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.

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Kerry T hattevik

Good book for those new to Reagan, his life, and tenure as president

Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2015

You learn about Reagan through his own words and less from the author's analysis or provision of context. This is a mixed bag. On the one hand it provides great understanding of the Reagan doctrine and what he said. It does less in helping the reader understand the underlying changes that were happening in America that allowed the words to have their unquestionable impact. As another example, the arms control negotiations should dispel any notion that Reagan lacked intellect, serious skill, or tenacity. However, those sections of the book weighed on the reader because it was not necessary for a blow by blow to convey what was at stake and what the sticking points were.

Lastly, no one reading the book can escape how much Reagan's views changed America. In fact, one is left wondering if Republicans have had a new idea since ( just as Democrats seems to have not had a new idea since FDR). The historical significance could have been delved into more. Republicans today could take a lesson from a man that was happy getting 80 percent of what he wanted and was less guiding by ideology. He was a man that knew how to get a deal and few politicians today know that art.

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From the United States

Steven Meisel

Thorough and thoroughly engaging

Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2017

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D. Mikels

Comprehensive & Informative

Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2016

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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.

13 people found this helpful

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Clem

Yes, being a great communicator is needed for leadership

Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2015

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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.

10 people found this helpful

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keith rains

Brands does a very good job of objectively covering the 40th president

Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2015

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Brands does a very good job of objectively covering the 40th president. I thought he went in too much detail trying to relate the "October Surprise" to the election victory over Jimmy Carter. He answered my question about the diversion of funds to the Contras. His research and writing led me to confirm my belief that the president's finger prints were not present. However, his management style and policy goals implied that he wouldn't see it, so do what needs to be done to stop the spread of communism in our hemisphere. Brands covers the economic story of the 80s pretty effectively, but do I think more emphasis could have been placed on the work the Democrats did to help the debt grow. They controlled the purse strings and with Tip O'Neil unbending on almost all domestic spending, Reagan had to take what he could. Also, I don't like that Brand implied that Bush's tax increase set the stage for the good growth of the 90s. Evidence is not at all going to verify that. He could equally give credit for cuts in military spending due to the collapse of the USSR. Neither were driving forces.
But enough of the criticism. I gave the book four stars. I like the short chapters and the source work. He writes in a very captivating voice. I love the beginning when he analyzes the Goldwater speech. His writing of Reagan's boyhood is inspiring. He is terrific in creating the timeline of Reagan's life and the events going on during it. It is a very scholarly look at a very substantial president. Thank you for nixing the idea that he was an actor reading lines, and for the balance in reminding us of his short comings. I loved his work in comparing Reagan to FDR. Nice job Mr. Brands!

2 people found this helpful

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sstr

I like Brands' work

Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2017

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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

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A. T. Yoshida

Comprehensive and Well-Researched

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2017

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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

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Andy Glass

A Full Portrait

Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2015

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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.

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Jeff Kelleher

Excellent though incomplete

Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2015

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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

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Ana Claudia

Great book to know the journey of a great US President.

Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2020

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At first, I bought this book for personal use. There are so many options and I need to choose the best one. This book was a recommendation from a Brazilian journalist and former athlete who lives in US and a Reagan fan.
I have a special interest in American politics and I was looking for a good Reagan biography since he was one of the greatest Presidents of all times. During his term so many important historic things happened: putting down the Berlin Wall, the end of the Soviet Union, etc.
I love the book so I decided to buy it again as a gift to my boyfriend.

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Amazon Customer

Excellent and fair Reagan book

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2017

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Excellent book. Comprehensive narrative of his life, from childhood in Illinois until his death. Before reading this book, I leaned toward disliking Reagan, mainly due to Iran-Contra and his veto of sanctions against South Africa. This book really delves into great detail about his role in shoring up stability in the Western Hemisphere, economic policy, his management style, and his battles with congress.

His pre-presidency life was really interesting. I have a much better understanding of the seminal moments which shaped his politics and views. I also appreciate and acknowledge his multiple accomplishments.

I've read other books which lavish praise on him and don't discuss or gloss over his mistakes. This one really covers all sides, good and bad. I'm leaning toward liking him now, even though I still disagree with him on some fundamental issues.

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