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Summary: A Conversation with Peggy Noonan
Review: I enjoyed this book. It was conversational in tone and consisted of a number of stories and anecdotes about former President Ronald Reagan. Ms. Noonan shares her sense of humor with the reader and repeatedly sets compelling scenes of memorable moments during the Reagan administration. It is far more casual than most biographies, but I found that intriguing in the context of reflections on an individual who remains highly regarded by Ms. Noonan (and a large percentage of other Americans).
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Summary: An excellent character study
Review: Whether or not you sit on the same side of the political aisle as Ronald Reagan one has to admire his strength of character. In this book Peggy Noonan takes into account the whole scope of the 40th president's life in order to present a better understanding of the man.
From his rough depression era childhood through his days in radio, Hollywood and finally politics one thread interweaves through it all - his consistency. Reagan was always a man who stood up for what he believed and never wavered in the face of criticism.
His strength of character shone its brightest when dealing with the Soviets. Always willing to engage them in dialogue he never bowed to the pressure of compromising his principles. This steadfastness, as later attested to by Mikhail Gorbachev, eventually helped to bring down the old Soviet Union.
Though not a political book, politics can't help but enter into the picture. The author, who worked in the Reagan White House for several years, makes no effort to hide her political leanings. The benefit is that she is able to offer an insider's perspective to the Reagan White House. The book does strive for balance by taking a hard look at some of Reagan's warts, such as his strained relationship with his children and the Iran-Contra affair.
Through the passage of time, the Reagan Presidency is beginning to reach a distance that allows it to be viewed from a more historical, rather than current events, perspective. In this light his work continues to shine brightly. A core aspect of the Reagan legacy is that of a man who inspired through his leadership. When Character Was King offers a look behind the scenes and inside the character of this great man.
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Summary: Peggy's best
Review: Beautifully written and flawlessly researched. Party politics aside, any parent would love their son (or daughter) to have the qualities and nature of this man. If it was up to me this would be required reading in schools to help cover leadership, history, and used as a role model for developing good character. A few would say he was "just an actor", but I loved reading the interesting details of Reagan...the lifeguard, class president, football player, leader of the Screen Actor's Guild, General Electric spokesperson, radio commentator, California Governor, and of course as the President of the United States. Peggy also updates us on Reagan's condition today. From the politics of Hollywood when he was acting, to the new details of when he was shot in '81, to his down-to-earth lifestyle on his ranch in California, I loved this book.
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Summary: More style than substance...
Review: Why is it that we, the reading public, must endure what seems to be an ocean of books lauding the life of Ronald Reagan? True, memoirs such as this one will be useful, just as the negative books written by David Stockman and Donald Regan will also be of use to historians. Perhaps the purpose of this book and others like it is to somehow mitigate these past accounts and substitute a more glowing account. One gets the feeling, however, that there is at the same time more and less here than meets the eye. To begin with the former, the less is unbiased analysis of the Reagan legacy. Conservatives tend to use the word "biased" to describe things they don't like and "unbiased" to describe things they do like. Then under these definitions, this is an "unbiased" account of Reagan as not just a leader, but as a role model. However, this is probably not a good book to familiarize oneself with the particular's of Reagan's career anymore than one would want to read the works of Arthur Schlesinger to learn the unbiased facts about the Kennedy administration.
The more that I spoke of earlier appears to be that there are more of these out there. One cannot walk into a bookstore or login to [Amazon.com]without being greeted with a new pangynic to Reagan and his vision by some loyalist. I only hope that whenever it is that Reagan's papers are made available to scholars that the facts will bear out this rosey view.
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Summary: When Character Was King: The Role Model, The Basics
Review: For those who are not only interested in reading Peggy Noonan's biography of Ronald Reagan, "When Character Was King", but also interested in why Reagan is a ROLE MODEL when it comes to character, I recommend this book. It is a tool for everyone, in clear language, for teaching the practical aspects of character. I also recommend Norman Thomas Remick's epic on character in America, "West Point: Character, Leadership, ....". It is a tool for everyone, in plain language, for understanding THE BASICS of what character is.
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Summary: Very Insightful and a Good Read
Review: Never a big fan of Reagan's, I nevertheless wanted to read Noonan's followup book on Reagan since her first one was so wonderful. This one was extremely enjoyable. I gained new respect and insight into Reagan and the people around him. It also made me realize how much time has gone by since his presidency and how the world has changed. A must reading for presidential junkies and should be required reading for high school students.
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Summary: Character without compassion
Review: This is a good book about a character who became the closest thing to a king in the United States. He became president. But did the actor that supported the New Deal, that was the head of a union himself, that was himself a veteran, that admired the roles of women, really help the average citizen?
Ms. Noonan considers him a hero for facing down the Soviets. With the exception of his stand against the air traffic controller's union, she ignores his lack of support for unions.
She especially ignores the Morenci, Az. strike of 1983 when military tanks were used against
American citizens just as the Soviets had used them against the citizens of Hungary and
Czechoslovakia.
She ignores, as he did, the plight of veterans during his administration.
She ignores, as he did, the plight of poor women in general and especially those who came here with their children from places like El Salvador and were turned away. I am sure that when Marie Antoinette said, 'Let them eat cake' in the warm glow of the French Court that the painted matrons nodded in agreement, while men of the shadows dug in garbage cans to silence the growl of their hungry bellies.
. Reagan ignored poverty as he built the biggest gun to place next to the head of the rest of the world. He accepted the men sleeping on the gratings down the street from the White House. He came down against Communism. He came down against terrorism. And yet, today we still have Communism. We still have terrorism. In fact, over time the definition of terrorism has expanded, and not surprisingly terrorism has expanded. And arms sales are up, and the slaughter of innocents is up, and
compassion is down.
Heroism is a wonderful thing. May the next character be less of a hero and have his name memorialized not by a symbol of war, like an aircraft carrier, but by some equally grand and substantial symbol of peace.
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Summary: Required Reading
Review: It doesn't take much for me to sum up this book. It should be required reading for all students.
The insights about the character of Ronald Reagan brought on through his life's many challanges, is a lesson we can all learn from.
There is no better person to tell this story then Peggy Noonan. Bravo Peggy!
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Summary: Reagan was a great man, read this book to see....
Review: how he thought and managed his life. He believed in principles and lived by them. He came from a poor family and raised above it. I enjoyed this book, because it explains how Reagan changed the world for the better. I gave him credit before I read the book; however, I really didn't understand how he did it. I don't understand how people can put down Reagan when he did so much for humanity and everything that is right with America.
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Summary: The Cult of Ron
Review: Exactly what America needs! A completely earnest and wholly unquestioning history of a highly controversial figure! All you historians and biographers out there: Peggy Noonan is here to show you the way. Don't do any research! Never question the Official Line! Just pick your favorite person and tell the world why he/she is wonderful! As fine a piece of journalism as any Soviet-approved history of Stalin, approved by the Politburo. If you haven't been following Peggy's literary career for the past few years, I'll sum it up for you: Ronald Good, Hillary Bad. Thanks Peggy, now we're on our way.
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