 "Required Reading" | 2008-08-06 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2V4Z7FN06IILX |
| I wish this book had been read widely before the 2004 election. And even more, that it had been published before the 2000 election. It puts a whole different perspective on the forces that have brought us to such unhappy consequenses in the USA. I found this book to be highly informative, knowlegeable and chilling. A good read even though it is too late to change history. And a valuable lesson as we march into the next decades. Dynasties are anti-democratic. |
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 "The Bush Dynasty?" | 2008-02-14 |
| - Reviewed By moparmaxus |
From the Preface of his book Kevin Philips says-"My original ambition was to identify and explain the Bush-related transformation of the U.S.presidency into an increasingly dynastic office,a change with profound consequences for the American Republic,given the factors of family bias,domestic special interests,and foreign grudges that the Bushes,father and son,brought into the White House."
Mr.Philips fulfills that ambition in this book.
He delves into the family history and alliances,from Yale to Skull and Bones and in some cases to the O.S.S. and eventually the C.I.A.
He explains "Texanomics" quite well. A kind of low-tax,low-service,high economic stratification brand of Southern economic conservatism.
G.W.Bush's allegiance to big business and the astronomical tax rebates to companies like G.E. and the ever famous Enron are detailed in the book. Also discussed in the book are G.W.Bush's ties to Ken Lay and his lobbying for energy deregulation. I didn't know that Enron had been a large supporter of the Republican team in the Florida recounts of the 2000 presidential election.
"George W. Bush is in a class by himself when it comes to prevarication. It is no exaggeration to say that lying has become Bush's signature as president."- The American Prospect quoted in the book.
Mr.Philips tells how the Bush-Cheney pairing in the White House is historical in that it brought two former energy company executives together.
The author gives a clear description of what the military-industrial complex is and it's history.
He details the major part petroleum has played in past as well as present wars. It's historical significance in the outcome of World War II can't be argued.
This book explores the religious aspect of the junor president Bush and his relationship with evangelical voters in contrast with his father's relationship to the same group of voters.
This is a very detailed book about the Bush and Walker families and the businesses they were involved in as well as the transformation of both president Bushes from business to their eventual presidencies.
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| "Surprise!" | 2008-02-11 |
| - Reviewed By stagoleesvariety |
| I was a little disappointed after reading the title that it wasn't easy potshots at the world's most worthy target, but rather a fact-based, rather dry account of the last century's rise of dynasty, military-industrial complex, and of course 4 generations of Bushes' feeding frenzy on said trends. But call me lazy. |
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| "Exellent Book!!" | 2006-12-14 |
| - Reviewed By warpheads |
| A historically accurate review of the Bush multi generational quest for both national and international financial and political power with evidence that politics were a means and wealth the ends; as we continue to see in current events concerning that family today. A must read for anyone who wants at least a basic understanding of how insatiable thirst for absolute power and base, crass greed are at the heart of what and how the United States of America came to be and is currently run. When President Bush said to a group of the richest Americans during his re-election that:"...some refer to you as the 'have mores'; I refer to you as My Base." He wasn't joking; that is his brotherhood, his extended family, the real and only Americans in his world view. |
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| "Good but ignores or barely touches upon some of their dirtiest secrets" | 2006-11-29 |
| - Reviewed By cwn_annwn |
| Good stuff here on the Bush Family and their many shady dealings going back to the 1800's. I mean it really is amazing how interwoven this bunch is with so many of the worst elements of the worlds power brokers for over a 150 years. If this book has a weakness its, although it brings up many of the the nefarious deeds and dealings of the Bush crime family, that it barely touches on or completely ignores the worst of the worst that the Bushs have been linked to over the years. It also tries a bit too hard to try to draw a parrellell between the Bush gangsters and European royalty by making them into Americans version of a royal family. Still recomended reading though. |
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| "Very Pleased" | 2006-08-27 |
| - Reviewed By michaellsaxon |
| This was an in-depth review of the rise of the Bush family in American politics and business, from a conservative writer no less. I was impressed by the amount of research and will certainly read my books written by this author. |
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| "Excellent Historical Analysis" | 2006-05-29 |
| - Reviewed By fourpointfive |
Kevin Phillips offers a comprehensive history of the Bush family and its activities at the nexus of US the oil, finance, and national security complex. This is most valuable if one understands the Bush family not as a source of unmitigated evil, but rather as an example of the US class structure at work. What is truly valuable in Phillips's history is the insight it provides into how power is wielded and major decisions are made. The book is heavily footnoted so that the reader can refer to other resources to back up contentious claims or to further explore relevant subjects.
