I thought this book of Ronald Reagan was a biased report of Reagan’s presidency. It focused on the negative and it’s as if he accomplished nothing. I can’t take seriously anything this author writes. ( )

An excellent read detailing the political growth of a man considered by some to be our last great President. ( )

It does not seem that Jacob Weisberg has tried to paint a positive picture of the 40th president of the United States. Don't let that deter you if you admire Ronald Reagan. Weisberg also does not ignore the good points about Reagan, including the fact that he was a great intuitive leader of the 20th century. This work, simply entitled Ronald Reagan, is a balanced view of a complex man who had humble midwest beginnings.

Weisberg's portrait is of a man who went through a range of occupations. He was a sports announcer, movie actor, head of the Screen Actor's Guild and a politician. He was a Democrat before he transitioned into a Republican. Weisberg's book gives a clear picture of how a man who was once an ardent supporter of Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt morphed into a powerful force within the Republican party. The events that led up to his assencion into the presidency are laid out, including his electon to the California governor's office. The reader is reminded of President Gerald Ford's Republican nomination for the presidency and his subsequent defeat to Democrat Jimmy Carter. Reagan waited for a time four years later when he was able to rise to the occasion.

It is easy to surmise why some people who think Reagan was one of the great U.S. Presidents would be put off when Weisberg points out the negativties. But the fact is that even the greatest people in history had their flaws. It could be considered neglegent reporting to ignore things like how the leader of the free world fell asleep while in the presence of Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. To overlook the fact that some people thought the onset of Alzheimer's disease began before the end of his presidency might indeed disqualify Weisberg as an objective journalist. Controversies like the arms for hostages scandal are a crucial part of the Reagan story, and the author treats that subject well.

The story of course includes Reagan's historic relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev. The fall of the Soviet Union came under Reagan's watch, and this will go down as one of his lasting legacies. The U.S. president's influence without any doubt was significant in the downfall of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Weisberg acknowledges the Reagan factor in the Soviet implosion in his pleasing biographical portrait of an important American political figure. ( )

Too short by a long shot, but pulls no punches in it's assessment of our 40th President. He has a lot to answer for when you consider the current state of our nation, however I believe that he was good intentioned. Funny how time changes our perspective, he was very highly regarded by most at the end of his term, but time has shown that his economic policies have been mostly responsible for the hard times of the 21st century.

I received a copy of the book through LibraryThing's Early Review program.

If you're looking for a brief -- too brief -- introduction to Ronald Regan's presidency, I suppose this is an adequate book. I don't fault Weisberg here: he was clearly given the task of writing a short, easy-to-read intro into Ronald Reagan, and he did a decent job at that task. The problem is that the book ends up reading more like an extended Wikipedia entry than a true biographical portrait. Because of these limitations, there is precious little analysis and no real unique insight into Reagan or his presidency. This book gives you the basic Reagan chronology, and Weisberg's personal views (he recognizes Reagan's importance but isn't a big fan), while obvious, don't intrude on his book to the point of overt bias. If you know nothing about Reagan or his presidency, this is a decent starting point, but look elsewhere if you want any type of thorough treatment or insight. ( )