Rating: 
Summary: INCOMPLETE
Review: Unfortunately, the reader is titilated in FORTUNATE SON with the least of George W. Bush's lesser crimes and misdemeanors. Left out of this book are details of George W. Bush's most serious crimes: away without leave [A.W.O.L.] from the Texas Air National Guard (see for complete documentation, awolbush.com). After being suspended from flying in August 1972 (for failure to show up for his annual physical examination), Lt. George W. Bush was "Not Observed" from May 1, 1972 to April 30, 1973, according to his official Annual Officer Effectiveness Report, 5/2/73. Under Articles 85 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) this is among the more serious military crimes for which the most severe penalty is: "In time of war. Death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct." During the period of Bush's absence the United States was at war with North Vietnam. Obviously, he had been provided the privilege by his string pulling family of a speedy enlistment in the Texas Air National Guard to avoid service in Vietnam. The misdeeds of "W" presented in FORTUNATE SON are trivial by comparison with his truly serious crimes. And, incidentally, the UCMJ does not contain a statute of limitation for arrest and court-martial of an airman who can be charged with desertion!
Rating: 
Summary: A Friend made me read it...
Review: Well I have been argueing with a friend regarding the facts in the Swift Vets book and he told me I had to read this book and gave me a copy... Well not much changed, I view both books much as I do a Moore documentary... We know they will be biased from the get go.. I was however diapointed in this book in that I found it very difficult to check the "facts" it presented.As an acedemic, fact checking is important, that is why I have to give it the lowest rating..
Rating: 
Summary: The Cold & Hard
Review: What can I say? Not the best book ever written, but it offers something most cannot: an undisputable fact. Our previous president smoked marijuana and spoke misleadingly of the act. Our current president abused cocaine and lied outright about his conviction. There lies the difference -- from a distance, let's reflect and not pass judgment on either. But let's hope Little Bush does better in government than he did in business! Whoosh!
Rating: 
Summary: Not a bash, but rather, an investigation
Review: When I heard of this book, I wondered why it was dropped from St. Martin's Press. Given the numerous books slandering Clinton, I figured this book was a slandering piece, and would be decried as nothing more than foolish slander, and naturally disappear in public interest. Instead, the book was pulled from the presses. Why? After reading this book, I found that not only does it not have the typical bash style of Moore or Franken, but it researches his past with accuracy and without humorous commentary - possibly so close to the truth that decrying it as nothing more than slander would be extremely difficult, and Karl Rove didn't want to spend time or lose face defending against it. From the strange connections to Saudi Arabia to the forced policies of a governor, this book lays out the blueprint for what we are seeing today. Not only do I find the information frightening, but I find it to be on the mark. A man who stands for nothing but condemns everything, he is a dark man who does not deserve to be the president of a democracy.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the Wait!
Review: When I ordered this book from Amazon, I received no less than 3 backorder notices before it arrived, but it was worth the wait. The tragic story of the publication of this book is interesting in itself, involving corporate cowardice on the part of the publisher and brazen political bullying on the part of the Bush Campaign. Kudos to Soft Skull Press for having the courage to publish a stunning indictment of the Post-911 Tyrant who bought his way into the White House. This is a textbook in political corruption and influence peddling that is well-researched and completely substantiated. Any coke addict born with a silver spoon in his mouth should take heart at the success of Dubya.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting biography - not just for the few sensationals
Review: When this book was first released on its second printing after the now quite famous burning of the first addition, I purchased and read it. Now, several years later, it is still an interesting read - but not necessarily for the most sensational claims. Where I think Hatfield did the best portrayal from his perspective, was the long and looming TREND that G.W. Bush was led into. From very early on in the book, Hatfield makes a basic claim that indeed Bush was a fortunate Son which virtually secures his future even through numerous failures.
What got this book in such hot water was of course the Author's status as an ex-con, and the cocaine allegation. I do not wish to detract from either of those, but as a reader, I was never really that interested in either of these. The author's history is his own business, surely we all know some ex-cons. As for Bush's coke thing, well that was back in the day so I don't really care about that.
What I did care about was the long line of instances where Bush continued, over and over, to receive immense preferential treatment in every aspect of his life. This puts Bush in an interesting light for a biography. It also can explain quite a deal about the man who became President of the United States.
For readers considering this book, I urge you to read it as a whole book, not just several hundred pages revolving around one claim. As I said above, I found this book to still be an intriguing read well after Bush assumed office.
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