Overview

A groundbreaking look at the lives of George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, the most consequential father-son pair in American history, often in their own words.  In this revealing, often poignant work, presidential historian Mark K. Updegrove tracks the two Bush presidents from their formative years through their post-presidencies and the failed presidential candidacy of Jeb Bush, derailing the Bush presidential dynasty.  Drawing extensively on exclusive access and interviews with both Bush presidents, Updegrove reveals for the first time their influences and perspectives on each other’s presidencies; their views on family, public service, and America’s role in the world; and their unvarnished thoughts on Donald Trump and the radical transformation of the Republican Party he now leads. In 2016 George W. Bush lamented privately that he might be “the last Republican president.” Donald Trump’s election marked the end not only to the Bushes’ hold on the White House, but of a rejection of the Republican principles of civility and international engagement and leadership that the Bushes have long championed. The Last Republicans offers illuminating, moving portraits of the forty-first and forty-third presidents, as well as an elegy for the Republican “establishment,” which once stood for putting the interests of the nation over those of any single man.

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9780062654137

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Reviews

In his lively and engaging portrait of the two presidents Bush, Mark Updegrove has painted a compelling picture of political leadership in America. This isn't just a work of history. It invites us to think about the leadership this country needs and deserves today. -- William Kristol, Editor at large, <em>The Weekly Standard</em> With unique access to the only father and son to serve as presidents in almost two hundred years, Mark Updegrove weaves a captivating, intimate portrait of one of the country's most important political dynasties. The Bushes' sense of public service as a high calling becomes all the more striking against the backdrop of today's polarized party politics. This beautifully rendered story could not be more timely. -- Doris Kearns Goodwin

Author Information

Mark K. Updegrove is the author of four books on the presidency, including Indomitable Will: LBJ in the Presidency. The inaugural CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum and the former director of the LBJ Presidential Library, Updegrove is a contributor to ABC News and Good Morning America, and has written for the Daily Beast, National Geographic, the New York Times, Parade, Politico, Texas Monthly and Time. He lives in Austin, Texas.

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