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George Bush: The Life of a Lone Star Yankee
The only comprehensive biography of the former president, from his aristocratic upbringing and heroic World War II service to his ascendancy to the White House, encompasses insights culled from exclusive access to personal papers, correspondence, and diary entries. 40,000 first printing.
576 pages, Hardcover
First published November 4, 1993
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About the author
Herbert S. Parmet
27 booksHerbert S. Parmet was Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History at The City University of New York.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 6, 2019
https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2019...
Published in 1997, Herbert Parmet’s “George Bush: Life of a Lone Star Yankee” is the earliest detailed account of George H.W. Bush’s life (through his presidency). Parmet was a historian, a professor and the author of eight presidential biographies (three of which I’ve previously read). His most recent book “Richard M. Nixon: An American Enigma” was published in 2007. Parmet died in 2017 at the age of 87.
With 511 pages of text, Parmet’s biography of Bush 41 has the luxury of being thorough without being exhausting. But it is frequently dense and lacks the captivating animation provided by the very best biographies. In Parmet’s books covering JFK and Richard Nixon, he proved a keen historian but disappointing writer; here he lived up to his reputation as a scholar and modestly exceeded my expectations as an author.
Roughly half the book is dedicated to Bush’s life prior to his serving as Reagan’s vice president. These fourteen chapters are occasionally dry, but are just as frequently terrific. Bush’s ancestry and military career are wonderfully reported and Parmet’s coverage of Bush’s early political career and service with the United Nations and CIA is solid. And in this half of the book – the first few chapters, in particular – the author’s writing style is remarkably interesting and engaging.
The book’s focus on Bush’s vice presidency is surprisingly thorough (and reasonably good) but his 1988 campaign for the presidency is even better. The five chapters covering Bush’s presidency are fine, with the stand-out sections being devoted to Bush’s infamous decision to support a tax increase and his skillful response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. Also worth mentioning are the excellent – if too brief – introductions to certain supporting characters such as Jim Baker and Barbara Bush.
This book’s key shortcoming is that Parmet approaches the task of writing biography from the point of view of a reporter and not an analyst. He observes events and faithfully reveals them to the reader, usually with an appropriate dose of context and some degree of insight. But only rarely does he connect seemingly unrelated dots for his audience or postulate why Bush may have acted a certain way in a given situation.
In addition, Parmet’s style is to view Bush from a distance rather than seeing things through his eyes or from his perspective. The reader learns how Bush reacted to events but it is not always clear why. Finally, Parmet provides no grand theme in this biography; there is no explicit overarching thesis which is postulated and then carefully proven. As a result, individual chapters fail to tie back to a central message and simply exist in sequential order but without thematic glue.
Overall, Herbert Parmet’s biography of George Bush proves excellent in some areas while falling short in others. Readers seeking a deep understanding of Bush’s pre-presidency will find much to chew on and certain aspects of his presidency are nicely nuanced and extremely captivating. But Parmet prefers observing to analyzing, he never fully humanizes his subject and he covers none of Bush’s retirement.
Overall rating: 3¾ stars
Published in 1997, Herbert Parmet’s “George Bush: Life of a Lone Star Yankee” is the earliest detailed account of George H.W. Bush’s life (through his presidency). Parmet was a historian, a professor and the author of eight presidential biographies (three of which I’ve previously read). His most recent book “Richard M. Nixon: An American Enigma” was published in 2007. Parmet died in 2017 at the age of 87.
With 511 pages of text, Parmet’s biography of Bush 41 has the luxury of being thorough without being exhausting. But it is frequently dense and lacks the captivating animation provided by the very best biographies. In Parmet’s books covering JFK and Richard Nixon, he proved a keen historian but disappointing writer; here he lived up to his reputation as a scholar and modestly exceeded my expectations as an author.
Roughly half the book is dedicated to Bush’s life prior to his serving as Reagan’s vice president. These fourteen chapters are occasionally dry, but are just as frequently terrific. Bush’s ancestry and military career are wonderfully reported and Parmet’s coverage of Bush’s early political career and service with the United Nations and CIA is solid. And in this half of the book – the first few chapters, in particular – the author’s writing style is remarkably interesting and engaging.
The book’s focus on Bush’s vice presidency is surprisingly thorough (and reasonably good) but his 1988 campaign for the presidency is even better. The five chapters covering Bush’s presidency are fine, with the stand-out sections being devoted to Bush’s infamous decision to support a tax increase and his skillful response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. Also worth mentioning are the excellent – if too brief – introductions to certain supporting characters such as Jim Baker and Barbara Bush.
