The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty

by Kitty Kelley

From the First Lady of unauthorized, tell-all biography, this is the first real inside-look at the most powerful–and secretive–family in the world. From Senator Prescott Bush's alcoholism, to his son George Herbert Walker Bush's infidelities, to George Walker Bush's religious conversion, shady financial deals, and military manipulations, Kitty Kelley captures the portrait of a family that has whitewashed its own story almost out of existence.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Biography, Politics, Nonfiction, History, Presidents, American History, Government

705 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Kitty Kelley is an American investigative journalist and author of several best-selling unauthorized biographies of celebrities and politicians. Described as a "poison pen" biographer, her profiles frequently contain unflattering personal anecdotes and details, and their accuracy is often questioned. Though many of her books have topped the best sellers list, Kelley's credibility and sources have been called into question multiple times.

Time magazine reported that most journalists believe Kelley "too frequently fails to bring perspective or analysis to the fruits of her reporting and at times lards her work with dollops of questionable inferences and innuendos." In addition, Kelley has been described by Joe Klein as a "professional sensationalist" and her books have been described as "Kitty litter."

Her past subjects have included Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Reagan, the British Royal Family, and the Bush family. Although Kelley has been criticized and her books hotly debated, she has never been successfully sued for libel and has never been forced to retract a written statement.

Reviews

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

My expectations were low. I never read a Kitty Kelley book before, so it's clear that her critics had done their work on me. While some sour grapes relatives had their say, the book had far more meat than I expected. There was plenty of written record, and there are the all so telling (if they could be read) sealed and missing records.

Kelley's presentation about the Bush intra-Family, Bush-Yale, Bush-Reagan Bush-Republican Party, relationships etc. provided the glue for putting the missing pieces of the family story together. Now I know why Bush 41 had the succession of unrelated government positions before he ran with Reagan.

Every family has black sheep and secrets, but within this family, the stories of these relatives and their excommunication from the family are extreme. There is a lot of food for thought on how family dynamics over 3 generations have spurred political ambition.

New to me, was that upon election Bush 41 was worth only $2 million. I thought they were far richer than this. They may be now, Bush 43 made $15 million alone capitalizing on the family name/contacts to get taxpayers to fund his baseball team. Kelley says almost nothing on the family relations with the Saudis.

Kelley tackled 3 generations and did a competent job. There is plenty of unexplored turf for the next biographers.

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I was legitimately interested in the Bush family history.

Around page 200 when she gets into the lives of the two Bush presidents, her tone is not only disrespectful but malicious. I had just finished her book on Oprah which seems to glow with praise despite the damning facts presented. I was severely frustrated by having to skim through her repeated attacks on the presidents and her assumptions that the Bushes were morally corrupt liars that routinely did anything to win. I guess I was too naive to expect a certain level of professionalism. I forgot how horrible liberals became at the end of Bush's presidency. They really broke new lows of disrespectful and inappropriate behavior. Kelley jumps right in to join them. Very sad.

Kelley disagrees with both Bushes and this book is a long bitter diatribe against them.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this was pretty much trash. Since I listened to it on audio, I guess that it could be classified as "ear candy". In my defense, I needed a book to listen to while en route to Hilton Head that wouldn't distress my husband. So I stooped to his "Bush is an idiot" mentality and picked this up at the library. I will admit that he stayed awake and listened to it on the trip down I-95. Most of the book is a rehash of rumors about the Bush family that have circulated for years. But the information about George Bush's strained relationship with his father was revealing. Aha! The "can I ever make my father proud of me" syndrome. Know it well. This has been widely reported in the press, but you have to feel bad for George W. in his attempts to gain his parent's attention. It must have been horrible for him the evening that he won the governorship of Texas and his brother Jeb lost in Florida to have his father say publicly, "We're proud of George, but our heart is in Florida." Ouch! The other note here, is that it's not always a good thing to have the author read her own book. That voice of Kitty's! Yikes! Maybe Disney should consider her for the voice of one of their new female villans. I need to remember to be checked for scars on my eardrums when I get home.

[Katherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Her entire purpose seemed to humiliate and ridicule rather than reveal and inquire...she's a small-minded, cheezy, hack.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at the First Family of America. After Seven years of Bush in the White House, I thought it'd be interesting to find out what makes his family tick. After reading this book, I have come to the conclusion that they are all totally crazy, but that's my opinion and I digress. The author shows how the Bush Family got it's start in politics and money through the Grandfather, Prescott Bush. It should have stopped with him. Instead, we had one president who was constantly vying for his father's love by being likable, athletic, and a goof and another who grew up with deep emotional scars and turned into the man we all love to hate. Bush "41" failed his way to the top and sold out his ethics to do it. This saga continued with the son, Bush "43", who found God, gave up cocaine and booze, and then climbed to the highest office to play God. Chilling story of how someone in this country can fail all the way to the top without Americans even realizing what they are getting themselves into.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now that idiot-boy dry drunk Dubya, aka the Worst President in the History of the Universe, is safely out of office and the resulting widespread damage is still being assessed, I said to myself, "Sure, I'll read this hatchet job on him and his whole rotten family - that family I love to hate." Said family includes of course Dubya's bumbling, appallingly politically opportunistic daddy, George Bush Senior; sour-tempered, volatile Bush matriarch, Barbara; creepy brother Jeb; and brother Neil, aka the sniveling inside trader crook, among many others (grampa Prescott, to be fair, sounds like he was a fairly honorable politician, who often voted his conscience - an example none of his relatives seemed to follow). I really enjoyed reading this - author Kitty Kelley's unapologetic, often humorously worded revulsion for much of the Bush clan's antics made it doubly fun for me. People who inexplicably like Dubya (and there are lamentably many of them) will naturally hate this.

[Marc Lamot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Particularly critical book on the Bush family. Especially oriented towards the dark commercial affairs and negative traits. Global picture of this 'dynasty': over-ambitious, aristocratic, arrogant, brutal towards subordinates, without style.

[Matt Medelman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over 600-plus pages, Kitty Kelley explains how the deck was stacked for the Bush dynasty. Each generation builds on the wealth, privilege, and power of last, achieves more political power, and governs with less intelligence and integrity than their predecessors. The first part of the book will probably be a little dry to people that grew up long after the age of Senator Prescott Bush, but once you get to HW and W, there's a lot of interesting detail about their lives, their personality defects, and shortcomings as leaders and politicians.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun political read that generated a lot of controversy when it was released, mostly because Bush supporters jumped all over it, but I don't recall the book being seriously discredited as a result. And Kelley is a good researcher. This is lite political history, that is for certain - it reads more like a 650 page magazine article than a serious study. But heck (and I hope I dont sound like George Bush 1 here), there is nothing wrong with that from time to time. All things in moderation, as the wise man said - altho moderation is not a word that comes to mind when reading about this family.

This covers the history of the Bush family dynasty starting with the early days of Senator Prescott Bush. He comes across as a bit of a stiff, but a fundamentally decent and highly regarded man who was considerably more liberal on social issues than his son and grandson turned out to be. His son George was always eager to please, but who was also possessed by a driving ambition. Some time is devoted to the tensions between the Bushes and the Reagans - the real trouble was between Nancy and Barbara, who never liked each other much. His marriage to Barbara Pierce Bush is very interesting, for it was she who possessed the family's toughest set of brass balls, and was no doubt the one behind the political rise of her two sons, Jeb and George W. One gets an anecdotal look at the public life of the clan, altho apparently no one came forward with a real inside view.

The Bushes are capable of some dirty dealing, or so the book claims. President George W. is accused of numerous transgressions, such as drinking heavily for years, and cheating on his wife (which his father supposedly did as well). His Yale classmates remember him as being one of the last people they would have thought would one day be president. In looking at George W. Bush and marvelling how a man of average abilities and a couple of character flaws can make it to the White House, it is easy to overlook that W always had the ability to make a lot of friends and to get himself elected to things. Little is said about his wife - apparently a quiet woman who smokes a lot and likes to read. The Bush family themselves were surprised at W's desire (and ability) to become a leading man on the political stage - apparently they mostly felt that Jeb was the one to watch, and that George was a bit of a troubled son.

It will be interesting to see if more members of this forceful, ambitious family will seek the national stage. Kelley deserves credit for this entertaining portrait of the clan that toppled the Kennedys from their position as America's leading political family.

[Bookshop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start with a disclaimer: I am not a Bush fan. I don't agree with a lot of his views and I have to stifle an urge to laugh when he appears on TV.

I find the family quite intriguing: a father and son presidencies. Not unprecedented but this time it happens during my lifetime. Naturally, I am curious about the book.

Initially, I didn't have high regard for Kitty Kelley who seems to offend everyone and was known, at least to me, for her Unauthorized Biography of Nancy Reagan (I didn't read the book).

However, a third into the pages, I am surprised. This book is actually quite good: fluent and engaging. The topics vary but are not shallow. It seems to be a well-researched book rather than a collection of tabloid rubbish.

