The Man I Knew summary

George and Barbara Bush sat at a table, surrounded by their young children. Flowcharts and maps were spread across the table –⁠ important visual aids for the plotting of the Bush family takeover of the US political scene. The plan was for each of the four sons to move to a different state. Once there, they’d all become either governors or senators. And, finally, one of them would run for president.

This story, of course, is a myth, if a funny one. The Bushes never planned to become such a prominent political family. In fact, Mrs. Bush often remarked that she was just hoping her sons would grow up, never mind run for office.

A few years after leaving office, George H. W. Bush visited Japan. While there, he mentioned to one of his Japanese minders that he’d love to meet Emperor Akihito if he happened to be in town. The minder could barely stifle a giggle as he told Bush that the emperor’s schedule was set months in advance. No one could just drop in and see him.

But a few hours later, the minder returned with his tail between his legs. Emperor Akihito, it turned out, very much wanted to meet with Bush as soon as possible.

A tsunami devastated 14 countries in South and Southeast Asia in late 2004. Hundred-foot waves had crashed along the coasts, killing almost 230,000 people in all. The destruction was enormous, and the survivors were desperate for help.

In the wake of the disaster, President George W. Bush had an idea: What if his dad and Bill Clinton, two former presidents, could serve as figureheads, encouraging Americans to donate to programs and charities dedicated to tsunami relief?

Disaster struck Houston in 2004. An arsonist set fire to a building, and a firefighter was killed while working to put out the flames. He left behind his wife and 13-year-old son, Justin.

George H. W. Bush couldn’t attend the funeral, but he did manage to stop by the church to meet with the family. Upon his return, he announced to Jean Becker that he’d invited Justin to attend the Houston Astros baseball game with him that same night. There’d be a few complications regarding the logistics, Bush told Jean, seeing as Justin’s family lived in a small town 60 miles outside of Houston. Not to mention that the game was that very night. But Bush was sure they’d be able to work it out.

One day, Jean Becker was filling out a “getting to know you” questionnaire –⁠ one of those things people used to send around via email. Item 7b asked, Least favorite sound? Her answer was, “President Bush when he says, ‘Jean, I have an idea.’ ”

The former president certainly had no shortage of ideas. Though they made Jean’s life complicated at times, they also formed colorful stitches in the tapestry that was George H. W. Bush’s life.

George H. W. Bush had dialed a phone number for a certain hospital expecting a man –⁠ a former head of the CIA, in fact –⁠ to answer. But, instead, a woman picked up the phone. It turned out that the person he was trying to reach had been moved to a different room.

Former President Bush, however, didn’t miss a beat. He had no idea who this woman was, but he immediately started chatting with her, asking her what she was in for, how she was feeling, and whether she was in pain. When she finally figured out who exactly she was talking to, she was practically screaming into the receiver from excitement. After hanging up, Bush simply commented, “Nice visit.”

“I might get shot today, Jean,” George H. W. Bush said to Becker before setting off on a hunting trip. At 80 years old, he was becoming unsteady on his feet, and he legitimately feared getting shot if he accidentally wobbled into the path of another hunter.

What Bush didn’t know at the time was that his wobble wasn’t just down to old age. In 2010, he was diagnosed with a rare form of Parkinson’s disease that slowly depleted his mobility until he could only get around in a wheelchair.

President George H. W. Bush was never shy about discussing what he wanted for his funeral. In fact, he arguably had a strange fascination with it. He wanted his casket to be plain brown wood. His headstone should be a simple cross. And could the military speed up their procession a little?

On the day of his funeral, Bush got most, if not all, of his wishes –⁠ plus a number of unexpected yet remarkable moments to boot. One of the most memorable was when Senator Bob Dole, who was in a wheelchair, struggled to his feet so he could salute President Bush standing up. Another was when former president Bill Clinton came over to Jean Becker and collapsed, sobbing, into her arms, right in the middle of the aisle at the National Cathedral. Clinton’s outpouring of emotion spread to Hillary, his wife, who began sobbing, too, and then so did their daughter, Chelsea.