This book’s key shortcoming is that Parmet approaches the task of writing biography from the point of view of a reporter and not an analyst. He observes events and faithfully reveals them to the reader, usually with an appropriate dose of context and some degree of insight. But only rarely does he connect seemingly unrelated dots for his audience or postulate why Bush may have acted a certain way in a given situation.
In addition, Parmet’s style is to view Bush from a distance rather than seeing things through his eyes or from his perspective. The reader learns how Bush reacted to events but it is not always clear why. Finally, Parmet provides no grand theme in this biography; there is no explicit overarching thesis which is postulated and then carefully proven. As a result, individual chapters fail to tie back to a central message and simply exist in sequential order but without thematic glue.
Overall, Herbert Parmet’s biography of George Bush proves excellent in some areas while falling short in others. Readers seeking a deep understanding of Bush’s pre-presidency will find much to chew on and certain aspects of his presidency are nicely nuanced and extremely captivating. But Parmet prefers observing to analyzing, he never fully humanizes his subject and he covers none of Bush’s retirement.
Overall rating: 3¾ stars
March 14, 2020
This book is a thorough biography of George H. W. Bush to the time of its publication in 1997. It starts with his family history and continues with his education, military service, romance with Barbara and business career in Texas where he began his involvement in politics.
This, as any biography of George Bush, emphasizes that his presidency was the culmination, but by no means the extent, of his public career. His terms in the House of Representatives, unsuccessful Senate campaigns and series of executive appointments are all examined. His relationship with Richard Nixon, who appointed him to several positions without developing a warmth between them, is part of the life history of them both.
The 1980 campaign, unsuccessfully for president followed by his selection as Ronald Reagan’s second choice for vice-president after all other candidates were excluded was a roller coaster of euphoria and disappointment. The eight years as vice-president were distinguished by a desire to by a desire to advance his career, tempered by loyalty and service to his president.
Bush’s presidency is depicted as a change from the Reagan era in tone and subtlety in policy. The series of challenges, including the budget/tax increase issue, the savings and loan crisis in which his son Neil was claimed to have been involved, the fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification of Germany, the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the invasion of Kuwait provide a reminder of how significant the George Bush Era was.
The unsuccessful 1992 campaign is shown as one in which the campaign did not have the same personnel as before and, because of prior illness, the candidate was not the Bush of 1988.
The importance of family and the lure of Kennebunkport as an anchor are themes that run through this work. Given its publication date, it lacks any account of George’s interaction with George W. during his presidency. I found it to relate the facts of its subject’s life but lack the depth of analysis found in some later biographies. It is a worthwhile read, but not the best biography of George H. W. Bush.
This, as any biography of George Bush, emphasizes that his presidency was the culmination, but by no means the extent, of his public career. His terms in the House of Representatives, unsuccessful Senate campaigns and series of executive appointments are all examined. His relationship with Richard Nixon, who appointed him to several positions without developing a warmth between them, is part of the life history of them both.
The 1980 campaign, unsuccessfully for president followed by his selection as Ronald Reagan’s second choice for vice-president after all other candidates were excluded was a roller coaster of euphoria and disappointment. The eight years as vice-president were distinguished by a desire to by a desire to advance his career, tempered by loyalty and service to his president.
Bush’s presidency is depicted as a change from the Reagan era in tone and subtlety in policy. The series of challenges, including the budget/tax increase issue, the savings and loan crisis in which his son Neil was claimed to have been involved, the fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification of Germany, the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the invasion of Kuwait provide a reminder of how significant the George Bush Era was.
The unsuccessful 1992 campaign is shown as one in which the campaign did not have the same personnel as before and, because of prior illness, the candidate was not the Bush of 1988.
The importance of family and the lure of Kennebunkport as an anchor are themes that run through this work. Given its publication date, it lacks any account of George’s interaction with George W. during his presidency. I found it to relate the facts of its subject’s life but lack the depth of analysis found in some later biographies. It is a worthwhile read, but not the best biography of George H. W. Bush.
November 28, 2021
George HW Bush seemed like a nice enough guy, but wew lad was he boring, or at least this biography was. I do think Parmet was hindered by his subject material a little bit here. Part of the senior Bush’s popularity was due greatly to his “keep your head down and don’t make noise” attitude when it came to basically everything. He didn’t strike me as cynical as some of the other presidents I have read about, but this biography ultimately left me with what seems to be the assessment I entered the book with: he’s a right wing Jimmy Carter. Nice enough guy, but not a good president.
