Rating: 
Summary: The Personal Reagan
Review: "A Different Drummer" doesn't aspire to be the definitive book about the life of Reagan, but it completely succeeds at what it does set out to do, which is to give us a funny, touching account of one man's life with Ronald Reagan. Deaver knew the President better than perhaps any of the others who have written about him with the possible exception of Nancy Reagan. Probably no one has as many revealing anecdotes to share. If you have a mini-collection on Reagan, "A Different Drummer" deserves to share the shelf.
Rating:
Summary: In the wake of Ronnie's death, indispensable
Review: After the massive disappointment of Edmund Morris' "Dutch", I thought I would give up on outside accounts of the Reagan legacy. Mike Deaver's book, however, brought me out of the disappointment of "Dutch" and in this week of mourning, has brought this reader many smiles. Let not the slimness of this volume dissuade you: Deaver, having been close to Reagan from before the Governorship of California, understands his subject in a way that completely eluded Morris' bloated opus and what emerges from these pages is a picture of an introverted extrovert. One sees a complex Reagan - but where "Dutch" seemingly gives up and fails in trying to understand the complexity, "Drummer" seems to draw a picture of a man who simply wanted to share his very personal life with Nancy - and respects him for it. I also salute Deaver's work for its assessment of Reagan as bringing about the end of the Cold War, for the little-trumpeted Reagan reaction (or lack thereof) to the shooting down of Korean Air flight 007, thereby isolating the Soviets further. Hopefully, history will follow Deaver in marking this as the non-shot that saved the world from a nuclear winter. I highly recommend buying this book now; it will become _the_ definitive Reagan assessment in the years to come.
Rating: 
Summary: In the wake of Ronnie's death, indispensable
Review: After the massive disappointment of Edmund Morris' "Dutch", I thought I would give up on outside accounts of the Reagan legacy. Mike Deaver's book, however, brought me out of the disappointment of "Dutch" and in this week of mourning, has brought this reader many smiles. Let not the slimness of this volume dissuade you: Deaver, having been close to Reagan from before the Governorship of California, understands his subject in a way that completely eluded Morris' bloated opus and what emerges from these pages is a picture of an introverted extrovert. One sees a complex Reagan - but where "Dutch" seemingly gives up and fails in trying to understand the complexity, "Drummer" seems to draw a picture of a man who simply wanted to share his very personal life with Nancy - and respects him for it. I also salute Deaver's work for its assessment of Reagan as bringing about the end of the Cold War, for the little-trumpeted Reagan reaction (or lack thereof) to the shooting down of Korean Air flight 007, thereby isolating the Soviets further. Hopefully, history will follow Deaver in marking this as the non-shot that saved the world from a nuclear winter. I highly recommend buying this book now; it will become _the_ definitive Reagan assessment in the years to come.
Rating:
Summary: Lessons from the Master
Review: For twenty years, Michael Deaver had the best job in the world (second only perhaps to Ronald Reagan himself): standing by the side of probably the most important, most inspiring leader of the American Century. A Different Drummer gives us a close-in look at our 40th President, and accomplishes what the biographers-of-record only struggled at: explaining Reagan the man. For years, frustrated Reaganologists like Edmund Morris have told us Reagan's mind was too hard to penetrate. Getting "close" to the private man was very difficult for most people. That Reagan possesed a genius for leadership that hasn't quite been approximated is probably what made them try so hard. Deaver's central message is that Reagan was really a simple man who was utterly and completely confident in who he was, and in the greatness of his countrymen. This self-assuredness could explain his supposed lack of introspection so obsessed over by the historians. The outward self-pity of presidents like Johnson, Nixon, Carter and Clinton have made for abundant and fascinating psychological profiles of these men. Not so with Reagan. Reagan knew who he was, and had no time for self-doubt. Regretably, Deaver's volume is all too slim. But his memories of Ronald Reagan are gripping, and will give you a more complete picture of the whole Reagan than will the works of the often confused historians.
Rating:
Summary: Reagan Remembered
Review: I grew up with Ronald Reagan. He was my president. Although I was 11 when he was elected, I consider him to have been the first president that I heard, noticed, watched. The image of a father figure was obviously shared by millions of Americans, and I guess the day when I began looking on him as my president, was when Hinckley fired his .22 caliber. I had arrived home from school and was outside playing basketball with friends. My mother came out and told me, and I remember missing my bedtime that night, up watching the latest news. I prayed for Reagan, I watched him, listened to his radio addresses, wrote to him, pulled for him, admired him.
Deaver's book brings back the reasons we all loved President Reagan. He was different. He did not rely upon polls, he was constant, unflappable, strong. At a time when the vernacular included phrases like "Iron Curtain" and "Arms Race", he comforted and protected us, and single-handedly dismantled the biggest threat we faced. Deaver lets us glimpse what we already knew to be true. His stories, although new and unknown to me, validate why I called Reagan MY president. I was at the National Republican Convention in New Orleans in August 1988 when he gave his farewell speech to the faithful. I was right up front, and as a 19 year old, I remember crying upon realizing that he was leaving public life. This book will remind you, too why we loved him.
