This book was rather a relief for me, in these precarious times - wherein presidential isn't really all that . . .presidential.

A respectful and nostalgic review of George Herbert Walker Bush's life, from a few generations back through to the years of growing his own family and career. Very much a story told with many photographs and proud smiles, complete with letter excerpts from sweet times and difficult ones. His military service was particularly noted, which I appreciated.

Was pleased to be reminded of the sacrifices of those who spend most of their lives in public service to our country - they are damned if they do and damned if they don't, and we never say thank you, just vote them out. Some deserve a bigger wave than others, for sure. Politics seems to be a tricksie life to choose, but someone has to do it. . .and Jon Meacham's 24-year look back shows that George HW Bush was one of our better choices, and a good man who gave his best to these United States.

*A sincere thank you to Jon Meacham, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #TheCalltoServe #NetGalley

Regardless of your political affiliation, The Call to Serve is worth reading. It has beautiful photos and I learned so much about George H.W. Bush. With the state of politics today, there's an incredible lack of character and principle, and as I was reading I just kept wishing we had more people in both parties with the sense of duty, service, dedication and integrity as G. H. W. Bush and others during his time.

This is a great book for anyone who is interested in US presidents, veterans/military history, political history, biographies, or anyone who appreciates beautiful photos and books.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the eARC!

The Call to Serve the Life of an American President, George Herbert Walker Bush: A Visual Biography

by Jon Meacham
(This review is from an ARC from Netgalley)
“In honor of the one hundredth anniversary of George H. W. Bush’s birth, this visually stunning chronicle features never-before-published photos and memories celebrating the forty-first president’s vision of leadership as service to country—curated by Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer Jon Meacham.” (Penguin Random House)
Bush was always popular and personable, he hated showiness and confrontation. He was a family man and this is obvious from all the images in the book. He lost his run for senate in 1950 but would win in 1952.
After his defeat in Texas in 1964 said” This mean humorless philosophy which says everybody should agree on absolutely everything is not good for the Republican party or for our state. When the word moderation becomes a dirty word
we have some soul searching to do” Beginning in 1944, Bush served in the Pacific theater, where he flew a Grumman TBF Avenger, a torpedo bomber.
From the ambassadorship to the United Nations to the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee to envoy to China, to director of the CIA during the presidency’s of Nixon and Ford. These posts taught him diplomacy This period was the Cold War and a changing geopolitical reality. These posts also taught him about human relationships.
Bush’s task in 1973-74 was to defend President Nixon during the Watergate scandal. Bush urged Nixon to resign.
During his presidency the Berlin Wall falls, marking the symbolic end of Communist rule in Eastern Europe.
Some of the highlights of his Presidency were:
Americans with Disabilities Act
President Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act, which affects over 43 million Americans and forbids discrimination in employment, public accommodations, and transportation.
Clean Air Act Signed
Nuclear arms reduction treaty (START-I) which calls for both nations to make significant reductions in the number of nuclear warheads in their respective arsenals.
George H. W. Bush said ON LIFE
"Be bold in your caring, be bold in your dreaming and above all else, always do your best."

“The Call to Serve: The Life of an American President, George Herbert Walker Bush: A Visual Biography,” by Jon Meacham (ASIN: B0CGT5K9YS; ISBN: 9780593729458), Publication Date: 28 May 2024, earns four stars.

This is really a different kind of biography in that it is photo-heavy, which give the reader a “you were there” sense when reading the narrative. The story, though, is in many ways unique. George H. W. Bush is not a typical politician who is self-focused. Instead, it is a story of selfless service, one in which Bush worked across the seams of government and across the aisle in Congress, even in positions he wouldn’t rather not have done but did because there was a need there for the general good. Some might say this type of politician no longer exists, but this reader concludes differently, i.e., it gives us a model we can emulate. True, no person, let alone a person in politics, is perfect or without flaws, but this well-done work documents even still, that selfless goodness can come from each of us.

Sincere thanks to the author, and Random House, for granting this reviewer the opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy (ARC), and thanks to NetGalley for helping to make that possible.

In observance of President George Herbert Walker Bush's 100th birthday, this book, which combines excerpts from Mr. Meacham's biography of the former President and unseen photos and memories of the 41st President and Barbara Bush's private diaries and family members memories, is a loving look at a man who was called to serve from a young age and how he rose to that call and carried it out to the best of his ability.

This book was a real joy to look through - the photo's alone were amazing and seeing the man from infancy until right before he died really gave insight to who he was [the notes that accompanied each photo were really insightful as well] and seeing all the photo's of their children [and the later, larger full family photos], including Robin, the child that died of leukemia at age 3 [those photos, and the accompanying story and remembrances were just heartbreaking] was really fun as well.

