cover image THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE: The Ingenious Insanity of Our Most "Misunderestimated" President

THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE: The Ingenious Insanity of Our Most "Misunderestimated" President

Michael K. Smith, Matt Wuerker, , illus. by Matt Wuerker. . Common Courage, $39.95 (160pp) ISBN 978-1-56751-248-9

After a cynical rundown of Bush's "boot-strapping" biography, this broadside from "dissident historian" Smith (Portraits of Empire ) makes every expected criticism of Dubya's presidency, from the irregular circumstances of the Florida election to what Smith sees as a rush into war against Iraq. All the major players come under attack, even Colin Powell, who's usually left alone by mainstream critics. The argument suffers from excess, like simplistic comparisons between administration officials and Holocaust deniers, and relies as much on the reader's scorn for "Busheviks" as on building a factual case. Wuerker's heavy-handed editorial illustrations reinforce the main points with an equal lack of subtlety. (Dec.)