The Reagan Diaries
by Ronald Reagan
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ronald ReaganEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-05-12
ISBN: 0061558338
Number of pages: 784
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Book Reviews of The Reagan Diaries
Book Review: Day by Day
Summary: 3 Stars
Ronald Reagan performed an immeasurable historic service by keeping a diary during his eight years as president. Written practically daily, and sometimes what almost seems like hourly, Reagan offers a chronicle of each day in the presidency and some thoughts. As Reagan himself notes at one point, at times the diary reads a little bit like a schedule of events rather than going too in depth. But usually there is just enough of Reagan's own thoughts to keep the entries interesting. Of course, this is a diary so what looks important now was not always on top of Reagan's radar.
Reading these diaries shortly after reading Carter's allowed me to compare the two. Carter's are much more detailed and that is probably for two reasons: First, Carter actually dictated his so he could go into more detail in a shorter amount of time. Second, Carter was more interested in the granular details of almost everything that went across the President's desk. Reagan did not engage in all of those details, but the diaries also give a pretty good indication that he was not the disengaged dope of many caricatures. On the issues he cared about, which actually seems to be foreign affairs even more than tax cuts, he writes quite a bit. He was also heavily involved in personnel decisions and there are some fascinating teases here of what might have been: Nevada Senator Paul Laxalt as Chief of Staff, Supreme Court Justice Byron White as head of the FBI, and on and on. Another area of involvement was Congress, with Reagan's book a good reminder that laws require Congressional passage before Presidential implementation.
But not only does the book refute some liberal stereotype of Reagan, it also refutes the conservative one. There are times when Reagan really held his ground on some particular conservative policy, but a good deal of the book and his presidency was devoted to compromise with a Democratic Congress. His frustration with the legislative branch was institutional more than partisan. For example, he was extremely troubled by Congress' resistance to increasing the debt limit or allowing him more freedom of action in Central American policy.
The editor, Douglas Brinkley, does a good job of keeping the flow going. He only offers an occasional explanation of what Reagan meant so keep Google handy and unless it is really confusing, he does not correct little spelling or name errors.
I was a young kid in the 1980s and do not consider myself much of a Reagan fan, but I still found this to be a really fascinating look at the day by day of an impactful president.
Summary of The Reagan Diaries
During his two terms as the fortieth president of the United States, Ronald Reagan kept a daily diary in which he recorded, by hand, his innermost thoughts and observations on the extraordinary, the historic, and the routine day-to-day occurrences of his presidency. Brought together in one volume and edited by historian Douglas Brinkley, The Reagan Diaries provides a striking insight into one of this nation's most important presidencies and sheds new light on the character of a true American leader.
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