Going to Windward: A Mosbacher Family Memoir

"Bob was by my side from the very beginning, as we started a journey that would lead to the mountaintop of American politics....

"Barbara and I are delighted that Bob decided to share his family's story in this wonderful book---because it is, in many respects, the quintessential American success story. The immigrant's tale is often one of tremendous hardship, and Bob's grandfather, Louis, was no exception. From there, however, the family story that follows is nothing short of exceptional. Most of all, we hope this book gives you a sense for the true heartbeat of one of the kindest---if not always the gentlest---men I have been privileged to call a friend. Bob Mosbacher made life in Houston, life in Washington (life, period) more fun and more meaningful for Barbara and me than mere words can describe."---from the Foreword, by George H.W. Bush

"Without him, it's highly unlikely I would have ever been president of the United States."---Gegorge H. W. Bush

"Without him, it's highly unlikely I would have ever been president of the United States."---George H. W. Bush

In a lifetime filled with exhilarating successes, heart-breaking failures, and even tragic personal loss, Robert A. Mosbacher Sr. proved himself adept at navigating in calm seas or high winds alike. Whether besting the stiffest of national and international competition in a diverse array of amateur sailing championships over the course of a half century or helping to chart his candidate's course across the American political landscape on the way to the White House in 1989, Mosbacher was never one to turn his back on any goal to which he had dedicated himself. Now, in this informative, entertaining, and deftly written memoir, composed with the assistance of writer and trusted friend James G. McGrath, Mosbacher chronicles, in his own words, a life well spent.

His perspective informed by everything from his father's meager childhood and remarkable successes as a trader on the New York Curb Exchange to his own three years of service as secretary of commerce in George H.W. Bush's administration, Mosbacher, the grandson of immigrants, possessed a distinctive vantage point on U.S. business and politics. In this volume of tightly woven, lively memories, he takes readers on an unforgettable ride with his father through the New York City of the 1930s, narrates his discovery of a huge natural gas field in the 1950s, and tells of his deepening involvement with the business and political power structures of Texas and the nation, beginning in the 1970s. Along the way, Mosbacher offers insights from family, business, and public life alike, with stories that engage, charm, and instruct.

A must-read for Texas, political, business, and energy historians as well as general readers everywhere, Robert A. Mosbacher's Going to Windward is an American success story that will warm the heart and capture the imagination.

The Honorable Robert A. Mosbacher, United States secretary of commerce from 1989 to 1992, was a Trustee Emeritus for the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies, former vice chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and past chairman of the Americas Society/Council on the Americas. He served on the boards of the American Petroleum Institute, Texas Commerce Bank, and New York Life Insurance Company, and was the founding owner of Houston's Mosbacher Energy Company. Robert A. Mosbacher died January 24, 2010.
James G. McGrath, who worked as a writer and editor at the White House from 1991 to 1993, serves as President and Mrs. George H.W. Bush's media consultant---producing speeches, statements, press events, and video presentations. McGrath also edited a collection of George H.W. Bush's speeches and statements, compiling them in Heartbeat: George Bush in His Own Words (Simon & Schuster, 2001).