Public to get rare insight into President George HW Bush

Washington (CNN) - The public will get to see more of the private thoughts and photos of former President George Herbert Walker Bush next week on topics ranging from the bitter 2000 election featuring his son, the Supreme Court decision that decided the outcome of that campaign, the younger Bush's presidency, the Sept. 11th attacks and his unique partnership and friendship with his one-time rival, former President Bill Clinton.

On Tuesday the publisher Scribner will release an updated version of Bush's 1999 book All The Best, George Bush: My Life in Letters and Other Writings.

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The publisher says the book will also include personal letters, emails, diary entries and emails and photographs from the past 15 years, including messages to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren talking about aging with dignity, the importance of service and the legacy of the Bush family.

The 41st president, who has always been an avid letter writer, never wrote an autobiography so this book stands as his effort at chronicling his life.

As he writes in his preface, "So what we have here are letters from the past and present. Letters that are light and hopefully amusing. Letters written when my heart was heavy or full of joy. Serious letters. Nutty letters. Caring and rejoicing letters…It's all about heartbeat."

Bush, 88, was released in late January from a Houston hospital after a long bout with bronchitis and related illnesses. He was originally hospitalized in late November and spent some time in intensive care because of a persistent fever and cough.