My major concern about this book is its unnecessary anti-Bush bias. This bias may seem subtle to the sympathetic liberal reader or blatant to the conservative reader, but objective readers of either persuasion will agree that it is there. The problem with this is that there is no need for this bias. The true value of the book lies in its explication of how one family has benefited from the power structures inherent in US society. |
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 "a friend told me about this author" | 2006-04-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2CRDK3YWOXURG |
Good book, not the usual Bush~bashing spiel. Rather than having an axe to grind, the author seemed objectively concerned. I'm not really into politics because of all the goofy partisan bickering, but my politically~inclined friend recommended this to me as a book that lacks that aspect.
Ivan Rorick |
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| "A History of the Corrupt and Treacherous Bush Family" | 2005-11-29 |
| - Reviewed By cluallen2 |
"American Dynasty" is a heavily researched history of the Bush family going back to the early 20th century. Phillips discusses how the rise of both Bush, Sr and Bush, Jr to the White House typifies a frightening trend towards family dynasties in American politics, one that the Founding Fathers warned strongly against. He also makes a convincing case that lies, misinformation and financial self-interest have become the hallmarks of the two Bush administrations.
Phillips, a widely respected writer on politics and former Republican strategist, traces the Bush legacy back to George Herbert Walker and Samuel Prescott Bush, the grandfathers of Bush, Sr. The Bush family is shown to have become major players in four primary areas: investment banking, oil, the military industry and intelligence (the CIA). They also became an important part of the Eastern establishment, with a history of membership in Yale's "Skull and Bones" society.
George Herbert Walker is depicted as the original patriarch who first thrust the family into national prominence. He is described as a rather harsh character who was not well liked even by his own children. The dirty dealing and immorality of the Bush family also began quite early. For example, the Bushes had financial interests in military contractors who sold weapons to Nazi Germany during the 1930's. They also had business connections to the Saudi royal family going back to the early days of petroleum production there. George, Sr and George, Jr, meanwhile, are depicted as being born with the proverbial "silver spoon" in the mouth. They are shown to be intellectual lightweights and generally mediocre individuals who manage to rise to the presidency more through family connections and political sponsorship than any extraordinary personal characteristics. It is also noted that George, Jr has become a more popular politican than his father, he did win re-election after all, because he has a more "Texas roughneck" personality and firmer support from the Religious Right fundamentalists. Thus he is been able to avoid the "wimp" label that plauged his father, though W. is just as much of a spoiled rich kid who came up the easy way.
Phillips, further more, makes a compelling case that the religious extremists play a larger, and more disturbing, role in the W. presidential administration than at any time in American history. He also shows how Dick Cheney and the recently indicted Lewis "Scooter" Libby had drafted a report calling for the invasion of Iraq, based on U.S. petroleum interests, going back all the way to 2000. Anybody who still thinks the Iraq war is justified after reading this book must clearly be living in a state of delusion. Phillips also covers Iran-Contra, the "October Suprise," which has to do with the possibilty that Bush, Sr. was involved in a deal to keep the U.S. hostages in Iran until Reagan-Bush were elected, and the endless series of lies and deceit that have characterized both Bush administrations.
Phillips is a highly serious political writer who has a wealth of knowledge and insight to share on the Bush family. The information he provides is often quite disturbing in terms of just how low down the Bushes can go. But Phillips manages to write in a tone that is well reasoned and far from conspiratorial. The strength of his case against the Bush family seems undeniable, even to the staunchest of Republicans. Highly recommended.
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| "Damning" | 2005-09-08 |
| - Reviewed By brogglefalcon |
This book is not perfect, its main 'flaw' being that it isn't all-inclusive; but this is a work of great scope. 5 stars because Phillips has given us a very readable, carefully researched and crafted account of the Bushes' rise to prominence/notoriety.
This is probably the most sophisticated analysis of the US "First Family"'s history in the context of the interlocking financial, military-industrial, intelligence and energy interests whose operatives/bagmen they have served as for generations. It is thus splendidly complementary to the numerous other good Bush tomes - by Brewton, Parry, Hatfield, Tarpley & Chaitkin, and Bowen, in addition to those above, and others.
Bottom line: these people exist only to deceive and rip off. And most Americans know it, but that won't deter their leaders from completely running a once-great republic into the ground. |
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