Book : Ronald Reagan How An Ordinary Man Became An...

-Titulo Original : Ronald Reagan How An Ordinary Man Became An Extraordinary Leader

-Fabricante :

Free Press

-Descripcion Original:

In this enlightening new look at one of our most successful, most popular, and least understood presidents, bestselling author and former Reagan aide Dinesh DSouza shows how this ordinary man was able to transform the political landscape in a way that made a permanent impact on America and the world. Ronald Reagan is a thoughtful and honest assessment of how this underestimated president became a truly extraordinary leader. Review William Kristol The Weekly Standard DSouzas fine new study provides a fresh opportunity to consider Reagans achievements.Robert L. Bartley Editor, The Wall Street Journal A spirited reminder that the Teflon president cured stagflation, won the cold war and conquered malaise. Too bad the chattering classes never noticed.Rush Limbaugh An unforgettable portrait of Reagan the man, and an expose of his critics from which they will never recover.David Gergen Editor-at-Large, U.S. News & World Report DSouza provides timely and illuminating answers to the riddle that has stumped so many others: why this ordinary man rode so tall in the saddle as President.P.J. ORourke author of Parliament of Whores The best story I have read in years, and the truest.Tom Wolfe author of The Bonfire of the Vanities This marvelous book will drive the intellectual establishment -- the conservative cadre as well as the liberal legions -- straight up the wall. It convincingly demonstrates Ronald Reagans moral, political, and -- yes! Im afraid so! -- intellectual superiority to the entire lot of them. About the Author Dinesh DSouza, a research scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, served as Senior Domestic Policy Analyst in the Reagan White House from 1987 to 1988. He is the bestselling author of Illiberal Education and The End of Racism. He lives in the Washington, D.C., area with his wife, Dixie, and his daughter, Danielle. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Chapter OneWhy Reagan Gets No RespectRonald Reagan did more than any other single man in the second half of the twentieth century to shape our world, yet his presidency and his character remain little understood and often grossly misunderstood. Any intelligent examination of Reagan must begin with the recognition that he was a mystery personally and politically. Most people find this difficult to believe, because during his two terms in office Reagan established an intimate television rapport with us. Whether we approve or disapprove of his policies, we think that we know him. Yet we forget that he was an actor.Lou Cannon, who has covered Reagan journalistically since the 1960s and written three books about him, told me, I regard Reagan as a puzzle. I am still trying to understand the man. Virtually everyone who knew Reagan well or observed him closely would agree. They are familiar with the public Reagan, but their efforts to discover the individual behind the mask have proved frustratingly elusive. Historian Edmund Morris, Reagans official biographer, confesses that from a personal or human point of view, Reagan is the most incomprehensible figure he has ever encountered. Reagans chief of staff, Donald Regan, who felt an Irish affinity with the president, writes that despite his best efforts, he couldnt figure out his boss at all.Even Reagans family found him enigmatic and impenetrable. His four children confess that, in many ways, he was a stranger to them. I never knew who he was, I could never get through to him, remarked Patti Davis. You get just so far, and then the curtain drops, Ron Reagan told a reporter. He doesnt like to open himself up, even with us, Maureen Reagan wrote in her autobiography. Reagans adopted son, Michael Reagan, revealingly titled his book about his relationship with his father, On the Outside Looking In. The conventional view is that Reagan had such a close relationship with his wife that even the children felt excluded. Yet Nancy Reagan