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Rating: 
Summary: Do you love Gossip?
Review: If you love gossip, you will love this book. Kitty Kelley does a great job of telling all the dirt she can dig up on Nancy Reagan and our former president, Ronald. Now, how much can you take to heart and accept as truth? That would be difficult to tell. Kelley gives great references, but the problem is that she has found people who have an axe to grind and she lets them grind away! I am certain that the former first family were not perfect. Some of the things we read about are likely true, but overall, they did a fantastic job. We really don't need to know all of their dirty laundry. When I read about the family struggles that were experienced between the Reagan's and their kids, I was disappointed. But, I never expected them to be perfect parents. I was very disappointed in the actions of the children as well. I read about Nancy's great desire for wealth, expensive clothes, etc. She and Ronald Reagan were criticized for gaining much wealth after the presidency by "using" their position. I could not help but laugh and think about how Kitty Kelley makes her wealth. Writing Gossip is real honorable. She certainly cashed in on Reagan's presidency, but she criticises Ronnie and Nancy for accepting speaking engagements, book offers, gifts, etc. Kelley was totally negative, taking most of her quotes from people who were angry with the Reagans. Why did she not spend more time interviewing the people who were close to the Reagans. She talked about, "the Girls," but failed to include what they thought of Nancy. Instead of digging up the gossip, she should try giving a balanced report of things in the future. There are many who loved this first family greatly and many of them were very close to the true situation. I guess Kitty is afraid that the truth would not sell. If all of this is really true about Nancy, I deeply piti her. Kitty has certainly only given us one side of the story.
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Summary: pay attention to the woman behind the curtain
Review: Nancy of course hated this book but it makes you-- not exactly like her-- but certainly respect her, and thank God (or maybe Nancy's astrologer) that she was in charge during the latter days of the Reagan presidency.A very absorbing, curiously fair-minded, historically important story.
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Summary: Nobody Dishes out the Dirt like Kitty
Review: One of the most deliciously written, scrupulously researched biographies of the 1990's. The book ignited a thunderstorm of publicity because of the author's sensational allegation that the First Lady had been involved in White House "lunches" with Frank Sinatra. Most of the criticism against the book was unfounded. Yes, Kelley dishes out gossip that has been reported in other books, but she has done her own research that produced juicy gossip on its own and she created the definitive biography of Nancy. A #1 New York Times bestseller for 5 weeks, the book sold over 1 million copies in months. One of the bestselling biographies of all times, by one of the most controversial biographers of all time. I can't wait for the Bush family to get the Kitty treatment.
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Summary: What Is Wrong With This Picture
Review: So after reading this book, wouldn't you rather have Hillary whispering into the President's ear than Nancy? There is plenty wrong with the Reagans but what is wrong with the American people for electing "The Reagans" to a second term of office when Ronnie was clearly in the beginning stages of dementia? I was horrified that so much happened right under our noses. A must read...
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Summary: The definitive biography of the former first lady
Review: When the late Barbara Olson wrote a biography of Hillary Clinton from a right wing perspective, she was imitating this excellent "hatchet job" of a book. Nancy Reagan comes across as a phony control freak in this book. She ordered her husband around like he was a little baby throughout their marriage. There is a lot of fascinating gossip about the rather dysfunctional Reagan clan. There is a great joke in the book as follows: Ron and Nancy go to a restaurant. Nancy tells the waiter she'll have a steak. The waiter asks"And the vegteable?" Nancy answers"He'll have the steak too".
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Summary: Go Kitty Go
Review: You just have to love Kitty Kelly, if a subject of any of her books was ever short with a staff member, cut someone off in traffic, or returned a movie late Kitty will find out and make a chapter out of it. This book is really no different, it is the standard, made for tabloid mini series book from her, but that is probably why you buy it. Whenever a person gets to a high profile public job they are always going to have issues that the rest of us what to read about and authors tend to make a little more scandalous then they actualy were. This case is no exception with a person that was first a successful actress and then the First Lady of one of the biggest states and then the country. There are any numbers of toes that have been stepped on and Kitty found them all. The most interesting bits I found were the years in the White House and her hatchet jobs of staff members of her husbands that she did not like, the odd calls to her San Francisco psychic to plan major events, and the wonderful warm relationship she had with her kids (sarcasm in high gear). Overall this is a fun and gossipy kind of book that you would expect from the author. At times there is a bit much detail, but some judicious page skipping will correct that issue. The book is a good representation of all the bad days Nancy had and is worth reading for no other reason to understand the closest advisor Ron had.
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