A Charge to Keep
Encyclopedia
A Charge to Keep is a 1999 book written by George W. Bush
and credited ghostwriter
Michael Herskowitz, with a foreword
by Karen Hughes
. Later editions have the sub-title My Journey To The White House.
The book contains a brief overview of Bush's life and political philosophy. It is not an autobiography in the strict sense, but rather a collection of non-chronological sketches and anecdotes about his years at Yale
and Harvard, business career, and time as governor of Texas. He intersperses these with brief explanations of his political philosophy, including his belief in small government
, capitalism
, and a strong national defense
.
More specific parts of his program, which he enumerates in the last pages, include creating a free market alliance with Canada
and Latin America
, modernizing Social Security
, and firmness with non-aligned regimes, particularly Iraq
and North Korea
(pp. 238-9).
The book has been described as containing only few revelations, among them Bush's account of his decision not to grant a stay of execution for Karla Faye Tucker
, which he described as affecting him emotionally, contrary to media criticism at the time.
Herskowitz was hired in 1999 to draft the book, but he was dismissed and Hughes took over after "the early chapters Herskowitz submitted were judged to overemphasize W.’s early difficulties, describing him, for instance, as having been unsuccessful in the oil business".
The proceeds of the book were donated to charity.
The title of the book comes from the hymn, "A Charge to Keep I Have" (1762) by Charles Wesley
. Wesley's title is a paraphrase of Leviticus
8:35: keep the charge of the LORD, so that you may not die.
A painting by W.H.D. Koerner
, lent to Bush, shows a horseman charging up a rugged mountain trail, followed by others. In the book, Bush says this scene "epitomizes our mission":
The painting hung on the west wall of the Oval Office
during Bush's presidency. He has explained to journalists that its title is "based upon a religious hymn. The hymn talks about serving God." However, as was first pointed out in 2004, the painting was commissioned by The Saturday Evening Post
in 1916 to illustrate a short story by William J. Neidig entitled "The Slipper Tongue." In this context, the painting depicts a "slipper-tongued" horse thief who is being pursued by a lynch mob
. The original magazine caption was "Had His Start Been Fifteen Minutes Longer He Would Not Have Been Caught." The phrase "A Charge to Keep" was attached to the painting later because it was used to illustrate a short story of this title by Ben Ames Williams
published in 1918 by Country Gentleman
magazine.
According to Jacob Weisberg
, Bush "came to believe that the picture depicted the circuit-riders
who spread Methodism across the Alleghenies in the nineteenth century. In other words, the cowboy who looked like Bush was a missionary of his own denomination."
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and credited ghostwriter
Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written...
Michael Herskowitz, with a foreword
Foreword
A foreword is a piece of writing sometimes placed at the beginning of a book or other piece of literature. Written by someone other than the primary author of the work, it often tells of some interaction between the writer of the foreword and the book's primary author or the story the book tells...
by Karen Hughes
Karen Hughes
Karen Parfitt Hughes is the Global Vice Chair of Burson-Marsteller. She served as the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in the U.S. Department of State with the rank of ambassador. She resides in Austin, Texas.-Early life:Born in Paris, France, she is the daughter...
. Later editions have the sub-title My Journey To The White House.
The book contains a brief overview of Bush's life and political philosophy. It is not an autobiography in the strict sense, but rather a collection of non-chronological sketches and anecdotes about his years at Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
and Harvard, business career, and time as governor of Texas. He intersperses these with brief explanations of his political philosophy, including his belief in small government
Small government
A Small government is one which minimizes its own activities. It is a concept important to classical liberalism and libertarianism.-In Hong Kong:...
, capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
, and a strong national defense
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
.
More specific parts of his program, which he enumerates in the last pages, include creating a free market alliance with Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, modernizing Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
, and firmness with non-aligned regimes, particularly Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
(pp. 238-9).
The book has been described as containing only few revelations, among them Bush's account of his decision not to grant a stay of execution for Karla Faye Tucker
Karla Faye Tucker
Karla Faye Tucker was convicted of murder in Texas in 1984 and put to death in 1998. She was the first woman to be executed in the United States since 1984, and the first in Texas since 1863...
, which he described as affecting him emotionally, contrary to media criticism at the time.
Herskowitz was hired in 1999 to draft the book, but he was dismissed and Hughes took over after "the early chapters Herskowitz submitted were judged to overemphasize W.’s early difficulties, describing him, for instance, as having been unsuccessful in the oil business".
