Inside the George W. Bush White House: An Oral History (Oxford Oral History Series)

An oral history of George W. Bush's presidency, the inner workings of his White House, and the critical policy decisions it made Shortly after George W. Bush's presidency ended, senior advisors began recording confidential oral history interviews with the nonpartisan scholars of the University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs--with the promise that they would not be released for several years. The recordings--transcribed and published here for the first time--offer behind-the-scenes access to some of the administration's most powerful figures and key players, such as Karl Rove, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, and Condoleezza Rice. Their stories trace Bush's ascension from Texas governor to the presidency and show how his priorities were transformed by the September 11th attacks, providing granular details about the ensuing pressure to respond and make sure nothing like it happened again. Former secretary of state James A. Baker, III recalls his efforts to secure Florida's decisive electoral votes for Bush after the 2000 election.