A vibrant collection of oil paintings and stories by President George W. Bush honoring the sacrifice and courage of America's military veterans. With forewords written and read by former first lady Laura Bush and General Peter Pace, 16th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Growing out of President Bush's own outreach and the ongoing work of the George W. Bush Institute's Military Service Initiative, Portraits of Courage brings together 66 full-color portraits and a four-panel mural painted by President Bush of members of the United States military who have served our nation with honor since 9/11 - and whom he has come to know personally.

Our men and women in uniform have faced down enemies and liberated millions, and in doing so showed the true compassion of our nation. Often they return home with injuries - both visible and invisible - that intensify the challenges of transitioning into civilian life. In addition to these burdens, research shows a civilian-military divide. Seventy-one percent of Americans say they have little understanding of the issues facing veterans, and veterans agree: 84 percent say that the public has "little awareness" of the issues facing them and their families.

Each painting in this meticulously produced audiobook is accompanied by the inspiring story of the veteran depicted, written by the president. Listeners can see the faces of those who answered the nation's call and learn from their bravery on the battlefield, their journeys to recovery, and the continued leadership and contributions they are making as civilians. It is President Bush's desire that these stories of courage and resilience will honor our men and women in uniform, highlight their family and caregivers who bear the burden of their sacrifice, and help Americans understand how we can support our veterans and empower them to succeed.

President Bush will donate his net author proceeds from Portraits of Courage to the George W. Bush Presidential Center, a nonprofit organization whose Military Service Initiative works to ensure that post-9/11 veterans and their families make successful transitions to civilian life, with a focus on gaining meaningful employment and overcoming the invisible wounds of war.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

Listening Length

3 hours and 27 minutes
Author

George W. Bush, see all
Narrator

George W. Bush
Audible release date

February 28, 2017
Language

English
Publisher

Random House Audio
ASIN

B01MYY30P1
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	3 hours and 27 minutes
Author	George W. Bush, Laura Bush - foreword, General Peter Pace - foreword
Narrator	George W. Bush
Audible.com Release Date	February 28, 2017
Publisher	Random House Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B01MYY30P1
Best Sellers Rank	#269,594 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #308 in 21st Century History #837 in Art (Audible Books & Originals) #1,124 in Military & War Biographies (Audible Books & Originals)

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Stella Carrier

Portraits of Bravery

Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2017

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I preface this Amazon review by admitting that I actually pre-ordered this kindlebook of Portraits of Courage; A Commander’s Tribute to America’s Warriors by George W. Bush with Laura Bush and Peter Pace credited in the forewords on Saturday October 8, 2016 due to my military themed interests pertaining to movies, books etc. stemming from the time I served in the navy. This was well after I had already had my mind made up on voting for Hillary Clinton and following through with voting for her on my birthday, which was also on election day certain that her victory was secured. My point; I try to avoid letting my personal politics indirectly color whether I look at writings andor creative work from men andor women from other sides of the political aisle as I believe maturely being open and considering viewpoints different from my own expands my understanding and wisdom of the world both around me and outside of me. Even then, I was working on being more courageous in various areas of my life and both the title and the feature that various current and former members of the military were going to be featured in this kindlebook caught my attention. With that out of the way, the following are some of the features of this kindlebook for those who are still deciding on purchasing this kindlebook; artistic portrait of Christopher Self a sergeant major who served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1984-1986 and U.S. Army from 1986 to 2013, Master Seargant Scott Neil who served in the U.S. Army from 1986 to 2010, Master Sergeant Roque Urena who served in the U.S. Airforce from 1983 to 2008, Leslie Zimmerman who served in the U.S. Army from 2001-2004, Chris Goehner who was in the navy from 2003 to 2006, and more people who have been affiliated with the military. I also liked that stories were included to get an idea of why they may appear the way they do in their artistic portraits.

3 people found this helpful

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Andy & Ari

Well Done, Very Well Done

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2017

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Politics and Presidents are touchy subjects, never more so then they currently are. So while I don't want to cross the line into the contentious, I have to be perfectly honest and say I never would have expected myself purchasing one of President Bush's books. But I watched an interview with him from Jimmy Kimmel's show while he was promoting this book, and when he mentioned that all the proceeds to to supporting causes for veterans, I said “I'm in”. Because I think supporting our vets and our troops is something that needs to cross party lines.

In this book, former President Bush gives a brief narrative for why he took up painting and why he chose to focus so many on veterans in particular. The main body of the book contains the paintings and then brief vignettes about the individuals in each painting. He closes the book with some ideas that everyone can do to educate themselves about challenges veterans face when they come home and ways the we can stand by them as they navigate those challenges.

I bought the kindle book, and it was super well linked. Each individual service member has their own link to their section. Reading the way President Bush writes about these service men actually gave me a new and expanded perspective on him, it is very evident in the way he writes that he does care about their causes and is touched by them personally and as individuals.

