Ambling into History : The Unlikely Odyssey of George W. Bush

New York, NY, U.S.A.: HarperCollins Publishers - !t Books, 2002. First Edition Second Printing . Hard Back. Fine/Very Good. 6" x 9. 278 Pages. Not a remainder. Red boards with gold spine-lettering. Red dust jacket has price 23.95 that is unclipped. As the principal New York Times reporter assigned to cover George W. Bush's presidential campaign from it's earliest stages-and then as a White House correspondent, Frank Bruni has spent as much time around Bush over the last two years as any other reporter. In many ways George W. Bush did not seem built for the presidency or the paces necessary to win it. He was a laid-back good-time guy with little appetite and limited talent for formal oratory, someone who oftered projected affability more easily than authority. He was a homebody who seemed to prefer surroundings and situations that were utterly familiar to those that were risky and unpredicaable. His interests could be narrow and his efforts to expand them only fitful. Be he got there, and after September 11, 2002, confronted a challenge more daunting than many of his predecessors had faced. In the wake of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Bush was left with the responsiblity to lead Ameicans through a time of unusual anxiety and uncertainty, to inspire and to reassure them. Bruni goes behind the scenes offering insights into Bush's oft-chronicles weaknesses, and overlooked strengths.