Rating: 
Summary: Ambling Into History
Review: Insightful memoir of Bush's 2000 presidential campaign by a New York Times correspondent. Traveling with the candidate, Bruni initially found him superficial, childish, and largely unknowledgeable about world affairs-unprepared and even unmotivated to be president. As they became better acquainted, the journalist began to see and appreciate Bush's basic goodness and kindness toward others, his flashes of wit and compassion, his devotion to family, the loyalty he engendered in friends and associates, and his deep religious faith. Bruni shares the fruits of many close encounters with the Bushes: wife Laura is either extremely reticent or very dull; Mom Barbara is not above making catty remarks about the Clintons; daughters Jenna and Barbara barely pay attention to the campaign; George W. himself gets painfully homesick for Texas and is likely to fly off the handle at anyone who gets between him and his favorite meal (a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich). The author offers sharp, informed views about the troubled nature of big-money politics, from the unhealthy predominance of spin over substance to the complicity of the reporters who know better but participate in the frenzy for breaking stories anyway. Bruni watches Bush mature first as a candidate, then as president; he begins and ends with discussion of September 11, favorably rating his response and growth under trying circumstances. Bush was not ideal presidential material, suggests the author, but he's not much kinder to candidate Al Gore; Bruni's conclusion seems to be that for a variety of reasons, Americans in the year 2000 wanted a president who did not seem particularly eager or qualified for the job. The subject and many of the incidents discussed here are familiar, but this economically written and tightly organized account is a pleasure to read. One of the few insider accounts of an American political campaign to successfully reveal the immense impact the process itself has on shaping candidates and, in the end, public officials.
Rating:
Summary: Unbiased, evenhanded and well written - well worth reading
Review: I thought the author did a fine job on this book. In my opinion, he was about as evenhanded as anyone could be. He pointed out things that Bush is criticized for and gave examples and contradictions to both highlight and test the criticisms. He highlighted areas of praise for Bush and cited specifics where Bush earned the praise and others where he did not. Throughout, he criticized without seeming biased and praised without seeming to be fawning. Interviews with Bush, his parents, his wife and other key players are woven nicely into the mix, adding background and perspective.Bruni also did a nice job of explaining how the candidate's handlers manage the press coverage and access to their man. He had a nice, lighthearted tone about the plight of the overfed, overmanaged, overtraveled press. All in all, I don't see how a reader could ask for a lot more from a book of this type - unless they are looking for total praise or total criticism. If that's what you want, this book's not for you. If you want a fair, entertaining look at our president and his campaign to win the office, I'd recommend you read this one.
Rating: 
Summary: By A Reporter Who Was There
Review: Good book by a New York Times reporter who traveled with Bush as he ran for President. Book is well written. It shows a side of Bush that one doesn't see on television. He has a bit of ornery side. The book is really funny at times, especially when reviewing some of the President's bloopers with the language. Whether you like or dislike Bush I think you'll enjoy the book.
Rating:
Summary: Sneaking Into The Positive Column
Review: I am not a big fan of President Bush and I really only picked this book up to find out more of what the campaign was like covering Bush. The author details out the year plus that he followed Bush through the campaign and then the first year of his Presidency up to December. My first impressions of the book was that the author was very quick witted, humorous and an excellent writer. The book really flowed well and I found I would lose track of time, as I was so into the book. The next impression I came away with was that I was starting to find a soft spot for this Bush character. The author does a great job of detailing out who the real G. W. Bush is. The reader comes away with a view of him that is not like the current partisan one-sided comments that fill up the media. The author spends the time to provide stories and antidotes that get past the superficial view of the President and presents a man that has a full helping of charisma and is one of those kind of people that everybody who meets them wants to spend more time with him. Again I am no fan of President Bush and do not plan on becoming one, but this book knocks off some of the negative side of the perception I had of the man. That is not to say that this book is some sort of pro Bush propaganda puff piece. I think it details just the opposite. There is no end to the mistakes and overall questions about G.W. that the author details in the book. He spends a good deal of time talking about the relationship G.W. has with his father and Jeb and the picture is not always positive. The author also does a good job off covering the questions of if G.W. was up for the job both intellectually and stylistically. You can tell the author gains more respect for G.W after the 9-11 attack. He starts to feel that Bush has earned the positive opinion that the author has generated for him. It is interesting that the negatives the author brings out do not stop. Through the full book the author never shies away from less then positive issues for Bush and comes to some conclusions that the rabid Bush supporter would cringe at. It is just that he presents Bush is such a warm and personable light that you want to look past the negative items and just see the good side of the man. This is probably the key to any politician and Bush is in the right line of work. To be a complete review I would say that this book is not an in depth view at the politics of the campaign or of the first year of Bush's Presidency, but rather an good look at the personality of the man. Overall the book is interesting and a very enjoyable read. If you are either a fan of President Bush or have an open mind about him then you will probably enjoy the book as much as I did.
