The Raising of a President: The Mothers and Fathers of Our Nation's Leaders

This completely fascinating book has history that tells how real these people are, real people living real lives with real problems! There are lessons to study here of what to do and not to do, that even the leader can succeed, and make mistakes, in spite of, and sometimes, because of, their raising. Mr. Wead has written another captivating history book, and this book deserves to be read by everyone.

Sub-Title: The Mothers and Fathers of Our Nation's Leaders We've had lots of presidents, and with the exception of the related ones there's been little about their origins. It seems that the history books mostly assume that the presidents have burst forth as adults ready to assume the mangle of leadership. As I read about the various presidents I was struck by the differences in the families. Three like Clinton had fathers who died before they were born. Some (Kennedy/Bush) had very successful fathers (at least in terms of money). Some (Nixon/Lincoln) were quite poor. Some (Kennedy again) would push their children very hard. Some (Bush) merely strived to set the best possible examples for their children. Out of all of these backgrounds came basically honorable men who had the drive and ambition to lead the country. With the release of the private tapes made by the author of conversations with George W. Bush, it is unfortunately likely that the message of the book will become confused with the incident. This is a good book presenting an aspect of the presidency that breaks new ground.

Doug Wead gives us the reader a rare look into the childhood of the members of a very elite fraternity, The American Presidents. What is it about the upbringing of a child that develops in him the leadership and confidence to one day become the leader of the free world? As with almost all successful people our President's, current and past, have had difficulties that would make broken men of most of us. How did their backgrounds provide them with the strength to rise above those situations...well for that you'll have to read the book. Treat yourself to wonderful read chocked full of history.

The strength of this book is its new material on the Bushes and Kennedys. Apparently the author got up to the Kennedy Library and tapped into the deluge of newly released documents. This is the best complete update on the Kennedys around. And those pages sizzle. But the account of the Bushes is truly mesmerizing. They are not as boring as I thought. There is much here, written dispassionately. Truly fascinating. Six hundred pages went very quickly.