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American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush
A former Nixon White House strategist, Phillips details the making of the Bush family dynasty across four generations, documenting how it has perfectly exemplified many of the growing trends in American political life and how it has touched virtually all the major "Establishment" bases, from Andover to Yale, Wall Street, the CIA, the Senate, and the White House. ...more
Mass Market Paperbound, 416 pages
Published
September 1st 2004
by Penguin Books
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Phillips, a former strategist for Richard Nixon, combines intelligent political analysis with sensationalist lore. He tells juicy (and scary) stories about the Walkers' financial dealings with the Nazis and the Bushes' support of Saddam Hussein's regime in the 1980s. He also ties together the political and business threads that have created a Bush "dynasty," one marred by repeated conflicts of interest. At times, Phillips repeats fascinating but superfluous tidbits about the Bushes' Iv
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A historical look at the ancestors and lives of both President Bushes and their links with war profiteering, high finance, oil hegemony, and national intelligence. Perhaps reading this and Phillips' subsequent book American Theocracy within a month was too much for me — I had to avoid political discourse for a while after getting too angry with a Bush admirer in a bar…. And now, in the last days of W's reign, I'm left wondering what will become of the Bush influence following his damage to the f...more
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...more
Very well researched book about the Bush family, going back well before Georges H. and H.W. Bush to Prescott Bush and the Walkers (they were the highly successful capitalists who put the "Dubya" into the 41 and 43 presidents' names, and the massive fortunes into the dynasty's coffers), to this clan's exploits in what the author calls "crony capitalism." In these pages, we learn how the Walker-Bush clan amassed huge amounts of wealth and power in the energy, intelligence and d...more
The Bush/Walker family has played an immense role in the history of the 20th century both nationally and internationally. Kevin Philips is a thorough and impressive historical voice concerning American history. Power takes an interesting form when you know the right people, and you are part of the greater plan and one of a thousand points of light.
this is so wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!you are an idiot.. what do you think osoma, oops i meen obama.. not realy there is no difference in the two... obama took sooo long in coming out to tell us because he had to stop crying about having to kill his best friend... obama is nothing but lie after lie and u want to talk deceitful?
Overview of four generations of Bushes and Walker and how they have used banking, intelligence, oil, and institutional / academic connections to maintain power over the last century. Strongly focuses on the origins of the military-industrial complex from the turn of the 19th/20th century.
I couldn't read this thing. I probably should have given it more time, but I was literally bored into sleep on several nights. I never found myself wanting to pick the thing up. I actually stopped reading altogether for several days until I subconsciously lost the book.
Excellent book detailing the Bush dynasty in all of its disgusting manifestations and how they have done their best to leach the life-blood out of the common people while duplicitously portraying themselves as the protectors of freedom.
Wow! Both my father and I read this book at the same time, so it took awhile, passing the book back and forth. But it was so intense, so fascinating that it was actually overwhelming to read beyond one portion of a chapter at a time. We remarked how each chapter might have as well been a textbook on it's own, with the huge amount of information that the author had. It was intriguing to see all of that in one book, the information about their forefathers, George H Bush and George W Bush. It was a...more
Eric
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Recommends it for:
every body bold enough to put on a thinking cap!
The Bush Empire was in the making 100 years before Bush I was coronated President, and while we "slept" grew stronger to coronate Bush II. Those that read books like this are what stand between us and the coronation of Bush III. The problem with this book is that it tries to do far too much in terms of documenting not just the long Bush Dynasty in and out of office, but also the dynastic proclivity of our system of government, the continued rise of the neo cons, the religious right, et...more
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A multi-generational look at the Bush family, as well as some others, their roles in important events in American history and how the present is merely the continuation of the past. There are many compelling points made here, not least of which is that the Bush tax policies are cementing in place an American aristocracy. He also shows that the current methodology of lies and obfuscation is one with past practices in the family. Very compelling stuff. But I did find the laundry list methodology u...more
The subtitle tells the tale. Facinating family and political history. Pushing a political agenda for personal profit is a family trait.
Outstanding book -- K. Phillips at his best. Far broader than the title suggests...
Now I'm not a Bush hater or a Bush lover but I was hoping to learn some Bush history. This book isn't about the history of this family but a long argument on how they have messed up the entire world by their views. The beginnings of each chapter actually starts out pretty good then drags into statistics and unfounded statements of the writers belief. He tries to draw out comparsions of Clinton and Bush. Wait and buy this book on the bargain book table if you must read it. One of the worst politi...more
How can you not like Kevin Phillips.
None
Man those Bushes are deceitful.
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.
The author doesn't hold back...he tells all and includes a 'damning assessment of the family's machinations to gain the White House and to subvert the very core of American democracy: government by and for the people'. If you dislike W now, read this and you'll despise his whole family and have good reasons for doing so.
A depressing read, but that's because of the subject not the author's fault. I did find this to include a little too much detail on Bush family history for a casual read but understandable given his intent of making a point. Worth a skim to help support some theories but not much more than that.
Well, let's say read most of it. I agree that this is a well-researched book, and it confirms much of what I have always suspected, but the author's style is so pedantic that I found it very tough slogging. I may not be able to bring myself to finish it (and that's truly unusual for me).
From this book I learned just how corrupt the Bush family is. The extent of it amazed me. I'm certainly glad that I never voted for him, and am sad that Gore did not pursue the Florida recount with more tenacity.
Tells the story of how the Bush family got into and perfected making money out of the nexus of government and business.
Early anti-Bush book, a little too alarmist on the dynasty thing. Ignores historical corollaries in that regard.
Pretty captivating book about this disgusting family of terrible human beings.
Ronald Reagan Advisor
Read more Kevin Phillip books.
Read more Kevin Phillip books.
what can i say, i'm a bush supporter.
Superb
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Kevin Phillips is an American writer and commentator, largely on politics, economics, and history. Formerly a Republican Party strategist, Phillips has become disaffected with his former party over the last two decades, and is now one of its harshest critics. He is a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times and National Public Radio, and is a political analyst on PBS' NOW with Bill Moyers.
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