Rating:
Summary: Illuminating look behind the scenes
Review: To anyone interested in the inner workings of highly intense election campaigns, the press, or George W. Bush, then I highly recommend you take a look-see at this book. Frank Bruni, a fair and intelligent writer of the New York Times(a paradox of sorts), recounts his insightful, sometimes bizarre, ecnounters while being assigned to cover the Bush campaign for the duration of the 2000 campaign. Bruni makes this book worth reading alone for the many humorous and revealing anecdotes that unveil the lighthearted candor of George W. Bush and his entertaining give-and-take with the press while traveling aboard his campaign plane. When speaking of Al Gore, Bruni writes, "He(Bush) made it clear that he saw Gore as equal parts pompous blowhard and preening chameleon, a spineless panderer ready to be anything for anyone. For Bush, this was distilled in a single, oddly chosen detail: 'The man dyes his hair.'" Nuff said.
Rating: 
Summary: 'Ambling' superficial but fun to read
Review: Even as his first term as president nears an end, George W. Bush remains something of an enigma. It should come as no surprise, then, that the reader knows very little about Bush at the conclusion of Ambling Into History, which follows the president from the 2000 campaign to the September 11th attacks. New York Times reporter Frank Bruni makes no pretense that he offers little more than anecdotes. These snippets sometimes illustrate the contradictions that define Bush: here is a man who inappropriately mugs for reporters at a memorial service yet offers a biting, brilliant analysis of the East Coast Establishment several pages later. These "moments," as the author describes them, aren't nearly as illuminating as Bruni believes. For example, the steely discipline the president displays in the face of the September 11th terrorist attacks runs counter to the frequent silliness Bush exhibited during the campaign, but Bruni never reconciles this and other seeming contradictions. Ambling does excel is in its criticism of pack journalism and the mindset of reporters who seem more concerned with conformity than with truth. As Bruni watches his girth expand on the campaign trail, he also keeps a sharp eye on journalists who seem more clueless than cynical. If the author had been able to dissect Bush as well as he did his fellow reporters, this could have been a great book. As it is, this is a fun read with very little substance.
Rating: 
Summary: Shallow ¿journalism.¿
Review: Frank Bruni's book is indicative of where 'journalism' is heading these days. Short on real analysis of the issues and more inclined to view elections as mere 'beauty contests,' Bruni's book is long of fluff and short on depth. This book is a must to avoid but could be of interest for journalism's students who wish to see how awful mainstream journalism has become.
Rating:
Summary: President Bush
Review: This was an interesting book about the presidential campaign and pre 9/11 presidency of George W. Bush. It is very well written, and shows how President Bush became President Bush at a critical time in our nation. It is worth the read for anyone interested in W, whether they like him, hate him, or just don't know what to think of him.
Rating:
Summary: Great Personal look at the President
Review: Bruni is a reporter than followed Bush and at times Gore during the campaign. He provides contrast to the two candidates and a light and personal side to George W. that provides insight to the leadership style we see today from our the White House. He believes that it is wrong to portray Bush as a man that did a 180 degree turn after 9/11 but rather the qualities of a leader were alwasy there.
Rating:
Summary: Ambling into History
Review: As I mentioned in an earlier review... Frank Bruni has written a trivial book... mostly about himself on Air Force One.
How easy it is to diminish a well-known person and find plaudits and kudos from those readers who want their views re-inforced. Thanks to those reviewers who got it right: "The book is biased."
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