Bush memoir to recall 9/11 and disputed election

The publisher of former US President George W. Bush's book Decision Points set a November 9 release date, unveiled its cover design and announced new details about it.

Mr Bush said he is not writing a traditional memoir but an account of key decisions in his life.

The cover features a photo of then-President Bush alone with his thoughts, standing in the White House Rose Garden Colonnade, wearing a dark suit and holding a briefing book, his head turned slightly from the camera.

According to Crown Publishers, Decision Points will offer "gripping, never-before-heard detail" on such events as the September 11, 2001 attacks and the 2000 presidential election along with Mr Bush's decision to stop drinking, his relationship with his family and other personal details.

The 2000 election saw Mr Bush beat Al Gore to the White House after a protracted legal dispute over vote counting in Florida.

Mr Gore won more votes nationwide than Mr Bush but his eventual defeat in Florida ensured that his opponent claimed the presidency under the electoral college system that decides White House races.

A publishing industry source familiar with the book said that Mr Bush completed a first draft and was editing the manuscript on a computer at his office in Dallas.

A former White House speech writer, Chris Michel, is helping with research. The source was unsure whether Mr Bush had compared notes with his wife, Laura Bush, whose memoir comes out on May 4.