Bush aims to salvage reputation with memoirs

For the past few months he has lived by proxy - depicted by Josh Brolin in the movie W and by Will Ferrell on Broadway. But soon the real Dubya will be back.

He might not be celebrated for his command of the English language but, like most of his White House predecessors, George W. Bush is writing his memoirs.

The former president revealed his plans last week, his first such venture since leaving office on January 20. Just two days later he started writing, said Robert Barnett, the Washington "super-lawyer" who negotiated Bush's deal with Crown Publishing. Bush has already penned an impressive 30,000 words.

As befits the man who referred to himself as "The Decider", the book is provisionally titled Decision Points. It will deal with the most important decisions of his life including not only the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and his response to Hurricane Katrina but also why he gave up drinking in 1986 and his embrace of religion.

The book is due out next year, after his wife Laura's effort hits the bookstores.

There is no word on the advance Barnett secured for his client but it is unlikely to match Bill Clinton's reported $15 million ($27 million) deal for his 2004 memoirs My Life.

- INDEPENDENT