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The Presidency of George W. Bush

A First Historical Assessment
by Julian E. Zelizer
The Presidency of George W. Bush: A First Historical Assessment. Princeton Univ. Oct. 2010. c.398p. ed. by Julian E. Zelizer. index. ISBN 9780691134857. $75; pap. ISBN 9780691149011. $29.95. POL SCI
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Zelizer (history & public affairs, Princeton Univ.; Jimmy Carter) has gathered an A-list of American historians who present a detailed analysis of the presidency of George W. Bush. Each essay examines a particular facet of Bush's two terms, including such topics as terrorism, faith-based initiatives, energy policy, education, and the war in Iraq. Most of the 12 contributions are scholarly assessments without the partisan political rhetoric found on newspaper op-ed pages or cable TV news shows. Some of the essays, particularly those on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, go over territory that will be familiar to most readers. The more interesting chapters, one by Zelizer, delve into Bush's place in the American conservative movement. Another thought-provoking treatise is David Greenberg's (history, journalism, & media studies, Rutgers Univ.) study of the Bush administration's denigration of professional expertise on subjects such as global warming, judicial nominations, and evolution.
VERDICT It may be too soon for many readers to consider a historical analysis of the George W. Bush presidency. But Zelizer's work provides a valuable benchmark for historians to build upon.
Reviewed by Robert Bruce Slater, Stroudsburg, PA , Oct 15, 2010
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