Rating: 
Summary: UP FRONT AND UP-BEAT
Review: What strikes me about the letters written by Ronald Reagan throughout his life is that here is a man with strong opinions, which many agreed with and many did not. But Reagan was not afraid to air his opinions, to put his name and his face on his words. The world is filled with people who skulk in the shadows, hiding behind a veil of secrecy, spewing critcisms and non-entities under the guise of anonymity or assumed aliases. Reagan dealt with these kinds of low people when he was dealing with Communists in Hollywood. He triumphed over his critics in a manner that all people of goodness, conscience and honesty can learn from. He was proud of his accomplishments, and continually strove to do the right thing despite the bickerings and mutterings of those who were not pimples on his rear end. This is a fine lesson to learn from his letters. He was himself always - upright, proud, never hiding from his purpose but always willing to take full responsibility for himself.STEVEN TRAVERS AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
...
Rating:
Summary: Know the man from his own words
Review: Whatever one's opinions of Reagan's domestic and foriegn policy may be, it is hard to overestimate the effect of Ronald Reagan on the world around him. This outstanding book is not narrative, nor is it a history. Rather, it is simply a collection of his letters to constituents, fellow policy makers, critics, and friends. It is quite possible that Ronald Reagan will be the last president to leave us this amount of correspondence. As the art of letter writing dies, replaced with e-mail and with the telephone, this traditionally rich source for historians will likely diminish in importance. Not so for Reagan. He was a product of his generation; and he wrote. Letter after letter reveals the real Ronald Reagan on these pages. This book and its counterpart "Reagan in His Own Hand," which focuses on the develpment of his philosophy and resulting policy positions, are both indespensible in helping us understand his legacy. Highly recommended.
| 
