George and Laura: Portrait of an American Marriage

New York: William Morrow. Fine in Near Fine dust jacket. 2002. First Edition. Hardcover. Protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. Pale gray boards with black spine imprinted with title and author in gold. Full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. . 1.17 x 9.32 x 6.34 Inches. 320 pages. They would be called upon to lead a nation in one of its darkest hours -- but were they up to the task? He had been the wild, hard-drinking scion of one of America's premier political families. She was the school librarian with a warm smile and a tragic secret of her own. Yet after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, they rose to the challenge: He became the embodiment of America's fighting spirit and she assumed the role of "First Comforter" with effortless grace. Still, the true nature of their relationship has remained a mystery. Until now. Christopher Andersen draws on important sources -- many speaking here for the first time -- to paint a vivid, sometimes startling, often inspiring portrait of America's First Couple. Among the intriguing insights and stunning revelations: Important new information about 9/11 and its aftermath -- including a gripping moment-by-moment account of how the President and First Lady coped as the horrific drama unfolded; The true extent of George W.'s drinking problem, the strains it put on his marriage, and the ultimatum that changed his life -- and the course of history; Their heartbreaking battle against infertility and how close Laura came to dying in childbirth; The early tragedies that shaped them, including the car crash caused by a teenage Laura that took the life of a former boyfriend -- and changed her life forever; Laura's surprising behind-the-scenes influence on U.S. policy -- foreign and domestic.The pressures of raising headstrong twin daughters in the glare of the media -- and how 9/11 has brought the Bushes and their children closer together than ever before.<I>George and Laura</i> is a compelling look at their unique partnership, and the courage, grace, and humor that defines it. It is a stirring wartime saga of triumph and tragedy and, above all, a uniquely American love story. .