A Charge to Keep

A Charge to Keep

"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 hostile regimes, particularly Iraq and North Korea (pp. 238-9). [Cite book | edition = 1st | publisher = William Morrow | isbn = 0688174418 | pages = 256 | last = Bush | first = George W. | coauthors = Karen Hughes | title = A Charge to Keep | date = 1999-11-17 ] [cite news | first = Jennifer | last = Harper | title = Bush's biography paints contender as a straight arrow | work = The Washington Times | publisher = The Washington Times LLC | page = A6 | date = 1999-11-17 | accessdate = 2007-11-16 ] [cite news | first = Frank | last = Bruni | title = Book Lets Bush Explain His Life and His Politics | work = The New York Times | publisher = The New York Times Company | page = A22 | date = 1999-11-15 | accessdate = 2007-11-16 ]

The title is taken from a painting by W. H. D. Koerner, lent to Bush, showing a horseman charging up a rugged mountain trail, followed by others. In the book, Bush says this scene "epitomizes our mission":

The painting was commissioned by "The Saturday Evening Post" in 1916 to illustrate a short story called "The Slipper Tongue" and depicts a "slipper-tongued" horse thief being pursued by a lynch mob. The original magazine caption was "Had His Start Been Fifteen Minutes Longer He Would Not Have Been Caught." [cite web
url = http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/01/hbc-90002237
title = The Illustrated President
accessdate = 2008-01-26
author = Scott Horton
date = 2008-01-24
work = Harper's Magazine The article references "The Bush Tragedy", by Jacob Weisberg, a book unpublished at the time the article was written.]

The painting has hung on the west wall of the Oval Office during Bush's presidency.

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