The China Diary of George H. W. Bush:
The Making of a Global President
By Jeffrey A. Engel

With a preface by George H. W. Bush

In his words:

Q: To what extent did Bush's experiences in China affect his Presidency and foreign policy?

A: Bush's reaction to the Vietnam War directly affected his Gulf War policies.  So too did his anger at Chinese diplomatic rhetoric--which was publicly violent yet quiet and friendly behind the scenes--reinforce his desire to conduct his own diplomacy with an open candor in which little was hidden.  I think it no exaggeration that the Bush Presidency, which we understand today as one of international leadership and diplomatic prudence, was to no small extent made in China.

About the Author:

Jeffrey A. Engel is an Assistant Professor of history and public policy with Texas A&M University's Bush School of Government & Public Service, Evelyn and Ed F. Kruse '49 Faculty Fellow, and Associate Director of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs. He holds a PhD in American History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, graduated from Cornell University (Magna Cum Laude), and has studied at St. Catherine's College, Oxford University. Before coming to the Bush School, he was a lecturer in history and international relations at the University of Pennsylvania (2003-2004), a Visiting Assistant Professor at Haverford College (2004), and an Olin Postdoctoral Fellow in International Security Studies at Yale University (2001-2003).  His book Cold War at 30,000 Feet: the Anglo-American Fight for Aviation Supremacy was published by Harvard University Press in 2007, and he is editor of Local Consequences of the Global Cold War (Stanford University Press and Woodrow Wilson Center Press, 2008).

About the book:

THE CHINA DIARY OF GEORGE H. W. BUSH: The Making of a Global President with a preface by George H.W. Bush and edited by Jeffrey A. Engel.  This day-by-day diary of George H. W. Bush's life in China opens a fascinating window into one of the most formative periods of his career. As head of the United States Liaison Office in Beijing from 1974 to 1975, Bush witnessed high-level policy deliberations and daily social interactions between the two Cold War superpowers. The China Diary of George H. W. Bush offers an intimate look at this fundamental period of international history, marks a monumental contribution to our understanding of U.S.-China relations, and sheds light on the ideals of a global president in the making.