Rating: 
Summary: i could kiss d'souza
Review: this book is excellent. answers every liberal b.s. misconception about reagan and reveals him to be the genius no one expected. i am using this book as my main source for my senior thesis; it is reliable, organized and easy to understand. i finished the book not only loving reagan but d'souza as well.
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Summary: Great men do great things
Review: With the current president increasingly concerned about his "legacy," I find it ironic that President Ronald Reagan cares not about his legacy, knowing then as he does now that he did the best for his country. Mr. D'souza captures a vivid portrait of a man that accomplished many things--least of which was bringing an end to the Cold War. President Reagan took great risks, personally and politically, to achieve the goals he had in mind for our country. If you've read Howard Kurtz's Spin Cycle, you know that the Clinton Adminstration doesn't understand why they aren't lauded for their dribble of policies and initiatives. It is a simple tenet that Persident Reagan understood and the current administration does not: Great men do great things.
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Summary: An entertaining memoir of my favorite U.S. President
Review: Kudos to former Reagan staffer Dinesh D'Souza on what is the finest commentary on Reagan's pathway to greatness I've yet read. Many of these type books tend towards the sycophantic - and this one is not much of an exception. However, D'Souza does try very hard to remain objective. In fact, many of his observations of President Reagan are somewhat critical. And the majority of his commentary on high ranking Reagan administration officials was downright scathing. However, it brings the reader back to the times of the 80's when Armageddon seemed a haunting inevitability, economic growth was sweeping the country, and democracy was finding its way in the world. Too often, our hindsight makes us forget the problems that faced our nation and the world in January 1981. I think 20 years from now, we'll remember Reagan as the spark that ignited the flame of economic recovery and the man who more than any other brought the "Evil Empire" to its knees. He should also receive a great deal of credit for beginning the toppling of dictatorships and the spread of democracy around the world. I miss the Gipper greatly. But D'Souza's outstanding book is a fun and educational trip down memory lane. Read it! END
Rating: 
Summary: Big Mistakes, But Big Decisions
Review: Ronald Reagan may not get the respect of the scribblers and scholars, but he is loved by his supporters, grudgingly admired by many opponents, and respected by millions of people in the US and abroad. Ridiculed as a ham actor and bonehead by cultural snobs, demonized by many journalists and intellectuals, Reagan's legacy will be one where he helped restore faith in ourselves as Americans by toughminded, confident leadership that helped us restore our faith in the future of the "American Experiment." Dinesh D'Souza forcefully expresses all of this and more in this fine book which casts significant light on a complex personality that lay behind the demeanor of "genial absentmindedness." The work's only flaws are that it indulges in needless sycophancy and tends to treat Reagan's mistakes too lightly. A more evenhanded, open discussion of the latter, especially with regard to the Iran/Contra scandal, would have actually made "The Gipper's" positive achievements that much greater and have strengthened the comprehensiveness of book tremendously. The main idea in the book was that Reagan made big mistakes, but he also made and stuck by big decisions, the hallmark of any great president. But, there was a greater achievement. He restored the integrity and dignity of the Oval Office; nearly destroyed by Richard Nixon and now thoughtlessly and tragically debased by Bill Clinton. Reagan's presidential era, reflected in D'Souza's superb effort, is the cherished volume between these two unfortunate "bookends."
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Summary: The right view of an American President
Review: It is wonderful to finally read anything about Reagan that shows what the man truly did and not how he didn't take the job seriously. This book shows a leadership style that is hard to match and that most in the media have criticized. D'Souza points out that Reagan did not lead like a Nixon or Truman, but he did lead in such a way that things got done and we are a better country because of it. Although D'Souza mentions the troubles of his presidency, I wish he could have gone more in depth about them so that we could understand them more fully from his perspective and how he dealt with them both internally and in the public eye. Overall this was an excellent book on an American treasure and it makes you want to return the Glory Days of the 80's.
