Reagan

April 6, 2015
This biography by Brands (The Man Who Saved the Union), a historian at the University of Texas at Austin, is a reminder of how difficult it is to construct a clear historical portrait of Ronald Reagan and his wide-ranging career. Reagan remains an extremely polarizing figure; sympathetic authors tend to soften his rough edges, while others willfully ignore his successes or vilify him outright. Brands generally falls in the former camp. He admirably summarizes Reagan’s life and times; the writing is clear and the progression of events moves swiftly. Worth noting is how Reagan, “a radio man himself,” learned from F.D.R.’s fireside chats. As governor of California, Reagan effectively employed divisive language in dealing with student protesters—“cowardly little bums”—and, as president, successfully wrangled with both Mikhail Gorbachev and the White House press corps. But Brands’s apologetic tone can muddy the issues at hand. For instance, when addressing the film industry’s blackballing of those who refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee, he writes that
“creative work suffered when fear ruled. But the risk was worth taking, for the good of the country.” Is this Brands’s opinion, or that of his subject? This is a thorough overview, but it adds little to
the existing narrative of Reagan.

Starred review from April 1, 2015
Monumental life of the president whom some worship and some despise-with Brands (History/Univ. of Texas; The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace, 2012, etc.) providing plenty of justification for both reactions. At least some of Ronald Reagan's (1911-2004) perceived greatness, suggests the author, came about as a gift of historical accident. Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker "squeezed the inflationary expectations out of the economy and put it on the path to solid growth" in the middle of Jimmy Carter's recession-plagued presidency, just in time for Reagan to harvest the praise when things did turn around. Some came about because the man, though actually distant, expressed a warmth that made people think he cared about them, a good talent for a politico to have. Some came about because, though Reagan had an ideology, he was also a pragmatist who understood that the reason to enter government is to govern-something so many of his followers have forgotten. Brands, a lucid, engaging writer, traces interesting connections between Reagan the politician and Reagan the actor: he was typecast early on as a good guy who played the law-and-order type against more compelling villains, and he learned from Errol Flynn's blacklisting for left-wing views that conservatism was a safer bet. Brands gives Reagan full honors for realism and hard work, as well as a grasp of the need to do sometimes-unpopular things like raising taxes: "American conservatives...disliked taxes but disliked deficits even more." Given the timidity of later politicians to own up to unpleasant facts, there's fresh air in all that, even when it had bad or mixed results-the "most sweeping revision of the tax code since World War II," say, or Iran-Contra, which, by Brands' account, was a phase in Reagan's long war against his "ultimate target," Fidel Castro. An exemplary work of history that should bring Reagan a touch more respect in some regards but that removes the halo at the same time.

March 15, 2015
A has-been actor turned GE spokesman, Reagan was tapped by Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential campaign to introduce him during a campaign event. That was Reagan's big break into politics. Three years later, he was elected governor of California. His charm and affability put a friendlier face on conservatism, and his knack for storytelling helped him reduce complex political issues into understandable emotions. Brands recounts Reagan's career in Hollywood, his metamorphosis from liberal to conservative, and his long journey to the presidency. Drawing on interviews with Reagan colleagues, Brands examines Reagan's relationships with alleged handlers, from Nancy Reagan to powerful administration figures Alexander Haig, Ed Meese, and Jim Baker. Like any president, Reagan had his triumphs and stumbles, including the Iran-Contra scandal, but is likely best remembered for his relationship with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and his powerful demand to tear down the Berlin Wall. Brand compares Reagan to Roosevelt for his impact on his party's ideals and on American politics. This is a detailed look at a president who sparked much controversy and affection and it belongs in most collections of presidential biography.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2015

A New York Times best-selling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Brands is both a serious academic (Univ. of Texas at Austin) and one of our more popular storytellers. Here, he draws on recently available material to chronicle Ronald Reagan's life. Not a lot of straightforward Reagan biography out there.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2015

In this dense biography, Pulitzer finalist Brands (The First American) focuses on the life of Ronald Reagan (1911-2004), moving chronologically through the diverse phases and careers of the popular yet controversial president. There is rarely much background or context for anyone else around Reagan (such as his wife, Nancy, Richard Nixon, or Barry Goldwater), which is at once a strength and weakness of the work. Readers seeking a broader account may consider Rick Perlstein's The Invisible Bridge, which investigates an era when Reagan transformed from an unknown into a political force through his persuasive communication abilities and shrewd strategy. What Brands's chronicle does better than similar texts is demonstrate the evolution of the man, from the son of an alcoholic to the Great Communicator, by shining light on aspects of Reagan's achievements and personality that prove him to be somewhat awkward (shown in funny, lonely letters to friends while an actor), solitary (demonstrated in ranch sojourns), and mysterious. The author fantastically depicts a man who was alone in a crowd while maintaining a magnetic charisma. Analysis of Reagan's political decisions tends toward the favorable. VERDICT While the narrative ends with Reagan's death, his decisions and policies continue to be divisive topics among historians, economists, and political analysts. For fans of Reagan as well as readers of American history, biography, presidential history, political science, and communication. [See Prepub Alert, 11/25/14.]--Benjamin Brudner, Curry Coll. Lib., Milton, MA

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.