He mentions in the book that he's a novice, and he's not sure how people will receive his works. I read a piece a couple years back by some artists and critics who weren't very flattering in their assessments, so I imagine he's already been exposed to some of that. Look, it's hard to put yourself out there with artwork, it's so subjective and based on personal tastes and preferences. What one person loves another loathes. I took a drawing class in college and got a B on a project...the professor's only reason was she hated my subject matter, thought it wasn't mature enough, the thrust of her criticism was not about my technique. That's how the world of art goes. Highly opinionated.

I think it's true that President Bush's former occupation has given him a platform for public success in his artistic endeavors that many artists don't have, so he has not had to rely strictly on how appealing his works are to others. And yet, while the style he uses isn't my personal favorite, I do think his portraits convey emotion and give a sense of the personalities of the individuals he's painting, and in my mind, that's what makes a work successful...if it can evoke or convey emotion and expression.

So overall, I think this is a well done, well written book that promotes a good cause and I find it to be an interesting and worthwhile read.

278 people found this helpful

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gammyjill

"sorta Freudish"...

Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2017

Verified Purchase

I suppose I never thought I'd be 5 starring an art book by George W Bush any more than he ever thought he'd be drawing one. But he did and I am. George Bush has both painted the pictures and written the text of "Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors". Those "warriors" were men and women who served in the Iraqi and Afghanistan Wars and were - mostly - terribly injured for doing their duty. Most lost limbs or suffered terrible brain traumas. Some soldiers pictured had lost more than one limb. How does a man (or woman) dealt such a blow, regain their health and their self-confidence and their desire to live again in the wide world?

Most of the portraits were painted at golf tournaments and mountain bike rides sponsored by the George W Bush Institute's Military Service Initiative, based in Dallas.

Bush's art might best be described as "sorta Lucien Freud-ish". I liked his paintings and could make out emotional connection with the subjects he painted. The unspoken part of the book is the fact that most of these soldiers were wounded in a war - the Iraqi War - that had no business being fought. (I could see the need for the Afghanistan War after 9/11.) My main hope for George W Bush is that he somehow comes to terms with a war that was started under false pretenses and killed and injured many Americans and Iraqis. His administration send these soldiers off and he is working with them on their return. I just wish they hadn't been sent in the first place...

7 people found this helpful

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T3L

Als Sammelobjekt super!

Reviewed in Germany on July 6, 2021

Verified Purchase

Große und hochwertig verarbeitete Ausgabe im Schuber, die dafür aber auch ihren Preis hat. Die Signatur befindet sich direkt im Buch und ist nicht eingeklebt. Das mir zugestellte Exemplar war noch original eingeschweißt. Leider wies es bereits Schäden auf, hier ist mir Amazon aber mit einem Preisnachlass entgegengekommen.

Ich finde das "Portraits of Courage"-Werk vor dem Hintergrund Bushs politischen Lebens etwas interessanter als "Out of Many, One".

> 166,26€
> Portraits of Courage Deluxe Signed Edition: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors

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Sylvia Dörflinger

Eindrucksvoll

Reviewed in Germany on May 29, 2017

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Der ehemalige US-Präsident widmet sich hier Veteranen des Irak-Krieges, den er selbst zu verantworten hat. Er investiert viel Energie in Charity-Projekte für Kriegsveteranen und beteiligt sich aktiv an Veranstaltungen. Immerhin leugnet er nicht großmäulig seine Schuld und Verstrickung, wie manch anderer, sondern versucht, zumindest etwas wieder gut zu machen.
Zu jedem Portrait findet sich eine Beschreibung der dargestellten Person, deren Verletzungen und wie sie damit umgeht. Zu einigen gibt es auch persönliche Zitate. So kommt eine beeindruckende Sammlung unterschiedlichster Persönlichkeiten zustande, manche weiter vom Krieg überzeugt, manche zu Pazifisten geworden.
Künstlerisch hat Bush sich sehr stark weiterentwickelt. Die Portraits sind ausdrucksstark und spiegeln mit groben Strichen Emotionen und Charaktere wider. Bush hat offenkundig großes Talent. Beim Betrachten spürt man seine Empathie und sieht, dass er in der Lage ist, das Wesentliche einer Persönlichkeit scheinbar mühelos herauszuarbeiten.
Die Einnahmen gehen nicht an den Künstler, sondern an das Bush Presidential Center, das sich der Wiedereingliederung von Veteranen ins zivile Leben widmet. So kann man das Buch guten Gewissens kaufen.
Durchgehend farbige Bilder auf hochwertigem Papier, Texte in englischer Sprache.

7 people found this helpful

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Karenv

GW has a soft side

Reviewed in Canada on July 11, 2019

Verified Purchase

I am no GW fan but I think his painting is very sweet. I give him kudos for putting himself out there as he’s not trained. And, he paints veterans.

Amazon Customer

Great service

Reviewed in Canada on December 22, 2019

Verified Purchase

Delivered as expected

Tia Gorman

The actual life experiences combined with the beautiful portraits are very

Reviewed in Canada on April 22, 2017

Verified Purchase

A lovely tribute to those who have sacrificed so very much.
The actual life experiences combined with the beautiful portraits are very moving

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Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

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