The proceeds of the book were donated to charity.
Origin of the title
Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley was an English leader of the Methodist movement, son of Anglican clergyman and poet Samuel Wesley, the younger brother of Anglican clergyman John Wesley and Anglican clergyman Samuel Wesley , and father of musician Samuel Wesley, and grandfather of musician Samuel Sebastian Wesley...
. Wesley's title is a paraphrase of Leviticus
Leviticus
The Book of Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, and the third of five books of the Torah ....
8:35: keep the charge of the LORD, so that you may not die.
A painting by W.H.D. Koerner
Wilhelm Heinrich Detlev Körner
Wilhelm Heinrich Detlev "Big Bill" Körner , also known as Wilhelm Heinrich Dethlef Koerner, William HD Koerner, WHDK, or W.H.D...
, lent to Bush, shows a horseman charging up a rugged mountain trail, followed by others. In the book, Bush says this scene "epitomizes our mission":
The painting hung on the west wall of the Oval Office
Oval Office
The Oval Office, located in the West Wing of the White House, is the official office of the President of the United States.The room features three large south-facing windows behind the president's desk, and a fireplace at the north end...
during Bush's presidency. He has explained to journalists that its title is "based upon a religious hymn. The hymn talks about serving God." However, as was first pointed out in 2004, the painting was commissioned by The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
in 1916 to illustrate a short story by William J. Neidig entitled "The Slipper Tongue." In this context, the painting depicts a "slipper-tongued" horse thief who is being pursued by a lynch mob
Lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial execution carried out by a mob, often by hanging, but also by burning at the stake or shooting, in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate, control, or otherwise manipulate a population of people. It is related to other means of social control that...
. The original magazine caption was "Had His Start Been Fifteen Minutes Longer He Would Not Have Been Caught." The phrase "A Charge to Keep" was attached to the painting later because it was used to illustrate a short story of this title by Ben Ames Williams
Ben Ames Williams
Ben Ames Williams American writer who published over thirty novels, including All the Brothers Were Valiant ,Come Spring ,The Strange Woman , House Divided , Leave Her to Heaven and The Unconquered...
published in 1918 by Country Gentleman
Country Gentleman
Country Gentleman was an agricultural magazine founded in 1831 in Rochester, NY by Luther Tucker. The magazine was purchased by Curtis Publishing Company in 1911. Curtis redirected the magazine to address the business side of farming, which was largely ignored by the agricultural magazines of the...
magazine.
According to Jacob Weisberg
Jacob Weisberg
Jacob Weisberg is an American political journalist, serving as editor-in-chief of Slate Group, a division of The Washington Post Company. Weisberg is also a Newsweek columnist. He served as the editor of Slate magazine for six years, until stepping down in June 2008...
, Bush "came to believe that the picture depicted the circuit-riders
Circuit rider (Religious)
Circuit rider is a popular term referring to clergy in the earliest years of the United States who were assigned to travel around specific geographic territories to minister to settlers and organize congregations...
who spread Methodism across the Alleghenies in the nineteenth century. In other words, the cowboy who looked like Bush was a missionary of his own denomination."
Contents
- Foreword
- Reflections by Karen HughesKaren HughesKaren Parfitt Hughes is the Global Vice Chair of Burson-Marsteller. She served as the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in the U.S. Department of State with the rank of ambassador. She resides in Austin, Texas.-Early life:Born in Paris, France, she is the daughter...
- A Charge to Keep
- MidlandMidland, TexasMidland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
Values - "What Texans Can Dream, Texans Can Do"
- Yale and the National Guard
- Harvard and Moving Home
- Reading: The New Civil Right
- The Best Decision I Ever Made
- Naming the Team
- Working Together
- The Big 4-0
- Karla Faye TuckerKarla Faye TuckerKarla Faye Tucker was convicted of murder in Texas in 1984 and put to death in 1998. She was the first woman to be executed in the United States since 1984, and the first in Texas since 1863...
and Henry Lee LucasHenry Lee LucasHenry Lee Lucas was an American criminal, convicted of murder in 189 cases and once listed as America's most prolific serial killer; he later recanted his confessions, despite professing information only the assailant would know and flatly stating "I'm a liar" in a letter to researcher Brad Shellady... - Tides
- The Veto
- BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- A Time to Build
- A Compassionate Conservative