Former President George W. Bush has a new book of oil paintings coming next spring, and this time his subjects are political prisoners and dissidents from around the world. Crown announced that “The Call of Freedom: Portraits of Political Prisoners and Dissidents” will hit shelves March 9, 2027, pairing 44 full-color portraits with biographical sketches of the men and women depicted.
The book brings together portraits of people persecuted for their ethnicity, gender, political positions and religious beliefs, according to the George W. Bush Presidential Center. Among the dissidents featured are Rushan Abbas, Rolando José Álvarez Lagos and Jina Mahsa Amini, the Bush Center says. Álvarez Lagos is an imprisoned Nicaraguan bishop, while Amini, an Iranian woman, died in 2022 in the custody of Iranian authorities, a death that sparked nationwide protests.
Natan Sharansky, a former Soviet Union dissident and author, is contributing the book's foreword, the Bush Center notes. In his own writing for the project, Bush states that people who live in liberty have a duty to stand with those who do not, framing the book as a chance to send a message that the United States cares deeply about people seeking freedom.
An Exhibition to Match the Book
The publication will coincide with an exhibition of Bush's artwork, which is set to open to the public at the George W. Bush Presidential Center on the same March 9, 2027 date, per the Bush Center's newsroom announcement. The center sits on the SMU campus in Dallas, Texas.
As reported by CultureMap Fort Worth, the book is available for pre-order through Amazon.com, Penguin Random House, and the Bush Presidential Museum. Crown will publish a jacketed hardcover priced at $42 and an oversized, signed deluxe edition priced at $250, alongside a digital audio edition from Penguin Random House Audio, the Bush Center says. According to CultureMap Fort Worth, museum members can get the book for $37. WebWire reports that the deluxe edition will be clothbound with a special slipcase and exclusive cover design.
Proceeds Aimed at Supporting Dissidents
A portion of Bush's proceeds from the book will benefit organizations that support political dissidents across the globe, as well as the Bush Institute, according to the Bush Center. WebWire reports that Bush met with nearly 200 political dissidents during his presidency, a practice he has continued since leaving the White House.
Bush took up painting after leaving office in 2009, and “The Call of Freedom” marks his third collection of art, per News4Jax. His previous books include “Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors” and “Out of Many, One: Portraits of America's Immigrants,” the outlet notes.
A Presidency Still Defined by Its Own Record
Bush's focus on political prisoners arrives alongside a presidential legacy that includes criticism over the abuse of Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison and the CIA's use of waterboarding, both long-documented controversies tied to his administration. The new book does not address that record directly, but it lands as Bush continues to position his post-presidency around advocacy for people persecuted abroad for their beliefs and identities.
