In this excerpt from The Right Man: The Surprise Presidency of George W. Bush, former Bush speechwriter David Frum looks at how Bush deftly handled the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Though an exciting and heroic story, Michael Gerson's Heroic Conservatism lacks complete truth.

David Frum first heard about the Sept. 11 attacks at his White House office--in a call from his wife.