Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Reagan: The Life

Top positive review

Thorough and thoroughly engaging

Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2017

Disclaimer: I am a life-long democrat who never voted for Reagan and actively campaigned against him. I believe that his policies have led to the current state of uncontrollable deficits and the focus of "me" over "we" has done irreparable harm to our social fabric.

That said, I have long recognized his success as president and have continually admired his sunny optimism and his uncanny ability to disarm his critics with a witty anecdote or self-deprecating wisecrack. While Obama may have coined the phrase "disagree without being disagreeable", it is Reagan who embodied that principle. Conservative but pragmatic, Reagan knew how to accept half a loaf and call it a victory (a lesson seemingly lost on today's political leaders).

These qualities are all on display in Brands' masterful biography. Thoroughly engaging, Brands tracks Reagan from a young poor boy in Illinois through his presidency and beyond. While the book is long, it succeeds by not focusing on unimportant minutiae of Reagan's life (mercifully we don't get a mini-biography of his grand-parents at the start). Instead, each inclusion serves to build on the story of Reagan the man so that by the end the reader feels like he was a member of the family. Yes, there are details of important chapters of Reagan's presidency: the summits with Gorbachev, Iran/contra, the air traffic controllers, budgets & tax cuts, and many more. These, for better and worse, serve to remind us of Reagan's lasting impact on the US and the world. But they also serve to remind us of the strengths and weaknesses of Reagan the man.

One of the best presidential biography's available; Reagan the Life is recommended for anyone wanting to understand this most remarkable of men.

38 people found this helpful

Top critical review

All critical reviews›

Amazon Customer

I like a lot of the stuff brands has done

Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2018

I like a lot of the stuff brands has done.The chapters dealing with negotiations between reagan and gorbachev were interesting but brands did not explain in enough detail how reagan helped to turn economy around. I wanted to come away from this book with a understanding and respect for reagan. the fact reagan was a very private man made the job harder on brands to do that im sure.My impression was that the power structure in white house [ republicans or denocrate] try to keep thep/oresident in dark about what is going on behind scenes so as to not let him be blamed if something blows up in there face .

Sort by

Filter by

456 global ratings | 275 global reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

Steven Meisel

Thorough and thoroughly engaging

Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2017

Verified Purchase

38 people found this helpful

Helpful

D. Mikels

Comprehensive & Informative

Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2016

Verified Purchase

Ronald Maximus. Without a doubt one of the two outstanding presidents of the 20th Century. (The other being FDR, ironically, a political opposite of Reagan's unflinching conservatism.) There have been countless biographies of Reagan, of Reagan's presidency, of a core aspect of his administration (Iran-Contra, anyone?); historian/author H.W. Brands comes to the table sans agenda to pen REAGAN: THE LIFE, a comprehensive look at the entirety of Ronald Reagan's life--from his childhood in Illinois; to his radio/acting career; to his leadership of the Screen Actors Guild during the Communist scare; to his spokesman career for General Electric; to his political birth in 1964, when he gave a mesmerizing national speech on behalf of rogue conservative Barry Goldwater; to his governorship of California; to his successful presidency; to his, as Brands puts it, journey to a "ranch in the sky". Carefully researched and thoughtfully written, this biography lets readers get to know Reagan the man.

And Brands's primary source? Reagan himself. The 40th president kept a detailed diary, plus, when it came to staying in contact with friends and associates, Reagan was old school: he wrote letters. So Brands mines all of this information in intricate detail, but he also relies on other sources, such as Nancy Reagan's memoirs, the memoirs of other administration members, including Alexander Haig and Donald Regan, and actual interviews with other people who were there in the Oval Office with Reagan, from James Baker to George Schultz. The result? A bird's eye view of the Reagan presidency--successes and all, and warts and all. Brands writes that Reagan's philosophy to governing was twofold: shrink the size of government, and defeat Communism. Everything else was just noise that was delegated to subordinates--and such a hands off management style got him into some hot water; for instance, when upstart Oliver North decided to divert funds Iran was paying for arms shipments in exchange for the release of hostages to the Contra fighters in Nicaragua. And--very subtlety--Brands suggests that during the latter years of Reagan's presidency, his memory was already failing him.

Again, all the information is given in a straight-forward manner; Brands is not depicting Reagan in either a positive, or negative light. The writing is clean and precise, with chapters that are alarmingly short. (One chapter was one-and-a-half pages.) For students of the Reagan presidency--or for millennials who weren't around when Reagan's presidency was restoring an American psyche from its former malaise--H. W. Brands's REAGAN: THE LIFE is must-read material. This biography is a solid triple, right down the right field line.
~D. Mikels, Esq.

14 people found this helpful

Helpful

Clem

Yes, being a great communicator is needed for leadership

Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2015

Verified Purchase

Rarely do I every buy new, full-price books. There is such a plethora of great material to be purchased at a discount at so many different types of outlets and I tend to fall into the “frugal” category where reading is concerned. I made an exception for this book, and I’m not really sure why. Whatever the case, I’m very glad I did. This was a wonderfully entertaining book.

