The Last Republicans
by Mark K. Updegrove
In 2016 the Republican base revolted against the GOP establishment that has become synonymous with the Bush name, choosing instead a political neophyte and anti-establishment outsider as the standard bearer of their party. Donald Trump's election marked the end not only of a presidential dynasty, but a rejection of the Republican principles and traditions the Bushes have long championed. Despite the Republicans' surprise victory in 2016, behind closed doors the party remains divided between traditional conservatives, populists, and radical ideologues, and faces an uncertain future. As presidential historian Mark K. Updegrove argues, Bush 41 and 43 are in effect, the "last Republicans."
In this balanced, illuminating book, Updegrove tells the story of the Bushes' relationship from the birth of George W. through their post-presidential years and Jeb Bush's failed candidacy. Drawing on exclusive access and interviews with both presidents and the key people in their lives, Updegrove reveals the Bushes' views on the current state of the nation and the GOP, and how the party they both led and helped build is undergoing a radical transformation. At last, the famously circumspect Bushes offer unvarnished observations and revelations on everything from George W. Bush's youthful indiscretions to the influence and perspectives they had on each other's administration to their views on Donald Trump—and how they each voted in the 2016 election.
A candid and often surprising portrait of two men, The Last Republicans is also an elegy for the party of Reagan and Bush—and for the many thoughtful and prudent individuals who made up the "establishment," and are conspicuously lacking in today's GOP.
The Last Republicans contains 16 pages of black-and-white photographs.
Hardcover
English
Brand New
Back Cover
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.
Author Biography
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.
Review
"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, The Weekly Standard
"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
Review Quote
"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."
Description for Library
Director of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum in Austin, Updegrove takes on two other big Texans-George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush-in a study not just of their presidencies but of their relationship as father and son. With Donald Trump's election signaling the rejection of many Republican principles and traditions, says Updegrove, Bushes p
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