There were two sections of the book that I felt were notable. The first was the part that discussed his being the head of the CIA. I did know that he was but never really heard it treated with any depth and I found all of that interesting, and how it helped lead the CIA away from the more progressive bias it had at the time. Though it’s clear that has turned recently to go the other way. I also found the section on his Navy pilot career fascinating, really because I have a congregant that served on the destroyer that rescued him and it was cool to see personal history intersect with a grander narrative.
Honestly, Parmet couldn’t deliver the goods for me here. He was able to remain quite unbiased in my opinion. Still, this book was only in the 500 page range (though it is small print) it felt way longer than that. I had to force myself to finish it which is never a good sign. Perhaps the material would have been better suited to have been covered by another writer or for better sources to have drawn out some better distinctions in George HW Bush’s life.
There were two sections of the book that I felt were notable. The first was the part that discussed his being the head of the CIA. I did know that he was but never really heard it treated with any depth and I found all of that interesting, and how it helped lead the CIA away from the more progressive bias it had at the time. Though it’s clear that has turned recently to go the other way. I also found the section on his Navy pilot career fascinating, really because I have a congregant that served on the destroyer that rescued him and it was cool to see personal history intersect with a grander narrative.
Honestly, Parmet couldn’t deliver the goods for me here. He was able to remain quite unbiased in my opinion. Still, this book was only in the 500 page range (though it is small print) it felt way longer than that. I had to force myself to finish it which is never a good sign. Perhaps the material would have been better suited to have been covered by another writer or for better sources to have drawn out some better distinctions in George HW Bush’s life.
March 31, 2019
Certainly a good historic and political book, where you can learn a lot about all the political and social work did by President Bush until the end of his presidency. But the title push you to think that the book is more personal and intimate - "The life of a lone star yankee" - but actually is most of all about political decisions.
Herbert Parmet did a lot of great researching work to write this book but it is helpful only to those who want to know the George Bush politician - very less about the man.
Herbert Parmet did a lot of great researching work to write this book but it is helpful only to those who want to know the George Bush politician - very less about the man.
January 7, 2023
This was a thorough biography on George Bush and his political career. However, I was disappointed with how quickly Parmet rushed through Bush’s presidency. Parmet glossed through Panama, the Gulf War, and didn’t even get much into the details of the 1992 election. It felt as if the author had a page limit and he had to abruptly end it. I would have loved an epilogue discussing Bush’s post presidency up to that point.
September 2, 2019
This was a pretty good Presidential biography.
It's kind of funny that GHWB was not a self made man, but by his hard work, he made himself much more of a successful man than his lineage provided to him. Does that make sense? Probably not.
Anyway, at the end of the day, a politician is a politician is a politician.
At least GHWB was a decent guy, and served his country well.
It's kind of funny that GHWB was not a self made man, but by his hard work, he made himself much more of a successful man than his lineage provided to him. Does that make sense? Probably not.
Anyway, at the end of the day, a politician is a politician is a politician.
At least GHWB was a decent guy, and served his country well.
February 7, 2021
Meh. Pretty standard biography. Nothing to deep, or overly tell all. Bush was a decent and honorable person and the book covers that. It might be better is the Meecham book wasn't out there. The stories and accounts all feel well researched, but the writing didn't pop. It's somewhere between a text book and an encyclopedia entry.
December 29, 2024
The author, reader, and subject all failed to make this an interesting and engaging read.
October 4, 2012
Parmet’s book on the forty-first president is an occasionally insightful though long-winded disappointment. The author’s thesis, that George H. W. Bush was a principled, fiercely loyal and pragmatic leader who honorably served the nation’s highest office and was crushed by the very principles that got him there, is amply supported throughout as Parmet traces Bush’s life from childhood to his last day as president in January 1993. Standing out are perceptive discussions about the rise of Jimmy Carter, the Evangelicals’ desertion of Carter for Ronald Reagan in 1980, and how the elder Bush was crippled in his ability to serve as president due to his complex loyalties to the Teflon-like Reagan, the then increasingly-conservative Republican Party and his own convictions.