It’s always a good sign when you read a book that is almost 800 pages, yet you feel like you wanted so much more upon completion. Books of great length are not that uncommon when written about key figures in history. Example: I just finished a fourth volume of President Lyndon Johnson (the fifth hasn’t been written yet), and the man doesn’t even become president until after about 3,000 pages. So, yes, this book did give the impression of being somewhat succinct.

Fortunately, the parts detailing Reagan’s presidency fill up about 80% of the pages in this account. Having said that, you could make the argument that this book is more of a biography of Reagan the President, as opposed to Reagan the man. If you’re wanting to read about, for example, his career as an actor, his tenure as Governor of California, or his candidacy for President during the seventies, you’re likely to be severely disappointed. The book spends just enough information on these events so we can learn about the character of the man. It’s almost as if the author realizes that before we can appreciate and understand what type of president he was, he needs to give us a little background on some of the key events prior to 1980.

We learn he grew up poor with an alcoholic father, worked scale as a radio baseball announcer, became a very successful B movie actor, was a New Deal Democrat (he voted for FDR four times), was heavily involved in the actors union, was a successful governor, and hated communism. I’ll say it again – he hated communism. We also learned that he truly was a great communicator who loved the stage. Although there are some that dismiss this characteristic as unimportant as a key political figure, I would strongly disagree. Attitude and confidence can go a long way when being a leader, and Ronald Reagan had these attributes when he stepped into the office of president after a post-Watergate, “malaise” infected era of his country’s history.

Even though the majority of this book covers the presidency, there are still several examples where the reader wants more than what they are given. All of the major events are covered, and the biggest ones do get a lot of detailed attention. His greatest success (the Icelandic summit with Gorbachev) and his worst failure (Iran-Contra) get many chapters devoted to both. But some things that were memorable (good and bad) seem to only warrant a paragraph or two at most - such as the James Watt fiasco. I don’t ever remember reading the word “Reaganomics” even once, although there is some information about his efforts to get the economy back on track and changing the tax code.

I was also impressed by the author’s ability to not bog down the reader with governmental jargon. He seems to be aware that most people don’t have a strong understanding of some key events (example: most people, even back in 1983, couldn’t tell you the difference between the Contras and the Sandinistas when discussing Nicaragua). You never feel overwhelmed with information and/or people. He keeps the supporting cast manageable to where the uninformed reader doesn’t have to try to memorize and learn names they’ve never heard (this was a problem I had when I read The Reagan Diaries a few years ago).

We also learn (or are verified with what we already knew) that Reagan wasn’t a particularly good and/or emotional family man. He and wife Nancy adored one and other, but we rarely read about anything when it comes to the Reagan children and what kind of relationship there was. He could be somewhat distant when dealing with emotions, and apparently only let very few into his inner circle of feelings.
All in all most agree that he was a very successful president. Oh, sure, many on the far left hated him, but no Commander in Chief has complete harmony amongst the subjects (See also FDR and JFK). His jingoism could be too much for some, but most would argue that such characteristics were crucial during the time in the country’s history. You also learn that the man truly wanted the best for America and he was never out to hurt anybody. He truly believed that his job was to inspire confidence, encourage all to do their best, and protect the country from outside countries with conflicting ideologies.

Blameless? No. Perfect? Never. Most would argue that despite the drawbacks of some of the major events, the man brought the country back on track. Not everyone will ever fully agree to that statement, but that’s just how life is. Especially in the turbid world of politics.
Wish there could have been another volume or two.

13 people found this helpful

Helpful

sstr

I like Brands' work

Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2017

Verified Purchase

I like Brands' work, and this is good, but I didn't find it as engrossing as some of Brands' other works (particularly the TR bio).
Of course, it could be that I *lived* this era, and don't find it quite as entertaining.
However, I will say that Brands' generally fair and level writing is a refreshing change from other Reagan biographies that are tend to be too pro or too con. I imagine that it is difficult to write an unbiased biography about a figure from one's own time period, but Brands does manage to keep this a pretty unbiased telling of events, focusing on the man and how and why he became an era defining personality.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Matt Hagy

Entertaining and insightful story of Reagan

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2021

Verified Purchase

Exceedingly engaging! I found this book hard to put down; particularly throughout the Reagan and Gorbachev negotiations. Brand’s presents an engaging story that draws the reader in, and compels us to keep reading, even when we already know how an event proceeds. Further, I appreciate the historical knowledge and context provided by this book. E.g., I was unaware of how pragmatic Reagan could be in negotiating with the Democrat-majority House, despite his rhetoric around shrinking the government and taxes.

Overall, I recommend this book first and foremost for the engaging historical story of a major US president. And of course, it also educates the reader about Reagan and the historical times over which he developed as a politician and then significantly influenced US and global events.

