Review of Reagan: A Life in Letters (Hardcover)

I'll admit off the bat that I love Ronald Reagan.I think he was a fantastic President.I really do.However, I've found that biographies of the man, and his own memoirs, have only shown us a little of who he was."An American Life", his post White House memoir, offered little in the way of great stories.It wasn't all together self-serving(that wasn't Reagan's way), but it had that same, kinda dull quality that seems to haunt all presidential memoirs.I get upset at Booth all over again when I think about what Lincoln's memoirs would have been like.Here though, in his own words, Reagan comes off as human.Flawed as any other person on this Earth, but with that absoute sense of right and wrong that galvanized his supporters and infuriated his critics.A previous reviewer who gave the book just one star obviously did not read the book, as Reagan's letters answer critics of Iran-Contra and address the Beiruit bombing.Whether you believe Reagan is up to you.That he addresses his critics in this book is a fact.

The book gives a very interesting portrait of Reagan.It starts with his earliest correspondence as a boy, and moves throughhis midwest years to his Hollywood years and into the governors mansion.It follows Reagan's travels on the campaign trail, and the sheer volume of letters is staggering.The man, who many on the left portray as an empty vessell, clearly had a lot to say, and he believed in what he talked about a wrote.The book features Reagans fair-mindedness, as he responds to letters from citizens that impune his character, his motives, and his upbringing.He treats each writer with a respect and affords them the dignity they denied him.It's clear that he was a master of the written word.

In fact, one of the prime reasons to read this is to relish what good letter writing could be.In the days of email, finely written letters are a lost art.Even if you are a critic of Reagan's politics, if you are an honest broker pick up the book.It reads quickly and lets you into Reagans thoughts in a way never before seen.Any person with an interest in the Reagan legacy needs to read this book.



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Review of Reagan, In His Own Hand: The Writings of Ronald Reagan That Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America (Hardcover)

This selection of 670 radio commentaries Ronald Reagan wrote between 1975 and 1979 astonishes me to no end.Although I was an ardent supporter of the formerPresident, it seemed to me that Reagan's intellect left much to be desired.At best I concluded that Reagan had superb gut instincts, but was primarily the mouthpieceof those far more intelligent than himself.The first question concerning--Reagan, In His Own Hand--that came to mind was whether Reagan relied upon a ghost writer.Afterall, it is well established that some political leaders such as John F. Kennedy were credited for books they never wrote.I was therefore amazed to learn that it appearsRonald Reagan didn't even have an editorial assistant. These writings are indeed the result of Reagan's many years of intellectual inquiry in issues dominating thelast three quarters of a century.

The editors of this collection rightfully describe Reagan as "a one-man think tank."His insights on why Communism would inevitably disintegratealone justifies the purchase of this work.Reagan's detractors were upset when the President called the now defunct Soviet Union an "evil empire." Nevertheless, Reagan refused to mealy mouth the truth.In the end Reagan insisted that we stay the course in our opposition to World Communism.A weaker but still dangerous SovietUnion might still exist today had it not been for President Reagan.He was proven correct and his opponents should have the integrity to admit their errors in judgment.Thegreat leader also clearly understood the values of Democratic Capitalism.Some may legitimately nit-pick Reagan on some of the specifics, but substantially he was on target. Reagan's own words reveal a profound realization that dire poverty can only be eradicated by an essentially free economic system; government policies may be wellmeaning, but inadvertently often do more harm than good.

Ronald Reagan was one of the greatest Presidents in our nation's history.Even many professional Liberal historians are favorably reevaluating Reagan's Presidency. --Reagan, In His Own Hand--deserves a prominent place in one's library.These radio commentaries allow us to more fully comprehend how fortunate we were that RonaldReagan lead our nation during such a crucial era.



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