Rating:
Summary: Reagan Remembered
Review: I grew up with Ronald Reagan. He was my president. Although I was 11 when he was elected, I consider him to have been the first president that I heard, noticed, watched. The image of a father figure was obviously shared by millions of Americans, and I guess the day when I began looking on him as my president, was when Hinckley fired his .22 caliber. I had arrived home from school and was outside playing basketball with friends. My mother came out and told me, and I remember missing my bedtime that night, up watching the latest news. I prayed for Reagan, I watched him, listened to his radio addresses, wrote to him, pulled for him, admired him.
Deaver's book brings back the reasons we all loved President Reagan. He was different. He did not rely upon polls, he was constant, unflappable, strong. At a time when the vernacular included phrases like "Iron Curtain" and "Arms Race", he comforted and protected us, and single-handedly dismantled the biggest threat we faced. Deaver lets us glimpse what we already knew to be true. His stories, although new and unknown to me, validate why I called Reagan MY president. I was at the National Republican Convention in New Orleans in August 1988 when he gave his farewell speech to the faithful. I was right up front, and as a 19 year old, I remember crying upon realizing that he was leaving public life. This book will remind you, too why we loved him.
Rating:
Summary: Personal glimpses of Ronald Reagan.
Review: I have seen some of the other reviews of this book, and I don't understand why some rate it as a poor read. Deaver offers a personal glimpse of one of our great modern presidents, and his interaction with him. The book does jump around, but it is an easy read, and enjoyable. Unfornately Deaver is not critical enough on Reagan on some points, and the book tends to hero worship. Other than those two points, the book is very enjoyable. As Deaver says of Reagan, what you see is what you get. I voted and campaigned for Reagan/Bush is both 1980 and 1984. I often wondered what the personal Reagan was really like, and this book at least satisfies some knowledge requirements. Reagan was a complex man in many ways. This book shows him as a simple man who pursued policy regardless of the poll statistics. He was also a softy when it came to common people's requests. This book shows the personal side of a great American President.
Rating:
Summary: A New Take on a Great Man
Review: I picked this book up with some skepticism. I had long since grown tired of books that refused to accept that Ronald Reagan was a human being and was merely looking for an interesting, insightful, yet honest read about the man. Being as close to Reagan as Michael Deaver was, I suspected that this book would be another glossed-over account of reality, but I could not deny that it probably had some interesting stories that would be worth the time it took to read. Upon finishing, I had to admit that Deaver had delivered the book I was looking for. What I liked about the book is that there is no discussion of policy. There is no index and there is little discussion of legislative events. The book is simply Deaver's reflection on his years with Reagan and it paints a portrait of a man (not some quasi-godlike figure that no one can relate to) who had the courage to dream things so tremendous that he was laughed at from one end of the country to the other. Paying no mind, Reagan set out to achieve his goals and repeatedly amazed critics by with his ability to make tremendously optimistic goals a reality. I find myself noticing that, while officials in other presidential administrations write memoirs of their personal experiences, Reagan officials seem only to write tributes to Reagan. The conclusion I have come to is that Reagan was able to make people believe: in themselves, in America, and in his ability to lead the country toward some great end. There are very precious few people like that in the history of politics and, when one comes along, those on the inside end up chomping at the bit to get the message out, Reagan wasn't perfect and he made mistakes, but as Deaver points out, his ability to make people believe again made him an extraordinary president. This book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in politics who deeply wants to believe again.
Rating:
Summary: Not at all surprised
Review: If you liked Ronald Reagan, this book could cause you to love him. If you didn't like him, this book could change your mind. Well written by a man who possibly knew Reagan better than anyone, second to Nancy.
Rating:
Summary: Very charming book!
Review: In this book, Michael Deaver, Ronald Reagan's friend and adviser for two decades, takes a warm, sympathetic look at a widely misunderstood president. Deaver avoids the mistake made by Edmund Morris, Reagan's official biographer, of trying to understand exactly what makes the inscrutable Reagan tick. Any such undertaking is bound to fail - as is amply demonstrated in Morris's fictionalized biography of the former president. Nevertheless, Deaver's anecdotes, many of which record the tender and noble things Reagan did when he thought no one was watching, go a long way towards helping us understand the character of this great president. Deaver's book has many things to commend it, but two features set it apart from other political biographies. First, the reader never gets the impression that the author is writing the book to secure his own legacy. Deaver is perfectly self-deprecating, and his stories nearly always put him in an unfavorable light compared to Reagan. The once-cynical Deaver is always learning from the optimistic, humane, and principled president. Second, the author manages entirely to avoid partisan squabbling. He writes admiringly of Democratic speaker of the House Tip O'Neill and shows great respect for other Democrats. Indeed, in a section comparing Reagan to that other great communicator, Bill Clinton, Deaver, though certainly no admirer of Clinton, never mentions the personal failings that led to his impeachment. Deaver's charity, which he no doubt learned from Reagan himself, lends great credibility to his portrait. It is no surprise that Mrs. Reagan has given this book her unqualified endorsement.
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