Review by Choice Review
This book analyzes President George W. Bush's character and leadership abilities; his domestic, foreign, and national security policies; and White House organization during Bush's first two years in office. The essays suggest that President Bush's core strength was his handling of the war on terror, while his main weakness was the lack of a legislative record in domestic affairs. These essays also explain that there existed two presidencies (a pre- and post-9/11 presidency) within the Bush administration. The book concludes by presenting a report card on President Bush that was graded by twenty presidential scholars in November of 2002. A problem is that the chapters focus too much on describing the early years of the Bush presidency rather than analyzing its successes and failures. Scholars seeking an in-depth analysis should consult Colin Campbell and Bert A. Rockman's The George W. Bush Presidency: Appraisals and Prospects (2004). Despite this criticism, the authors explore a diverse set of policy and administrative issues that will be of interest to undergraduate students in courses on the American presidency. A. L. Warber Clemson University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
