r/blowback • u/Grantso74 • 25d ago

Book that covers an overall look at the Bush admin?

After listening to seasons 1 and 4, I’ve been looking for a book that covers more of the topics addressed, specifically regarding the Bush White House. Growing up I was too young to remember most of this stuff and it’s seriously blowing my mind how much of this has been memory holed. Sure a lot of it has become horribly memified like anything else (Bush Did 9/11, Dick Cheney profited off of the Iraq War) but no depth is ever given to this stuff.

Anything about Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Halliburton, Katrina, Saudi ties, is welcome. Thanks!

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10

u/No_Window7054 25d ago

I think (trigger warning) Bob Woodward unironically has a good book on this topic, and it might even be used for season 1 of Blowback. I feel like I remember one of the boys saying, "Bob Woodward writes..."

Someone else probably has a better recommendation but incase they don't I'd start there.

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u/bambooshoots-scores 25d ago

Honestly, Woodward is a solid resource for survey information about the White House between the 80’s to now. His writing is really dry and littered with hearsay, but still thoroughly documents many administrations. He’s got at least four on the W. admin.

7

u/Supremedingus420 25d ago

Family of secrets is a good book about the bush family.

6

u/kuenjato 25d ago

American Dynasty by Keven Phillips

House of Bush, House of Saud & Fall of the House of Bush by Craig Unger

3

u/historyismyteacher 25d ago

I don’t really know any books specifically about Bush, but Oliver Stone’s movie W. is ok. Kinda tells the story of how he became president and made friends with those you mentioned. But he is way too soft on Bush imo.

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u/petergriffin_yaoi 25d ago

oliver stone’s libertarianism keeps him from actually understanding politics even though he’s a know-it-all who thinks he knows everything abt the deep state

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u/historyismyteacher 25d ago

Yeah, he’s done some good movies and I like that he doesn’t defend America as much as most Hollywood directors, but he still ultimately has shitty views. He’s like that conservative relative who is damn near socialist until you mention healthcare for all or not rounding up migrants lol.

2

u/dahamburglar 25d ago

It was like if you took all the scandals lies and blatant bullshit of the first Trump term, but the entire media ecosystem was sucking him off and acting like it was normal. Second bush term finally saw some pushback but media still treating him like a statesman deserving of respect, somewhat like Biden’s term. Then add 1 million deaths and 2 wars and a financial collapse. Crazy-making era to be politically aware and paying attention.

1

u/AffectionateLeave9 25d ago

I remember reading What We’ve Lost by Graydon Carter in middle school, I’m not sure about any of it now though. I do remember it contained a lot of straightforward figures in the vein of ‘number of institutional infrastructure closed, number of material goods left to disrepair, etc.´

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u/deus_ex_macadamia 24d ago

Whenever I hear the name Graydon Carter, all I can think of is Trump’s tweet about him, which I have memorized. Verbatim:

“Sissy Graydon Carter of failing Vanity Fair Magazine and owner of bad food restaurants has a big problem- his VF Oscar party is no longer ‘hot’”

1

u/ThanatosTheory 25d ago

I believe Reign of Terror by Spencer Ackerman covers a good amount about the Bush administration, specifically the response to 9/11 and how it led to Trump being elected the first time.

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u/UltraInstinctChomsky 25d ago

This series which is free to watch:
https://means.tv/programs/missmeyet

would also recommend in addition to the books mentioned Road to 9/11 by Peter Dale Scott