President George H. W. Bush: A Short Biography

By Doug West

His was one of the great American stories. Born into a privileged New England family, George H. W. Bush joined the navy on his eighteenth birthday, and at age twenty, he was shot down on a combat mission over the Pacific. He married young, started a family, and resisted pressure to become a Wall Street banker, instead, striking out for the adventurous world of the Texas oil patch. Over the course of three decades, Bush would rise through the political ranks from the chairmanship of his county Republican Party to serve as congressman, ambassador to the United Nations, head of the Republican National Committee, Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office to China, and Director of Central Intelligence. He served for two terms as vice president under Ronald Reagan, and, ultimately, President of the United States. During his presidency, the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union splintered. Bush’s capable leadership during this dramatic time helped shape a world in which the United States emerged as a lone superpower. After one term in office, he became the first president since John Adams to see his son also become president.

This short book covers the life of former President George H. W. Bush from his early years growing up in Connecticut, his rise to power through the political ranks to become the President of the United States, and the years after his term in the land’s highest office.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Doug West
• Release date: Mar 23, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370432417

Doug West

Doug West is a retired engineer, small business owner, and an experienced non-fiction writer with several books to his credit. His writing interests are general, with expertise in science, history, biographies, numismatics, and “How to” topics. Doug has a B.S. in Physics from the Missouri School of Science and Technology and a Ph.D. in General Engineering from Oklahoma State University. He lives with his wife and little dog “Millie” near Kansas City, Missouri.

Book preview

President George H. W. Bush – A Short Biography

By Doug West, Ph.D.

President George H. W. Bush – A Short Biography

Copyright © 2017 Doug West

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author. Reviewers may quote brief passages in reviews.

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Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1 - Early Life

Chapter 2 – Entrance into Politics

Chapter 3 - The National Stage

Chapter 4 - Vice President of the United States

Chapter 5 - President of the United States

Chapter 6 – The Persian Gulf War

Chapter 7 - Presidential Election of 1992

Chapter 8 - Post-Presidency

George H. W. Bush Timeline

Acknowledgements

References and Further Reading

About the Author

Additional Books by Doug West

Preface

Welcome to the book, President George H. W. Bush - A Short Biography. This book is part of the 30 Minute Book Series and, as the name of the series implies, if you are an average reader this book will take around 30 minutes to read. Since this short book is not meant to be an all-encompassing biography of George H. W. Bush, you may want to know more about this man and his accomplishments. To help you with this, there are several good references at the end of this book. Thank you for purchasing this book. I hope you enjoy your time reading about former President Bush.

Doug West

March 2017

Introduction

In February 1991, when the Persian Gulf War ended after US missiles and fighter planes shattered Iraq, and ground forces defeated the enemy force within 100 hours, Americans rejoiced at the power of their weaponry, their quick victory, and the appropriateness of their cause. President George H. W. Bush received praise for his strong leadership, and amid the excitement surrounding the return of US soldiers, he proclaimed a new world order in which countries committed to moral leadership would contain invaders and terrorists around the world.

The decisive outcome of the Persian Gulf War indicated that peace would reign, and Bush would be reelected. His public approval rating had reached 90 percent, a level far higher than any other US president. However, little more than 18 months later, voters ousted Bush from the White House. Despite his unprecedented popularity from military and diplomatic triumphs, Bush was unable to withstand dissent at home from a weak economy, rising violence in inner cities, and continued deficit spending. His term as president is a notable example of what can happen to a president who pursues foreign policy while ignoring domestic issues.

Chapter 1 - Early Years

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