As someone who was not a fan of the man as President, but softened on him as the years went by [and by his willingness to do things with other Presidents; visiting the tsunami victims in Indonesia with former President Clinton showed me a different side of him, and the reading of this book also added to that], this book was some good insight into his life and an excellent tribute to the 41st President and is a well-done restrspective.

I was invited to read/review this book by the publisher Random House Publishing Group - Random House, and I thank them, Jon Meacham, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a delight to read and learn about the 41st president of the United States. It’s very well-written, researched and paced. It’s very informative giving you insight on Bush's family life, his desire to serve our country, business and his time in politics.
Unbeknownst prior to reading, The Call To Serve is meant to be a complement to Jon Meachman's detailed biography of Bush- Destiny and Power.
Nonetheless this book was an absolute pleasure to read about our last president to come from the greatest generation and our last president to serve in WWll. Highly recommend reading regardless of one's politics.

Thank you #NetGalley and #Randomhouse for the opportunity to read #TheCallToServe.

I absolutely adore the Bush family…especially “41”. This book was beautifully done and photos were wonderful to see. This book is essential for any history fan.

Jon Meacham is not only an authority on the life of George Bush, but was his friend as well. He balances well his admiration and affection for the president, with the balanced view of an expert historian. While it commends Bush's accomplishments and reflects on his political vision, it is not partisan. The book is beautifully illustrated with photos from the Bush family collection. As a Democrat, I came away with a greater respect for President Bush.

A quicker read than I would have assumed, this book does a lot of its story telling through vignettes and captions. Many more gaps in Bush's life are filled by captions that I would have anticipated. That being said, it is still a fairly enjoyable read with a lot of personal detail that is hard to find in other places. Definitely worth checking out.

This book is well researched and written. It gives an overview of the life of President George Herbert Walker Bush. It is meant as a companion book to the author's more detailed biography of Bush. It contains over 400 pictures of the President throughout his life and I got as much from the photo captions as I did from the overview in each chapter. A good addition to anyone interested in Presidential biographies.

“The Call to Serve” by Jon Mechanical honors the 41st president of the United States, George Bush. The inspiration of this photo collection is taken from Mecham’s biography of Bush. Regardless of one’s politics, the ethos of The Greatest Generation was strong in Bush and that merits honor. And Mecham honors the man well. Thank you to #netgalley and #randomhouse for the opportunity to preview this book.

A Call to Serve was published in honor of George H. W. Bush's 100 anniversary of his birth. I have not read Mr. Meacham's biography Destiny of Power, so found this book informative and have a new appreciation for the former President. Even if you have read Destiny of Power, I think you would still enjoy this book for over the 450 pictures. Now want to read Destiny of Power.

A beautiful and fitting tribute to a wonderful man. Well written, easy to follow, and an incredible story and insight. I enjoyed every moment of it!

In observance of President George H.W. Bush’s 100th birthday historian and Pulitzer Prize winning author Jon Meacham has written “The Call to Serve.” The book combines material from Meacham’s 2015 extensive biography of President Bush, “Destiny and Power” with family photos, campaign memorabilia, and mementos from the Bush family and Pres. Bush’s Presidential Library and Museum in Texas. As the book’s title implies, the focus is on Bush’s long and storied career in the military, in business, and in politics and his desire to serve his country, his family, and the Republican Party throughout his life, starting as a young pilot in World War II and finishing as a quiet counselor to men who succeeded him as President.
I found “The Call to Serve” entertaining and nostalgic. President George Herbert Walker Bush was the product of a different time, our last president of the World War II generation. He was by no means perfect, but he sought to do good for his country and its people, even as he worked through political firestorms and global changes and power struggles.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an advance copy for review.

This is the book that America needs and George H.W. Bush deserves. For Americans, to read this book is to read about a true stateman, a humble leader, and a man of conviction. This is not to say that Bush's life and presidency where without faults, nor is it a declaration that those faults should not be interacted with. Rather, he provides an example for several traits that seem to be sorely lacking in American society, especially by people of influence today. For Bush, it explores his personality and his character better than other books about him. To be fair, history is just starting to grapple with his legacy as president and as public servant, but Meacham's work sets a high bar.
Critics may see this book as hagiography, but they cannot deny the true essence of personality that comes across in these pages. The book takes the best traits of biography and combines it with great photography and historical analysis.
The greatest takeaway from this book is that Bush, through Meacham's writing, can be used as a roadmap for future servants to the cause of Americans and American democracy.
A personal note: if you haven't read Destiny and Power, it may be worthwhile to read this first, and then follow up with that book. This book distills the essential story from that larger work.

The Call to Serve illustrates the breadth of service and dedication that George H.W. Bush had for the United States of America. The narrative and captions written by Jon Meacham provide color to a man who many did not appreciate until years after his government service came to an end. Readers of all party affiliations should consider this book a must-read when it comes out this summer.