I now know why she is hated: she digs deep to find the trash and when she finds it, she states it as facts without the gloss. Of course, she is also smart to pick and choose only interesting bits of salacious yet proven gossips to flavour her book.
Her writing is fair: she has a lot of good things to say about George W's grandfather, Prescott Bush and she says it as honestly as she does about George H.W and George W's shortcomings.

Verdict? An easy read: it contains enough American politics for background but is very focused on the issue at hand: the story of the Bush family.

Interesting quote:
"... It is a commitment. Do you know what that means? ....It is the difference between ham and eggs. The chicken is involved. The pig is committed"
- Prescott Bush

[Laraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This was a honking big read, weighing in at just under 1200 pages (the large print edition), but was an interesting and enlightening read. Starting with the Grandfather, Prescott Bush, who became an influential and respected senator, Kelley tells us the story of the Bush family, a political dynasty. Ending with the War in Iraq, the book covers decades of American politics and world politics, showing us what drove the Bush family into politics and kept them striving for the highest role in the land, the Presidency. Each man takes a different road to his goal and their interactions with the other politicians along the way made for a most interesting read. Of course, being an unauthorized biography, Kelley made sure to show us these men and their families, warts and all. The dirty tricks, hypocrisy, the behind closed doors dealing, the feelings of entitlement, their treatment of others, all of it was included in the book. I thought the book was well researched and well written and a very interesting read.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a lot better than I thought it would be. I figured it would be another Bush trashing book. But it's really not. It starts back with Samuel Bush who is 43's great grandfather and shows you how the Bushes came about on both sides of the family. It talks about Sen. Prescott Bush's failures and his successes in detail. I enjoyed how Barbara and George met, fell in lust and then continued to be married. She talks about 41's affair with Jennifer Fitzgerald, but does it with suspicion on her part saying that there were a lot of concidences but nothing proven. She then brings you up on the present day family of 43's and their problems. I really thought Kelley presented both sides of things. There is a slant against the Bushes but it's minor. Good book that shows the progress of the family. Good citations.

[Will Byrnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps in the title they should have highlighted part of the sub-title, The Real Story of the Bush DyNASTY. These are mostly awful human beings. Prescott had at least some redeeming value, as a supporter of a few civil rights bills. But 41 is a horror, interested in bending over to anyone who can get him the power he wants. Neither 41 nor his kids, nor his grandkids were worth much as students. Their claim to fame was sports. They are all hyper-competitive. A serious racism runs through the family genes as well, with the obvious exception of Jeb’s wife Columba. Yet, Jeb is a pretty bigoted guy as well. There is a stream of substance abuse, presumption of privilege, and a willingness to steal from anyone to use anyone and to mask it all under the guise of compassion.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely not an authorized biography of the Bush dynasty, but I found it a far better book than I expected. I was impressed with the breadth and depth of the people she had talked to. It would have been hard for her to have made up the many revelations about the Bushes and how they made their money. As she states, there are people who make money and people who earn money, with the Bushes definitely being the former. No wonder they was so little fiscal responsibility under their reign.

Interesting that Bill Clinton's extra-marital affairs received so much attention, while G.H.'s decades long affair was never mentioned in the press.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, I've never read anything by Kitty Kelley before and I was intrigued to see if it is all that it is cracked up to be. Yes, ultimately I liked it; but in truth, I wanted MORE DIRT! I thought it would be really scandalous (and of course from the Bush family perspective it was) but I wanted MORE! There were some very interesting tid-bits that I never knew (especially about Bush 41's love life) but it wasn't all that exciting in the end. My other criticism was that she spent A LOT of time on Prescott Bush, less time on Bush 41 and even less on W. Oh well. It was still worth the read, and I look forward to reading some of her other books (on the Royal family, Frank Sinatra, Oprah, etc)

[JoAnn W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitty Kelly has a gossip columnist style of writing, and her biographies are often somewhat sensational. But she has never been sued for being inaccurate. In this book, she writes the story of three generations of the Bush family -- our current president's grandparents, parents, and GW Bush and his siblings. I found it a very interesting account of a family that has made a huge impact on American history and on the lives of every American today.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This work needs serious overhauling, lots of repetitive information, however, it's a terrific study of the past 50 years of American politics, delving into the inner machinations of partisan politics with particular attention paid to the Republican revolution and of course the dynastic Bush family, who come across as venal, mercenary, inept, petty, and appallingly destructive.

[Sharonbrown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book solidified my view of the Bush Family -- rich thugs with connections in the upper strata which pretty much guaranteed they would get what they wanted, go where they wanted, appoint who they wanted with no remorse nor sense of responsibility for anything. Since no one has sued Kitty Kelley I guess it is safe to say she was right on the money... soooo enough said...

