![]() ![]() Right off the bat, I found Reagan's style of speaking coming through again in his writing. I'm glad I did - I find that I typically regret making what appeared to be "sharp, witty" ascerbic comments about leaders at a given time, only to regret them later, while any time I've been able to express mercy, understanding, tolerance, and openness, I've not regretted those stances even if disappointed later. So part of my reason was to approach this President's book as a mea culpa exercise. One reason I read this is that I've always felt bad about dissing Ron and Nancy in an essay I wrote while living in Africa - some insipid little comment about Nancy consulting a horoscope. ![]() I never understood people writing autobiographies in mid life. Between an assassination attempt, health scares, death in the family, and especially the tensions with the U.S.S.R., his time in the White House was tough.but, he and the former First Lady showed admirable strength and courage despite adverse circumstances.Īs great as this book is-and it's the longest one other than the Bible that I've read in a while.but I loved it-I do have to issue one complaint: Some profanity-not all of which is censored-is included though I know this is a true story, it's still a bit unfortunate, and may bother some discerning readers.īig 752 page book- Reagan's autobiography written after two terms as California Governor, and two as US President (plus sports caster and actor). ![]() Where the book really got crazy was after Reagan was elected as leader of the free world. I could see why people often say that movies aren't what they used to be. As someone who has always loved entertainment, reading of President Reagan's time in Hollywood was fun. An early memory he shared of being able to read the newspaper easily at only five years old reminds me of how surprised everyone was I could read pretty much anything-even a high school science textbook-when I was a mere kindergartener. President Reagan and I had some things in common: We were raised in Christian homes, and we were early readers. ![]() So, though I'd heard a lot about Ronald Reagan from my parents and other significantly older individuals, reading about his life and times from his own perspective was an eye-opening experience. The first Commander in Chief I remember with any clarity was Bill Clinton, and I still learned a lot more about the office of United States President as I got older, especially when "W" was in the White House. Reading the account of this childhood, we understand how his parents, struggling to make ends meet despite family problems and the rigors of the Depression, shaped his belief in the virtues of American life-the need to help others, the desire to get ahead and to get things done, the deep trust in the basic goodness, values, and sense of justice of the American people-virtues that few presidents have expressed more eloquently than Ronald Reagan.Īs someone who wasn't born until the late eighties, I am too young to remember the Reagan presidency, or even that of the elder Bush. He tells us, with warmth and pride, of his early years and of the elements that made him, in later life, a leader of such stubborn integrity, courage, and clear-minded optimism. Ronald Reagan’s account of that rise is told here with all the uncompromising candor, modesty, and wit that made him perhaps the most able communicator ever to occupy the White House, and also with the sense of drama of a gifted natural storyteller. The former president relates the story of his public and private life from his modest beginnings in the Midwest, through a distinguished film career, to a second career in politics. ![]()
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