Bush turns to history, weighs his place in it

Amid the recent tumult, the president has sought refuge in history. He read three books last year on George Washington, read about the Algerian war of independence and the slave trade in Congo, and lately has been digging into "Troublesome Young Men," Lynne Olson's account of Conservative backbenchers who thrust Winston Churchill to power. Bush idolizes Churchill and keeps a bust of him in the Oval Office.

After reading Andrew Roberts' "A History of the English-Speaking Peoples Since 1900," Bush brought in the author and a dozen other scholars to talk about the lessons. "What can I learn from history?" Bush asked Roberts, according to Irwin M. Stelzer, the Hudson Institute scholar, who participated.

Stelzer said Bush seemed smarter than he expected. The conversation ranged from history to religion and touched on sensitive topics for a president wrestling with his legacy. "He asked me: 'Do you think our unpopularity abroad is a result of my personality?' And he laughed," Stelzer recalled. "I said, 'In part.' And he laughed again."

Much of the discussion focused on the nature of good and evil, a perennial theme for Bush, who casts the struggle against Islamic extremists in black-and-white terms. Michael Novak, a theologian who participated, said it was clear Bush weathers his difficulties because he sees himself as doing the Lord's work.

"His faith is very strong," said Novak, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. "Faith is not enough by itself because there are a lot of people who have faith but weak hearts. But his faith is very strong. He seeks guidance, like every other president does, in prayer. And that means trying to be sure he's doing the right thing. And if you've got that set, all the criticism, it doesn't faze you very much. You're answering to God."

British historian Alistair Horne was invited to meet with Bush recently after former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger gave the president "A Savage War of Peace," Horne's book on the French defeat in Algeria in the mid-20th century.

They talked about parallels and differences between Algeria and Iraq as Bush sought insight he could apply to his own situation.

Horne, who said he is not a Bush supporter, nonetheless found himself struck by the president's tranquility. "He looked like he hadn't a care in the world. It was amazing."