[Linda Stock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much about the Bush family from this book! I feel I now understand a lot more about the Bush presidents than I did. Sometimes it helps to understand. :-)

[Ardy Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This proves my point, all politicians whether republican/democrat are just evil and always have their own agenda and not the Americans.

Glad I'm boring.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

What can I say? I liked it. Yes, it's gossipy and very unflattering to the Bush family. Typical Kitty Kelley book. I've also read The Royals. Liked that one too.

[W]

Not a very complimentary portrait of the Bush family.Don't know how much was fact and how much fiction and yes,it was trashy,but it was interesting.

[Maryellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had only read her book on Nancy Reagan, which was great. This one was meh, but enough to show that this family is kind of a bunch of dicks.

[Lexi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book at a book sale, and I decided to buy it for two reasons: One, I take a very high interest in history. And two, I was genuinely interested on learning more about the Bush family, especially about the presidency of #43, since I was only 4 when he became president, and I genuinely can't make opinions about the presidency of an administration I can't remember. I decided to get this book to understand all the political hub-bub of his presidency I did hear about, but was too young to understand.

But I couldn't make it past the author's note, as I was deeply disappointed by the tone the author set. Granted, I never heard of Kitty Kelley or her other works, and I did read some reviews. Despite the controversy surrounding her works, I decided to give this book a shot, so I could form my own opinion. However, from the gossipy tone of the introduction and from other reviewers, I decided I couldn't do it.

Not only has the tone stopped me from reading this book, but I also have doubts if any of the things in this book were even fact checked. On page 201, the author writes that Barbara Bush dyed her hair white to please her mother in law. As far as I understand, Mrs. Bush never dyed her hair after she started going grey at an early age. So this makes me wonder if there is any truth to this book at all.

[Joe Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I began listening to this book 20 years ago when I was doing a lot of driving but it was too long to complete on a library loan. Audible solved that problem for me. Of course, the Bushes have faded into the background in the meantime. Their legacy remains very much with us. Wealth breeds power and privilege. That was true for the Bushes like other prominent families including the Roosevelt's and the Kennedy's. But in Kelley's telling the Bush family story one clearly sees a foreshadowing of Donald Trump.
They have a sense of entitlement buttressed by wealth that was amassed by those who came before. While Prescott Bush was never a wealthy man, he had access to wealth and privilege. Young George H. W. Bush struggled but when he needed money to start a family business or run for office, he could tap into the family's wealth. Young George W. Bush had the same resources and a politically well placed father. I was drafted about the same time W found a home in the Texas Air National Guard and I can tell you that was more than a stroke of luck.
The Family tells a quintessentially American tale but Kelley manages to make the story tedious and laborious with her wealth of (unsupported) detail.

[Sara G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitty Kelley never fails me. I think she always errs on the side of making sure "nasty" anecdotes and insinuations are included in the book, but the backbone of her research and storytelling is really well done and enjoyable. I am now much more familiar with the history of the Bush family prior to the father and son presidents, and I think I can understand some parts of their lives a little better with more background information. The information about George HW's early political career and his father's career and influence was especially well done. The book jumps around a bit, and like I said it errs on the side of being mean, but overall I'm glad to have read it.

[Judi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was 12 when I first read a Kitty Kelly book. It was on my mom's bookshelf and being as I simply couldn't not be reading, I grabbed it up and devoured it. Whether I really liked it or not, I can't remember. I don't remember it or any of her earlier works being so one-sided.
She was a bit softer on Prescott, for the most part, but when she got to George Sr, it just got ugly real fast. To be honest, I can't remember anyone talking about him in any real positive way and it makes me a little suspicious. Of course, it doesnt get much better with G.W. It bothered me to the point that I'm not finishing it. It's ridiculous. And no, Im not a Bush fan or a Republican.

[Patrick Clancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long read. Really interesting book about the Bush family. Seems to have the sources to back it up. Two critiques otherwise this was a 5 star book.

1. Author clearly has a bent against the family. While I agree there are definitely faults with both Bush presidents, the author spent more than equal time discussing the failures as well as accomplishments.

2. Early chapters are really hard to distinguish which of the family members the author is talking about. With so many similar names clarity would help.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never read anything by this author before. Pleasantly surprised how well-researched and intelligently written this was considering the author’s controversial reputation. The Bushes come across just as reckless and arrogant as the Kennedys. Thought it was hypocritical that George H. W. Bush never liked the word “dynasty” applied to his family. Well, when you use the thin veneer of “public service” to elevate your family’s status, what exactly do you want to call it?

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

enlightening......