These subjects are explored at length in other books, though the view was fresh in 1997. Indeed, what seems foregone to many today was original and astute then, i.e., that perhaps history is right to be ambivalent toward Ronald Reagan. The president affectionately known as "the Gipper" was instrumental in ending the cold war and for many symbolized what the United States should and could be. On the other hand, the Reagan administration also ran a deficit that his successor, his vice president, was forced to confront during his own presidency. Although Reagan is - wisely - hardly more than an elusive figure in “The Life of a Lone Star Yankee,” Parmet at best characterizes the fortieth president's shadow, which undeniably cast a good and bad light on Bush and virtually all Republicans who have run for office since 1989.
Though it has a few solid observations, the book more often whiplashes between timelines, taking asides from moments in present discussion to compare to later statements or events during Bush’s presidency. Other side topics appear without context with a dilettante's perspective on the matter (e.g., an ecological history of Texas as Bush and others drilled for oil in the 1950s, the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, S&L scandals, U.S.-Israeli relations during the last half of 1992) before awkwardly rejoining its main track. Among all these detours, there is no intelligent discussion of Bush’s life within the full context of either the times he lived or when he led the country. The book’s four lengthy chapters on 41’s presidency are guilty of these offenses and worse, doing not much more than summarizing the highlights of the years between his 1989 inauguration and his exit from the White House. Missing are the valuable insights of earlier chapters, revealing only that Bush - who shepherded the country to the end of the cold war and drove Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait - was bored by pending unavoidable domestic issues and heavily considering serving just one term. Bush, we know now and even in 1997 as the book was published, had a much more consequential four years in office than Parmet gives credit.
Regarding length, "George Bush" is relatively short for a book about the life of a U.S. president; however, sloppy editing, frequent misspellings and the use money words make for torturous reading. Though the author may know the meaning of the multisyllabic words, he uses them without any flare (and in any event, exhaustive use of the "I've got to consult my dictionary" words is hollow, as the book’s subject - a man born to privilege who tried to build a name for himself with as much independence and shedding of Eastern snobbery as possible - not only saw himself as a regular Joe, but observers and those who know George H. W. Bush view him as one, as well).
These subjects are explored at length in other books, though the view was fresh in 1997. Indeed, what seems foregone to many today was original and astute then, i.e., that perhaps history is right to be ambivalent toward Ronald Reagan. The president affectionately known as "the Gipper" was instrumental in ending the cold war and for many symbolized what the United States should and could be. On the other hand, the Reagan administration also ran a deficit that his successor, his vice president, was forced to confront during his own presidency. Although Reagan is - wisely - hardly more than an elusive figure in “The Life of a Lone Star Yankee,” Parmet at best characterizes the fortieth president's shadow, which undeniably cast a good and bad light on Bush and virtually all Republicans who have run for office since 1989.
Though it has a few solid observations, the book more often whiplashes between timelines, taking asides from moments in present discussion to compare to later statements or events during Bush’s presidency. Other side topics appear without context with a dilettante's perspective on the matter (e.g., an ecological history of Texas as Bush and others drilled for oil in the 1950s, the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, S&L scandals, U.S.-Israeli relations during the last half of 1992) before awkwardly rejoining its main track. Among all these detours, there is no intelligent discussion of Bush’s life within the full context of either the times he lived or when he led the country. The book’s four lengthy chapters on 41’s presidency are guilty of these offenses and worse, doing not much more than summarizing the highlights of the years between his 1989 inauguration and his exit from the White House. Missing are the valuable insights of earlier chapters, revealing only that Bush - who shepherded the country to the end of the cold war and drove Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait - was bored by pending unavoidable domestic issues and heavily considering serving just one term. Bush, we know now and even in 1997 as the book was published, had a much more consequential four years in office than Parmet gives credit.
Regarding length, "George Bush" is relatively short for a book about the life of a U.S. president; however, sloppy editing, frequent misspellings and the use money words make for torturous reading. Though the author may know the meaning of the multisyllabic words, he uses them without any flare (and in any event, exhaustive use of the "I've got to consult my dictionary" words is hollow, as the book’s subject - a man born to privilege who tried to build a name for himself with as much independence and shedding of Eastern snobbery as possible - not only saw himself as a regular Joe, but observers and those who know George H. W. Bush view him as one, as well).
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May 4, 2015A recognizable political person and America’s 43rd president, George W. Bush, was born on July 6th, 1946 to two loving parents. According to the Biography People in the News, George Walker Bush was raised within a large family in Texas many of whom were American politicians. During his early years of education, George attended a public school in Midland Texas before transferring to another school in Houston Texas. Moving on to his superior education, Bush attended Yale University and later on earned his Master in Business Administration from Harvard University. However, before earning his MBA at Harvard, Bush was commissioned to the Texas Air National Guard and served two years of active service. His family was supportive of his actions and his father Bush Senior also aided George in his endeavors.
