For some it was a chance to audition as the President’s ghostwriter after he leaves office. For others it was an opportunity to ponder how future generations might see the 43rd incumbent of the White House. For a minority it was all about the Churchillian menu of beef, trifle and 1934 brandy.

Only the fancy dress was missing from Sunday night’s history-themed party inside 10 Downing Street, thrown as a final send-off for George Bush before he leaves Europe for the final time as President.

While Gordon Brown has devoted his life to only one party, his wife, Sarah, was on hand to prove herself quite the formidable hostess, rolling out Britain’s historical establishment to meet Mr Bush. She had, aides said, spent weeks overseeing every detail down to the table plan.

And for once the political differences inside Downing Street were there to be celebrated.

In one corner was Simon Schama, who labelled Mr Bush as an “absolute f***ing catastrophe” in 2006. In another was Andrew Roberts, who is close to Mr Bush and his inner circle and was displaying a pair of presidential cufflinks he was given the last time they met.

He told The Times that it was “a completely wonderful and fabulous occasion — I sat next to the President. We talked about the interaction between history, politics, and personalities. That is about as far as I can go because it was a private dinner.”

Alistair Horne, another of the guests, had also met Mr Bush before and has discussed with him in the White House the parallels between Iraq and the “savage war of peace” in Algeria half a century ago.

He said: “You think about prime ministers and presidents being surrounded by cabinet officials, aides and so forth but at the end of the day, they are alone. They’re lonely.”

Downing Street aides said that Mr Bush changed seats several times over the evening, as Mr Brown strove to introduce his guest to as many people as possible.

The evening allowed both President and Prime Minister to wallow in their favourite subject of British history, with many of the guests, including Alistair Horne, David Cannadine and Valmai Holt, experts in military history and the rise and fall of Empire.

Of particular interest to Mr Bush would have been Martin Gilbert, the official biographer of Winston Churchill. Mr Bush is fascinated by Churchill and once declared that he was an “admirer of his career, admirer of his strength, admirer of his character — so much so that I keep a stern-looking bust of Sir Winston in the Oval Office. He watches my every move.”

The guest had drinks in the Pillared Room and then moved through to the wood-panelled splendour of the State Dining Room for dinner underneath the high-vaulted ceilings in the room normally used to host the Prime Minister’s monthly press conference.

The topic of conversation appeared to avoid any direct judgment on Mr Bush’s presidency.

According to Roberts, they talked about “the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, but not the 21st” — when Mr Bush took much of the world to war. He was impressed by the breadth and depth of their knowledge, as well as the “obvious warmth” between Mr Bush and Mr Brown. “They really have read these books — voraciously,” Roberts said.

Roberts did not rule out the possi- bility he could act as Mr Bush’s ghostwriter in future. The historian said that he was flattered still to be on Mr Bush’s “radar screen” and that “it would be an honour to be considered” as a possible collaborator writing the President’s memoirs.

History was still on the mind of both President and Prime Minister yesterday morning, with Mr Brown opening their press conference by praising a partnership between Britain and America — “our histories forged through democracy”.

Mr Bush thanked the Prime Minister and his wife, Sarah, for organising his special dinner. “Great Britain has produced some great historians,” he said “It was so kind of you to have them over.”

It was a sign that Sunday night will not be forgotten soon. Mr Bush ended his dinner by posing for a group photograph underneath a portrait of Elizabeth I in the Downing Street drawing room.

As they lined up for the shot, he was heard to remark: “This is going to be my White House Christmas card” — his last before he leaves office in January and is himself consigned to history.

Bedtime reading

President Bush and Gordon Brown have both been reading a selection of work by every historian who attended the dinner. These include:

Simon Schama A History of Britain
Alistair Horne A Savage War of Peace (given to Mr Bush by Henry Kissinger)
Valmai Holt Major & Mrs Holt’s Battlefield Guide
Max Arthur Forgotten Voices series
Piers Brendan The Decline and Fall of the British Empire
Linda Colley Britons: Forging the Nation, 1707–1837
David Cannadine The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy
Martin Gilbert Official biographer of Sir Winston Churchill
Andrew Roberts A History of the English Speaking Peoples since 1900

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