A Charge To Keep

A Charge to Keep is a 1999 book written by then-Governor of Texas George W. Bush and credited ghostwriter Michael Herskowitz, with a foreword by Karen Hughes. Later editions have the sub-title My Journey To The White House.

The book contains a brief overview of Bush's life and political philosophy. It is not an autobiography in the strict sense, but rather a collection of non-chronological sketches and anecdotes about his years at Yale and Harvard, business career, and time as governor of Texas. He intersperses these with brief explanations of his political philosophy, including his belief in small government, capitalism, and a strong national defense.

More specific parts of his program, which he enumerates in the last pages, include creating a free market alliance with Canada and Latin America, modernizing Social Security, and firmness with non-aligned regimes, particularly Iraq and North Korea (pp. 238–9).

The book has been described as containing only few revelations, among them Bush's account of his decision not to grant a stay of execution for Karla Faye Tucker, which he described as affecting him emotionally, contrary to media criticism at the time.

Herskowitz was hired in 1999 to draft the book, but he was dismissed and Hughes took over after "the early chapters Herskowitz submitted were judged to overemphasize W.’s early difficulties, describing him, for instance, as having been unsuccessful in the oil business".

The proceeds of the book were donated to charity.