The Essential Ronald Reagan: A Profile in Courage, Justice, and Wisdom

by Lee Edwards

Book Overview

The Essential Ronald Reagan recounts--in a concise way--the extraordinary life and career of a great American president from his small-town Midwestern roots through his Hollywood film star days to his presidential role as redeemer of the American dream and victorious leader in the Cold War.

Renowned historian Lee Edwards captures Ronald Reagan perfectly and concisely. Edwards shows how Reaganomics confounded the Keynesian "experts" and produced the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in U.S. history. he details how President Reagan won the Cold War without firing a shot--and reveals his "secret weapon" in summit negotiations with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Calling upon his four decades of observing and analyzing Ronald Reagan, Edwards provides many intimate details about the last president--such as the five books that helped transform Reagan from a liberal Democrat into a conservative Republican and how the attempted assassination strengthened Reagan's deeply rooted faith. Edwards, who has taught politics at the Catholic University of America for nearly two decades, borrows from his classroom experience to grade the best and worst books about Ronald Reagan.

Fifteen years after leaving the White House, Ronald Reagan is already ranked among our greatest presidents by the American people and an increasing number of historians and political scientists. In The Essential Ronald Reagan, Edwards analyzes the four essential qualities of leadership that enabled President Reagan to meet every challenge and crisis and to make him an American "for the ages."

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0742543757
• ISBN13: 9780742543751
• Release Date: November 2004
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.3" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Understanding what a real leader represents means understanding Reagan

Great book. I did not know all that much about Reagan and I feel as a introductory enthusiast this book is a great start. Compare the Republican of then to the Republican of now and it's amazing the swing in ideology. Ron Paul is the closest candidate to representing the traditional Republican ideology. Today other candidates hardly show a difference from left to right. Understanding Reagan is understanding Barry Goldwater conservatism.

Excellent read!

The Essential Reagan is the perfect book if you want to a quick but thorough biography on this incredible man. It is an enjoyable read, and concise. I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about Reagan or a diehard Reagan fan needing a "refresher course" on him and his legacy.

Brilliant political biography

Brief as it is, this compelling political biography manages to capture the gist of Ronald Reagan in a clear and engaging manner. Edwards investigates Reagan's childhood, his leadership qualities and his accomplishments with keen insight and understanding. The narrative concentrates on those people, events and circumstances that shaped the great man's character and career path, from his childhood and student days through his movie career, his two stints as governor of California and his presidency. Both the failures and the great and enduring successes of the Reagan administration are covered. For example, Edwards looks at the Iran-Contra debacle as well as the economic miracle, the benefits of deregulation and the West's victory in the Cold War. A highlight of the book is Edwards' analyses of the four essential qualities of leadership that Reagan possessed: courage, justice, prudence and wisdom. The author points out how these qualities came into play at various occasions in Reagan's life and career. He discusses the books that helped persuade Reagan to change his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican and in the bibliographical essay at the end, he reviews the best and the worst books on the 40th President. The Essential Ronald Reagan concludes with copious notes and a thorough index. I also recommend the books When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan by Peggy Noonan, Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader by Dinesh D'Souza and Ronald Reagan: An American Hero, with an introduction by William F Buckley. The CD set Speaking My Mind, is a most inspiring collection of speeches and observations by the great man himself. God bless Ronald Reagan.

Absolutely Essential

This book is essential for anyone wanting to learn about Ronald Reagan--especially those who are reading about him for the first time. It is a favorable treatment of the man and his legacy, and portrays him just as he was, humorous and yet serious in regards to the things that were important. Essential? Absolutely.