Reagan's rise: How and why

Capital causes a stir

Financial terms were not disclosed. George W. Bush was represented by Washington attorney Robert Barnett, who also handled negotiations for Decision Points.

The relationship between the two presidents has long fascinated scholars, political insiders and the general public. Many have speculated that the younger Bush felt competitive with his father, driven to surpass him and to gain his approval. In a 2013 appearance on CBS This Morning, George W. Bush said his father was a role model and that their relationship was based upon "love and admiration".

George W. Bush first thought of the book around 2010 and began writing it two years later, consulting widely with friends and family members, including his father. The book is expected to be around 300 pages and Crown is planning a first printing of 1 million copies. Although Bush had assistance with research, he wrote the book himself.

George H.W. Bush, who turned 90 in June, was defeated for re-election in 1992 by Bill Clinton, bu this stature has steadily grown. In 2012, he was the subject of an admiring HBO documentary, 41, referring to his being the 41st president. Jon Meacham, a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, is working on a book about Bush. George H. W. Bush: Character at the Core, by former Bush speech writer Curt Smith, is scheduled to come out this fall.

The elder Bush is one of the few presidents in modern times not to have written a memoir.