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Starred review from December 22, 2014
Former president Bush brings an unassuming and straightforward delivery to the audio edition of his new biography of his father. The title provides a unique vantage point of public life and the presidency, as a son draws on his own later experiences in providing context for a dad’s journey. Bush has never been known for polished oratory or diction, and his delivery of certain phrases may not always flow together seamlessly. Yet his easy personal manner consistently projects warmth and approachability. The stirring presentation of the father-son bond during the joy of electoral victories and the pain of defeats is especially memorable. Listeners discouraged by the current climate of partisan polarization in Washington will appreciate the conciliatory tones toward the family’s political rivals, including a touching correspondence between the elder Bush and Geraldine Ferraro, the late congresswoman and 1984 vice-presidential nominee. These types of exchanges—while not denying the spirited and competitive nature of modern American politics as practiced by the Bush family—offer a measure of grace and civility that will appeal to a wide spectrum of history buffs and political junkies. A Crown hardcover.