Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader
by Dinesh D'Souza
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A look at how Ronald Reagan, a former actor who seemed to be apart from the daily operations of the government, was able to change the political landscape in such a way as to make a permanent impact on both America and the world.Tags
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This is one of the best biographical books I've ever read. By the end it had accomplished something all such books should aspire to; to make you feel as though you have spent time with the subject. The book is worth it alone for the chapter contrasting Reagan's prescience regarding the decrepitude of the Soviet Union with the gormless admiration demonstrated by Ivy League so-called experts.
How people regard this biography seems to reflect how they regard the subject. That's rather understandable. I think it's far too early really to evaluate Reagan (or Carter or Clinton) very objectively. Too many people are still alive that were caught up in partisan passions during his presidency. Whether at university or at the very left-leaning neighborhood I've lived in, I've overheard any number of demeaning, vicious remarks about Reagan--even on the very day of his death. I've heard him bitterly blamed for the death of millions from AIDS (you'd think the man created the disease) and hysterical denials he had anything to do with the end of the Cold War.
That very reaction from people did cause me to look for a biography that wouldn't show more be just some hatchet job. I'd heard some not so good things about liberties taken in the biography of Reagan by famed presidential biographer Edmund Morris. On the other hand, I knew Dinesh D'Souza to be a conservative and admirer of Reagan and chose this book for that very reason. I did like it--it's very readable and it's not a complete hagiography--it is critical at some points. But D'Souza still feels too much the ideologue and the book too light-weight, which is why I'm not rating it higher and it's not likely to keep its place on my shelves. I have heard good things about Lou Cannon's works on Reagan; Cannon had worked as a White House correspondent for the Washington Post. Next time I want to read about Reagan, that might be the biographer of choice. show less
That very reaction from people did cause me to look for a biography that wouldn't show more be just some hatchet job. I'd heard some not so good things about liberties taken in the biography of Reagan by famed presidential biographer Edmund Morris. On the other hand, I knew Dinesh D'Souza to be a conservative and admirer of Reagan and chose this book for that very reason. I did like it--it's very readable and it's not a complete hagiography--it is critical at some points. But D'Souza still feels too much the ideologue and the book too light-weight, which is why I'm not rating it higher and it's not likely to keep its place on my shelves. I have heard good things about Lou Cannon's works on Reagan; Cannon had worked as a White House correspondent for the Washington Post. Next time I want to read about Reagan, that might be the biographer of choice. show less
Old school conservatism by one of the kings. D'Souza is certainly on the top of the heap.
To Ed Feulner - A field general of the Regan revolution with admiration, Dinesh D'Souza
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Books on Ronald Reagan and His Administration
37 works; 2 members
Author Information
51+ Works 6,075 Members
Dinesh D'Souza was born on April 25, 1961 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. He came to the U.S. in 1978 and attended Union High School in Patagonia, Arizona. He went on to Dartmouth College, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in English in 1983. While attending Dartmouth, he became the editor of a conservative monthly called The Prospect. The paper show more ignited controversy during D'Souza's editorship by criticizing the College's affirmative action policies. He also became known as a writer for the Dartmouth Review which was subsidized by several right-wing organizations. After Dartmouth he moved to Washington, D.C. where he was an editor of Policy Review, an influential conservative journal. In 1988 he left the magazine on to serve as an advisor in Ronald Regan's White House. He joined the American Enterprise Institute in 1989 where he was the institute's John M. Olin fellow. He has appeared on several news shows as a political commentator such as: CNN, Glen Beck, and ABC's Nightline. D'Souza's first book, Lliberal Education was published in 1991. Since then, he has written numerous bestselling political commentaries, including: America: Imagine a World Without Her, Obama's America: Unmaking the American Dream, Letters to a Young Conservative, The End of Racism, and The Big Lie: Exposing the Nazi Roots of the American Left. D'Souza's title's, Hilary's America and Death of a Nation, made the New York Times Bestseller List. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Common Knowledge
- People/Characters
- Ronald Reagan
- Important places
- USA
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir, History, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 973.927092 — History & geography History of North America United States 1901- Cold War, Vietnam War, Digital Age (1953-2001) Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) Reaganomics, Cold War Escalation, Iran-Contra Affair Biography
- LCC
- E876 .D83 — History of the United States United States Later twentieth century, 1961-2000 Reagan's administrations, 1981-1989
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 522
- Popularity
- 57,284
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (4.06)
- Languages
- Czech, English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
- 1