Helpful

A. T. Yoshida

Comprehensive and Well-Researched

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2017

Verified Purchase

The striking thing about this book, in contrast to pretty much any other Presidential biography that I’ve ever read, is the degree to which it works to reconstruct entire episodes at great length, such as the Reagan-Gorbachev negotiations. In terms of research and depth, I would rate this book as excellent.

My only real reservation is that, at times, the book - already tremendous in its depth - seems to go slightly overboard and dwell on some episodes at excessive length, such as the saga of communism in Hollywood, or Nancy Reagan’s use of an astrologer.

Nevertheless, that one reservation noted, I would recommend this as a good Reagan biography and the first of the ones that I have read to be removed enough from his lifetime to begin a proper historical assessment of the man.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Andy Glass

A Full Portrait

Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2015

Verified Purchase

H.W. Brands does it again! This is a great biography of Reagan, with the benefit of 25 years of perspective. Brands delivers a rich narrative without political skewing, found in many presidential bios. Several years back I'd read Lou Cannon's and Edmund Morris' biographies of Reagan, and both were interesting reads. However, Cannon was a friend of Reagan so it had that bias. And Morris' biography - if you want to call it that - is a semi-fictional account (yes with fictional characters and several fictional documents, so if read as historical fiction it was entertaining. Brands, however, offers a full portrait of Reagan, both the good and not so good and should be in the library of every lover of presidential biographies. Very well done.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Jeff Kelleher

Excellent though incomplete

Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2015

Verified Purchase

If you know little about Reagan and his presidency, this is a marvelous introduction--clear and compact, it is a smooth read. If you hunt for "pro" or "con" bias, you will strain hard to find it. If you hope for new revelations or enhanced insight, though, you will be disappointed.

This is a "the king and his court" biography. That is to say, the narrative is presented mainly out of the mouths of the central figure and his coterie as they stride on and off the stage. Not a bad approach, necessarily.

For example, the six short chapters on the Rekjavik summit, which almost accomplished "the abolition of all nuclear weapons" (or at least all strategic nuclear weapons--it remains a little obscure), consist largely of verbatim exchanges between Reagan and Gorbachev. It is riveting drama at the highest level, for the highest stakes. It reveals both men to have been quite extraordinary, in a way that no second-hand summation could.

That segment is one of many that should put to rest any impression that Reagan was just a script-reading "acting president". In all its most important elements, he was the author of his Presidency.

For all the book's virtues, something is missing from the larger narrative. Reagan was notoriously elusive. Edmund Morris in “Dutch” tried to capture his nature and temperament with a fictionalized treatment, but the result was more weird than illuminating. Brands fills in the biographer’s boxes, but it is all rather detached and by-the-numbers.

The best scholarly opening would have been to give a detailed treatment of Reagan’s youth. To the reader’s disappointment, however, Brands devotes only 21 pages to Reagan’s first 25 years. So once again, he fades into the mist. (Brands said in a BookTV presentation, "I don't do youth well"--an astonishing statement from a supposedly serious biographer.)

Most of Brand’s sources have been published before, and consist mainly of diaries and memoirs by the principals. Brands lists two dozen interviews, but they add nothing very significant.

So this is an admirable work. But The Great Book about The Great Man has yet to be written.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Louise Butler

This biography is a window on my history

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2019

Verified Purchase

This is my 21st Presidential biography. It is also a history of my time. When H. W. Brands can help me learn more, think more and evaluate more about the history I have lived through as an adult (and already formed opinions about) I have to say it is a job well done. Reagan: the Life is not a hagiography. Neither is it a hatchet job. It is a balanced look at a President who, Brands readily admits, lived at the right time. It is also a look at a man who brought an important skill set to the Oval Office. I would recommend this biography to anyone who likes serious biography and apprecitates the importance of primary source material. Brands is erudite without being pedantic. Reagan is Presidential without being perfect.

Helpful

Sean Claycamp

Great book... fair analysis of a great President

Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2018

Verified Purchase

As a child of the 1980s I highly recommend this book. It’s long but the chapters are short and the pacing really pushes you through the book. It is easy to read and understand with just the right amount of information on the characters so you know who they are. It is detailed enough and analytical but rarely if ever provided too much info that can become a chore.

The author Mr. Brands is a national treasure. He is not as famous as authors like McCullough and Ambrose but he is as good and he appears to be not as jaded politically and therefore provides extremely fair analysis and review of the person and his policy.

HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIs ONE.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Need customer service? Click here

‹ See all details for Reagan: The Life

5 star		73%
4 star		16%
3 star		7%
2 star		3%
1 star		2%

Reagan: The Life

›

Customer reviews

Customer reviews

Reagan: The Life

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

Reagan: The Life › Customer reviews

Customer reviews

Reagan: The Life

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

Reagan: The Life

›

Customer reviews