March 19, 2009 11:36 AM

Bush Has Begun Work On Memoirs

By
Brent Lang
Topics
Republicans
(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Former President George W. Bush will continue a long presidential tradition of putting pen to page in the hopes of burnishing his legacy.

From Ulysses S. Grant (whose "Personal Memoirs" is considered the gold standard of presidential autobiographies) to Bill Clinton (whose "My Life" sold over 2 million copies), the memoir has become an essential part of reputation-building for ex-presidents.

Mr. Bush has signed a deal to write his own contribution to the genre, tentatively titled "Decision Points," with the Crown Publishing Group, Politico reports. It is not known if Mr. Bush's payday will match or surpass the $15 million advance that Mr. Clinton received from Random House for his memoir.

Mr. Bush didn't wait for the ink to dry on his contract to get started: He's already 30,000 words into the book, Robert B. Barnett, the Washington lawyer who negotiated Mr. Bush's book deal, told The New York Times. The former president is getting some editorial assistance during the writing process from his former chief speechwriter, Christopher Michel, who is helping him craft the book.

"My goal is to bring the reader inside the Oval Office for the most consequential moments of my personal and political life," Mr. Bush said in a statement. "I look forward to painting a vivid picture of the information I had, the principles I followed, and the decisions I made."

The former president spilled some details about what form the finished product will take during a speech last Tuesday in Calgary, Alberta. He said he plans to write about the 12 toughest decisions he faced in his personal and political life in a way that will let readers determine what they would have done if they were in his shoes.

Among the topics that the book will touch on are Mr. Bush's decision to quit drinking, the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, and the selection of Dick Cheney as vice president, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Crown Publishing is a subsidiary of Random House, which published Mr. Clinton's memoir. Three Rivers Press, another imprint of Random House, published President Barack Obama's two memoirs, "Dreams from My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope." Crown will also publish a youth version of "Dreams from My Father" and a book to be written after Mr. Obama leaves office.

Add a Comment See all 71 Comments
by bigsk8fan April 30, 2009 6:48 AM EDT
historians surely will want to know why he invaded iraq; approved of waterboarding; doubled the national debt. yes, bush insights to the unmaking of a nation will surely be a best seller.
Reply to this comment
by mollyak April 14, 2009 2:37 PM EDT
I'm looking forward to reading it! I was glad Bush made the decision to go into Iraq and oust Saddam and his thugs. Thank you, President Bush! Well done.
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by straightalk April 10, 2009 10:42 PM EDT
May be Bush should write a book titled " How I stole the election!" This should be a must read for all GOP candidates.
Reply to this comment
by straightalk April 10, 2009 10:27 PM EDT
We know this book will not contain the following:

Fact: Bush & Cheney invaded Iraq over a bunch of lies.
Fact: The illegal invasion of Iraq slaughtered over 1 million Iraqi.
Fact: Cheney's Haliburton largest profiteer from the invasion.
Fact: Bush & Cheney authorized illegal tortures.
Fact: Invasion of Iraq is about OIL, nothing else.

Bush & Cheney should be charged with Crimes Against Humanity!
Reply to this comment
by iam4honesty April 10, 2009 10:01 AM EDT
"Among the topics that the book will touch on are Mr. Bush's decision to quit drinking, the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, and the selection of Dick Cheney as vice president"

But not in that order.
Reply to this comment
by chicagoguy49 March 29, 2009 8:39 AM EDT
I will eventually read this book of fiction... but certainly will wait until it is available in a library. I would not spend a penny to add to this idiots personal fortune.

He was a disgrace to this nation and should be remembered as such.

I am quite sure that he is merely talking to the actual ghost writer since his ability to put English into coherent sentences has always been an issue.
Reply to this comment
by dante99654 May 23, 2010 2:12 PM EDT
Having not read it yet, all you are sharing is your hatred. He is quite well educated and coherent, though used the colloquial in political discourse, as have all Presidents. It is people who inculcate all public discourse with emotional gushings of hatred who are "a disgrace to the nation nd should be remembered as such." The man has an MBA from Harvard.
by dj292009 March 21, 2009 11:10 PM EDT
In a letter to his mother, George Bush writes:

"Hi Mommie, I sur am gladd i learnt how to writ gud. I am going to writ a buk and git payed muny. Ain't that gud., Mommie?"
Posted by raflin1

LMAO, what an idiot
Reply to this comment
by dante99654 May 23, 2010 2:15 PM EDT
I remember that Gary Wills made much of letter that Richard Nixon wrote, as a small child, to his dying mother, ridiculing his style according to adult standards. Of course, it is unfair to judge a small child, first learning to write, by adult standards, and to do so shows a lack of a capacity for empathy. You have communicated a message of hatred - your own emotional state, rather than anything to do with the actual study.
by ianlou March 20, 2009 9:46 AM EDT
Bush Has Begun Work On Memoirs.

I wonder if he celebrated by getting a new box of crayons.
Reply to this comment
by boatdocster March 20, 2009 2:22 AM EDT
Mr. Bush has signed a deal to write his own contribution to the genre, tentatively titled -

"Decision Points; how I got everything totally Wrong"

The opening comments quote the Scarecrow from the from the "Wizard of Oz" as one of Bush's greatest mentors.

"I'm still trying to figure out that "If I only had a brain" part" Bush chuckled.

"On the plus side, I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office." George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008
Reply to this comment
by realnews12 March 20, 2009 1:37 AM EDT
Why is this news?

Who cares what Bush is doing now? He's gone, thank goodness.
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