From the archives: Peregrine Worsthorne on Bush 41

‘On opening my bag, I found a bottle of Jack Daniels with a note from the future President of the US’

george h.w. bush 41
George Herbert Walker Bush poses with his wife Barbara in Beijing in 1974. Born 12 June 1924 in Milton, Massachussetts, George Bush Yale graduated with a degree in Economics in 1948, made a fortune drilling oil before entering politics in 1964. US Congressman from Texas (1966-1970), ambassador to the United nations (1971-1974), Special Envoy to China (1974-1975), Republican National Chairman (1975-1976), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director (1976-1977), vice president of the US (1981-1959) George Bush is eventually elected president of the US 08 November 1988 against Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis. AFP PHOTO/WHITE HOUSE (Photo credit should read /AFP/Getty Images)
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Four years ago, Peregrine Worsthorne wrote about his various experiences with American presidents forThe Spectator magazine. He concluded with this anecdote about George H.W. Bush from the mid-Seventies…

The only thing I remember about George Bush senior was an exceptional act of kindness. He was then the American representative in Peking — as it was still called — and had asked me to lunch.

It was a scorching day. In the course of the conversation I mentioned I was going on to sleep that night in Mao’s favorite village in the south, a place of pilgrimage for the…

Four years ago, Peregrine Worsthorne wrote about his various experiences with American presidents forThe Spectator

 magazine. He concluded with this anecdote about George H.W. Bush from the mid-Seventies…

The only thing I remember about George Bush senior was an exceptional act of kindness. He was then the American representative in Peking — as it was still called — and had asked me to lunch.

It was a scorching day. In the course of the conversation I mentioned I was going on to sleep that night in Mao’s favorite village in the south, a place of pilgrimage for the faithful. ‘Don’t forget to take a good overcoat,’ he warned. ‘It’s mighty cold down there.’ Not aware of the extreme changes of climate, I didn’t have a good coat, and it certainly was freezing down there. On opening my bag, however, I found a bottle of Jack Daniels with a note from the future President of the US saying, ‘This might just help to keep you warm.’ If only the son had been as kind and thoughtful as the father. But that, I fear, is another story.