Starting with his early years, George W. Bush was raised by his family to be modest and to know the importance of public duty. His father, being a World War II veteran also influenced George into understanding the importance of Military service. He was influenced greatly by his parents who were established as political figures at the time. This influence aided Bush into developing his legacy and leaving his mark even after he had exited the Oval Office. His legacy is somewhat tainted by the Iraq war however, there were several action taken by Bush that have aided the US today. For example, several bills signed into law by Bush have helped diminish the drug empire that once existed in the US and also helped decrease taxes. His accomplishments are numerous and include the Bush tax cut that reduced taxes and passed laws, which prohibited discrimination against disabled children. On the international level, Bush’s accomplishments are many and include the invasion of Iraq and Panama as well as the creation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
This edition by People in the News on George Bush was extremely interesting to read because it gives the reader an overall look at the life of George Bush. Although George Bush is usually seen in bad light for the wars, there were several other accomplishments and decisions made by Bush that aided society in general. I recommend this book for all those who like history and enjoy reading Biographies about American Presidents. There is much to learn about Bush and his time during his presidency. This book is clear and concise while at the same time rather entertaining for those love history or are fans of George W. Bush.
August 11, 2019
The Life of a Lone Star Yankee provides an interesting and thoughtful look a George Bush Sr. and how his life impacted his presidency. Parmet provides a balanced look at Bush looking at not only his presidential time but his personal and business life as well. He traces Bush's role as a man who makes money and then enters public service and approaches it as a family way of life. By taking a family approach and showing how the eldest Bush impacted his son and grandson the 43rd president a pattern does begin to emerge. Barbra's role as a mediator and show piece of family values is also apparent throughout his life. George Bush Sr. seems to relish being President and strove to make the best decisions possible within each of the decisions he made as President. From war with Iraq and Panama to social decisions such as Supreme Court nominees and tax hikes he gave careful thought to each decision. His skills as a campaigner were impressive and well detailed and his rise was largely through the talent of Ronald Reagan's teams and not his own.
Parmet shows the successes in school, business, and marriage, his time at the CIA and his accomplishments as President. On the other side he shows the struggles in campaigning, in his role as vice president and reconciling his beliefs with Reagan as well as the trials and tribulations as President. If one is looking for a biography that bashes the president this is not it but it does point out his faults and despite what other reviews said it is not simply the greatness of Bush but a fair evaluation. Overall this book provides a look at if you want an excellent overview of George Bush Sr than this is the place to start.
Parmet shows the successes in school, business, and marriage, his time at the CIA and his accomplishments as President. On the other side he shows the struggles in campaigning, in his role as vice president and reconciling his beliefs with Reagan as well as the trials and tribulations as President. If one is looking for a biography that bashes the president this is not it but it does point out his faults and despite what other reviews said it is not simply the greatness of Bush but a fair evaluation. Overall this book provides a look at if you want an excellent overview of George Bush Sr than this is the place to start.
August 19, 2015
If you're looking for an even-handed account of the G. H. W. Bush presidency, this book may not be for you. Parmet does thorough provide a thorough and seemingly exacting account of Bush's life leading up to the presidency, but when politics get involved, the author tips his hand in extraordinarily blunt ways. For example, he refers to Noriega as a bastard and characterizes the media as bitchy both without attributing that strong language to anyone in a quote.
Despite the framing of this biography, I do have a much better sense of what Bush is like as a person and what key events characterized his time in office. However, Parmet offers nothing about Bush's post-presidential life, despite this book being published in 1997.
Long story short, for an overall account of Bush's life through the presidency, you could do worse than this book, but if you're looking for something more even-handed and comprehensive, you'll find yourself wanting.
Despite the framing of this biography, I do have a much better sense of what Bush is like as a person and what key events characterized his time in office. However, Parmet offers nothing about Bush's post-presidential life, despite this book being published in 1997.
Long story short, for an overall account of Bush's life through the presidency, you could do worse than this book, but if you're looking for something more even-handed and comprehensive, you'll find yourself wanting.
August 19, 2015
This is another book about George Herbert Bush President 41. He had has a very amazing life. He was a very good President. He guided the country through the end of the Cold War, oversaw the liberation of Panama and Kuwait and made tough economic decisions for future prosperity. He has lived all over the country in his various government jobs.
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