiography. Organized chronologically, the volume begins with eighteen-year-old George's letters to his parents during World War II, when, at the time he was commissioned, he was the youngest pilot in the Navy. Readers will gain insights into Bush's career highlights—the oil business, his two terms in Congress, his ambassadorship to the U.N., his service as an envoy to China, his tenure with the Central Intelligence Agency, and of course, the vice presidency, the presidency, and the post-presidency. They will also observe a devoted husband, father, and American. Ranging from a love letter to Barbara and a letter to his mother about missing his daughter, Robin, after her death from leukemia to a letter to his children two weeks before Nixon's resignation to one written to them just before the beginning of Desert Storm, the writings are remarkable for their candor, humor, and poignancy. All the Best, George Bush provides a memorable, surprisingly intimate, and insightful portrayal of the forty-first president of the United States. Derived from a Kirkus review: The former president presents his autobiography in the form of annotated letters, journal entries, a few speeches, and assorted documents. Like many collections of letters. Bush emerges as a decent, thoughtful man—a man who unashamedly espouses the values of hearth, home, and friendship, who was at all times exactly what he appeared to be, who loved his wife, loved his children, loved his country. The letters are chronological—beginning with a section called "Love and War," ending with "Looking Forward"—and chronicle in surprising detail Bush's life from his 1942 enlistment in the navy to the present. In the letters (and in his accompanying notes) are some fascinating comments and events. Although Bush hates psychological profiles, he reveals a bit of his inner life here. One must search to find the silver and golden threads—but they are there.