Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding
Review: I received this book as a Christmas present from my brother-in-law in 2001. It was my favorite gift that year, I literally could not put it down, even when I should have been doing other things.Noonan, who has quickly become one of my favorite writers, does a superb job of describing Reagan's life, career, and underlying philosophy. My favorite parts dealt with topics that I knew very little about beforehand: when the Democratic party left Reagan (rather than he leaving it), his role in fighting Communism in Hollywood, and the true story behind Iran-Contra. Pick up this book, and you won't put it down. Even (or, especially) if you are an unabashed modern liberal, this is a marvelous story of a man who changed the world through not much more than his own character.
Rating:
Summary: Character DOES matter
Review: Thank God for Peggy Noonan. She has written a wonderful book telling it like it was. No liberal revisionism here.
Rating:
Summary: Thank God!!
Review: The real account of Ronald Reagan. No liberal revisionism here. All praise to Peggy Noonan for telling it like it was.
Rating:
Summary: Peggy Noonan - Best Author in America Today
Review: I was struck by the incredible ability that Peggy Noonan possesses to equally convey events and emotions in such a fluid manner. Her wit and warmth help her to frame this incredible life story based upon numerous interviews. As someone who has read a number of Reagan biographies, I went in expecting more of the same and came away with a whole host of knowledge that I did not have before. Not only is this THE definitive book on Reagan, but this highlights the best of the best author in America today.
Rating: 
Summary: Character?
Review: No matter how you feel about Ronald Reagan, Peggy Noonan does write very well. But, is "When Character Was King" a book about character? Some readers have said it is. Others think it is merely a paean to glorify Ronald Reagan. I think neither is correct. And, if you're interested in a book on character that is instructive and informative, I suggest you take a pass on this book and read "West Point: Character Leadership Education.." by Remick.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful, heart-warming book. . .
Review: . . .which does not fit -- and should not be fit -- into the typical biography category. No particularly new details about the 40th President of the United States are revealed here which would be of interest to an historian. That is not the purpose of the book. Rather, Ms. Noonan sets forth a portrait of an ordinary man who rose to the challenge and did great things. In the tradition of the classic Irish storyteller, Ms. Noonan tries (and for the most part, succeeds) in expressing the humanity of the man who, along with Pope John Paul II, did more to bring about the destruction of communism than any other. One hundred years from now, historians will still be arguing the "issues" of the Reagan Presidency. However, as Ms. Noonan clearly suggests, they will not be arguing about the "stamp" this larger-than-life man placed on the second half of the 20th century. Whether one agrees with Reagan's policies or not, only the most die-hard cynic will fail to be warmed by this tale of humanity and courage.
Rating: 
Summary: Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...
Review: Character? This is the fellow who claimed "he" was there when "we" liberated Auschwitz.... Hagiography of an ignorant, ahistorical waste of carbon.
Rating:
Summary: Peggy Noonan is a wica
Review: Peggy Noonan conjures up an illusion for her readers of a Ronald Reagan who exhibited "unparalleled integrity." What about the hushed up rape allegations? The divorce? The abandoned children from the first marriage? The secret deal with Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran to prolong the captivity of Americans, which ensured that Reagan would win the Presidency? The illegal diversion of funds known as "Iran-Contra?" Her book might more aptly be called, "When Character Was Twisted."
Rating:
Summary: Educational
Review: I just recently finished this book. This book was so much more than I initially thought it would be. The title sounds like it will be a blind love letter to Ronald Reagan, with a book full of "he's so great," "I love him." Blind Reagan haters see the title and go into venom-spewing convulsions. If I had to describe this book in a nutshell, I would say this book describes Ronald Reagan, what shaped him, what changed him, and how fighting communism and big government became his missions in life. Reagan was a "New Deal" liberal democrat in the 1930s and 40s. He spoke against neofascism and all its evils. (Hitler was a fascist) One evening, after speaking to another group, a minister told him he should also say something against communism. Reagan had never had a concern about communism. That was across the ocean in the Soviet Union, not in the United States. And Reagan was a Democrat. He thought anti-communism was something Republicans worried about. At his next speaking engagement he got rounds of applause throughout, until the end. To quote the book: "He said that though there is a continuing threat of fascism in the new world following the war, there is "another ism." It is communism, and "if I ever find evidence that communism represents a threat to all that we believe in and stand for, I'll speak out just as harshly against communism as I have fascism." He walked off the stage to something he wasn't used to hearing: silence. He remembered it as shattering, an actual shock." Thus began Reagan's awakening to the sinister, under-the-radar movement of the Communist Party. Olivia de Havilland, William Holden, Jimmy Roosevelt (FDR's son) and others set out to expose and disable the communist plot to take over the movie industry. Leading the charge was Ronald Reagan. I found this part of the book one of the most interesting to read. Ms. Noonan could have written a book about Reagan's successful effort to thwart the communist take-over of Hollywood. I think it would be a best-seller and a real page-turner (Peggy, think about it). Ms. Noonan writes that the actor Sterling Hayden, who had joined the Communist Party, only to renounce it shortly afterwards, said the reason the communists did not take over the industry was because of Reagan. From the book: "Hayden said they ran into 'a one-man battalion of opposition' named Ronald Reagan." The other part that especially interested me was the so-called "arms for hostages" deal. I had never completely understood what went on during this period, and Ms. Noonan describes it in detail and with great clarity. Considering what happened to us on Sept 11, 2001, this section carried even more weight with me, and showed we were being duped and back-stabbed even then. Trust me, this section alone makes the book worth reading. Ms. Noonan also lists promises Reagan made and kept: Cut the inflation rate, cut taxes, get the economy going again, decontrol oil prices, reduce unemployment, lower interest rates, cut the budget, name the first woman to the US Supreme Court, and promised he would not knuckle under to the Soviet Union, "and vowed to speak truthfully both of it and to it." The only criticism I have of the book is the way it begins. The coming together of old Reagan White House staff and workers for the christening of the aircraft carrier "Ronald Reagan," was like reading about someone's boring family reunion. This should have been mentioned, but towards the end, and spare us the boring details. I couldn't wait to get past this part and get into the meat of Ronald Reagan's life. Reagan wasn't there, so do I need to know that Don Regan considers himself a great painter now, and that he and Nancy spoke? Who cares. Thankfully, this section passes quickly and we're off to the races.
Rating:
Summary: Bring him back
Review: This book will make you long for the days of Reagan. Written with a light hand that doesn't get bogged down in heavy political debate, it's more a high-level summary of why Reagan was great. I could have done with more depth on Reagan's philosophy, but it is pretty clear that this book isn't trying to do that.
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