Texas A&M University Press George Herbert Walker Bush: A Photographic Profile

As forty-first president of the United States, George Herbert Walker Bush witnessed many great changes: the fall of the Berlin Wall; the first breath of freedom for millions of people around the world; and America's victory in the Cold War. However, President Bush left the White House with the hope that not all things change. Some important facets of American life would remain constant: our belief in a strong defense, in strong families, and in leaving the world a better and more prosperous place for the young kids here today. During his terms as vice president and president, Bush met with people from world leaders to the everyday worker. Bush traveled to Poland to meet a shipyard worker who predicted Poland would be free and George Bush would be president. A few years later, he returned to a free Poland and met with the shipyard worker-cum-president Lech Walesa, with a million cheering Poles looking on. History was in the making in those years and David Valdez's camera recorded it. As the personal photographer for Bush's second term as vice president and four years as president, Valdez had a standing invitation to be present in meetings and personal private moments in Bush administration. George Herbert Walker Bush: A Photographic Profile chronicles the development of Bush's life and career, beginning with his childhood, military service, marriage, and early postings. Valdez presents in colorful and dramatic detail a behind-the-scenes look at life in the White House and offers intriguing glimpses into the personal side of Bush's presidency. Since President Bush rarely gave precious seconds of his time for posed photographs, a large portion of Valdez's photographs are candid, showing a president at work, rest, and play. This beautiful book records a momentous era in our nation's politics and offers an in-depth coverage of the life and times of George Bush, the president and the man.