41 on 41--A Review

Photo Credit: Whitehouse.gov

--CNN aired a remarkable 2 hour special sponsored by the Bush Presidential Library Foundation, on the life of George H.W. Bush this past Father's Day, June 15th, 2014.

--It is called 41 on 41, because there are 41 storytellers that talk about the life of the 41st president, George H.W. Bush.

The 41 Storytellers:

1) Brent Scowcroft--former National Security Advisor for Bush
2) George W. Bush--43rd President of the U.S.
3) Jeb Bush--former Governor of Florida
4) Jeb Bush Jr.--grandson
5) Pierce Bush--grandson
6) Marvin Bush--son
7) Neil Bush--son
8) Roger Ailes--former campaign advisor to Bush
9) James A. Baker III--former Secretary of State for Bush
10) Susan Baker--wife of James Baker and longtime family friend
11) Jean Becker--post-presidential chief of staff for Bush
12) Tom Brokaw--news anchor for NBC
13) Billy Busch--fishing companion
14) Doro Bush Koch--daughter
15) Andrew Card--former White House Deputy chief of Staff for Bush
16) Buddy Carter--White House butler
17) Dana Carvey--comedian
18) Bill Clinton--42nd President of the U.S.
19) Barack Obama--44th President of the U.S.
20) Michael Dannenhauer--former personal aide to Bush
21) David McCullough--historian and author (my personal favorite)
22) David Demarest--former W.H. communications director for Bush
23) Mike Elliott--U.S. Army Golden Knight
24) Marlin Fitzwater--former W.H. press secretary for Bush
25) Dr. Robert Gates--former director of the CIA under Bush
26) Bruce Gelb--classmate of Bush's at Phillips Andover Academy
27) Boyden Gray--former W.H. legal counsel for Bush
28) Brit Hume--former W.H. correspondent for ABC news
29) Sarah Jackson--alumna of Bush School of Government and Public Service
30) John Magaw--former director of U.S. secret service
31) Mike Krzyzewski--Duke University men's basketball coach
32) John Major--former Prime Minister of the U.K.
33) Chip Miller--former commander of the U.S.S. George H.W. Bush
34) Jim Nantz--sports commentator
35) Arnold Palmer--Hall of Fame golfer
36) Colin Powell--former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Bush
37) Gabe Pressman--WNBC-TV correspondent
38) Dan Quayle--44th Vice President of the U.S.
39) Alan Simpson--former U.S. senator of Wyoming
40) Dr. Condoleezza Rice--former special assistant to Bush for national security
41) John Sununu--former W.H. chief of staff for Bush

--I have to say that I've never been overly impressed with Bush Sr.  I have always thought that his son was a much better president.  But I have to say that after watching this special, I do have a lot more respect for him as a man.

Things that impressed me:
 --How he treated all people.  He knew all of the W.H. staff's names and their loved ones names.  He showed a genuine interest in their lives.  He often wrote handwritten notes to people from all walks of life.  His grandson told of going through a tough time and when he went to his bedroom, there was a handwritten note from his grandfather encouraging him.

--Bruce Gelb, a classmate of Bush's at Phillips Andover Academy, tells a story about he was being bullied and Bush stood up for him.  Gelb said that Bush became a hero for him from that day forth.

--George W. talked about how he constantly tested the unconditional part of his father's love, and yet, it never wavered.

--David McCullough shared a story about admiring a signed photograph of Bush with Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams in the Rose Garden, when he had visited the Presidential Library and Museum.  After McCullough's visit, Bush mailed him the photograph.  McCullough was in awe of the president's generosity and he said the photograph is one of his family's treasures.

--Barbara Bush looks at her husband with such admiration.  She talks about how he is the greatest man and you can tell she means it.  She is a strong woman who loves her husband.  They have now been married longer than any other presidential couple.

--If you missed the special when it was on TV, go here to sign up for when the DVD becomes available.

A Review of John Adams

I have owned the hard copy of David McCullough's book, John Adams for quite a few years but just hadn't gotten around to reading it. So recently, I have been listening to it on Cd. As always, McCullough does an excellent job.

I enjoyed learning about Adams and the key role he played in the founding of our nation. I was also fascinated by his relationship with his wife, his children, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Rush. I didn't realize that Adams and Jefferson started out as close friends, then became fierce, political rivals and then became friends again towards the end of their lives. I did remember that they both died on the same day, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Benjamin Rush's name came up quite a bit and he was the one responsible for re-kindling Adams and Jefferson's friendship. I have a book on Rush that I've been wanting to read and hearing about him in this book, makes me even more motivated to read it.

Adams ended up being separated from Abigail so often that they wrote endless letters to each other. Abigail loved and adored her husband and found the separations difficult, but was willing to sacrifice for her country. I have studied the presidents' wives, but not extensively. Yet, so far, if I had to pick a favorite I always come back to Abigail Adams. She was a strong woman and her husband so admired her that he went to her for advice.

Adams was also a good father who cared for his children. He took son, John Quincy with him on many of his trips which ended up making John Quincy more than qualified to be in public service later on in his life. John Quincy Adams didn't become president later on in life just because he was John Adams' son but because he had come by his experience and wisdom in his own right.

I highly recommend this book and any other history book written by David McCullough.

Book rating--8 out of 10 stars


Previous Book Reviews:
1776
My Grandfather's Son
Stephen Mansfield's Books
Stori Telling

A Review of 1776 by David McCullough

I've been listening to 1776 (unabridged) on CD. The most striking thing to me in listening to it is how little of the specifics I know or remember of the Revolutionary War.

Also, its fascinating how much history puts current events into context. 1776 was a rough year for the Americans and if there had been polls done back then George Washington and the troops would've had very little support. Yet, Washington and the soldiers did not give up despite the odds and some of the losses that they suffered. Washington had a lot of critics during the war who thought he wasn't fit to be Commander in Chief.

Today, very few are aware of this because of how things turned out and Washington is considered one of our greatest presidents and leaders. Once again I think history will view George W. Bush much more favorably just like history has judged George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Reagan much more favorably the more time went by and the fruit of their leadership was revealed.

David McCullough is by far one of my favorite History authors. When I first started on my journey of researching the Presidents I listened to McCullough's book on Truman. I learned so much and it was very exciting since Truman is from the KC area.

I learned a lot by listening to 1776 on CD, but there is so much rich history in it that I think I'm also going to take the time to read the actual hard copy of the book.

Book Rating--9 out of 10 stars