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Summary: At Last! D'Souza Begins the Debate With this Great Tome.
Review: By starting off with his detractors arguments, Dinesh D'Souza sets the stage for the first truly intelligent discussion of Ronald Reagan's remarkable presidency. As various historians pick up this cue, the typical liberal approach to the eighties--demagoguery and irrational loathing--will soon be "consigned to the ash-heap of history." One thing is clear, by setting forth this intelligent, well-argued and meticulously documented volume, D'Souza has demonstrated that the truly open-minded, intelligent observer of history can and must join the parade which trumpets the achievements of this century's greatest leader.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book
Review: Reagan was the greatest U.S. President. This book does him justice. Insightful and well written, it beautifully discusses the finest American patriot and leader ever in our history.
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Summary: Vile lies and propaganda
Review: There is one, single core truth in this book. When it is discussed that Reagan was a master at manipulating the press, congress, the senate--and anyone else who would try to argue with him--he would put on the dumb act. No one will truthfully say that Ronald Reagan is/was a stupid man. In fact, this current Alzheimer's ordeal, I believe, is merely an extention of this technique to keep historians away with the same sleazy "I . . .I don't remember" nonesense he baldly shoved in our faces about the Iran/Contra scandel. You remember, when Ronnie and Georgie and Ollie and all those other great patriots bought and sold drugs for guns and money and more gold for their own private wealth. This book is the worst sort of propaganda, Goebbels-like. Reagan, in fact, brought back the Cold War with his trapped in the 50s ideology, his Hollywood blacklisting credentials and the hey! Them coloreds down close in poor, tiny countries must be Communists under Russia. If Reagan had had a little more compassion, and not the psychotic, paranoid fear that truly was uncalled for, perhaps the legacy of the 1980s would not be one of greed, indifference and bloody, ruthless violence, but a time of peace, a time of coming together, a time for the world to stop bitching at each other over whatever ridiculous, relgious differences they always seem to have, and get down to the business of running separate nations, not a quest for global domination. Sure, I guess this makes me a 'dove' according to the author. In fact, not many people were as glad as I was when Communism died in the Soviet Union. But, according to people as diverse as former CIA director Gates and others from the Reagan/Bush years, the 1980s were some of the most dangerous times of the entire Cold War. This is due entirely to Ronald Reagan's intolerance and total desire to be king of the world. Sure, the economy was strong under Reagan, but his economic policies crumbled pretty quickly under his successor. This is because there was nothing! there other than Junk bonds and unfettered greed and it was bound to happen to whomever the next president was. Ironic that it was Mr. Reagan II. The book is well written, at least I'll give it that, but it is a clearly biased, nonsensical portrait that only true Reagan lovers could believe.
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Summary: Inspiring! Gets to the point on what made Reagan great.
Review: I am a Reagan fan, and I was looking for a book to shed some light on what made him a great leader. This book gave me that without burying me in details about Reagan's pre-governor years. It is an easy read because it sticks to the subject of what made Reagan a great president. It was fun to recall how the Gipper's tenacity constantly steered him (and our nation) true in the face of howling criticism and doubt. Like Reagan or not, you have to admit he got a lot done. This book can tell you why, and if you are a Reagan fan, you will come away inspired.
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Summary: This book made me miss the ol' guy!
Review: D'Souza's book is an interesting, excellent read and it certainly did much to make me miss Reagan. He might not of been perfect by any means, but Reagan has been treated unfairly by the liberal press and historians. D'Souza makes a forceful, insider's arguement for the greatness of Reagan... and it is a refreshing look at the man and his personal and leadership style. Although D'Souza does try to bring a balanced view of the man, D'Souza also has a tendency to rely on propagandist vernacular to paint a favorable image of the President. Unfortunately for D'Souza, this vernacular will only serve to alienate Liberals who read the book, and thus to half of its audience the book will fail to suade readers of Reagan's greatness. I don't think liberals will appreciate being referred to as 'the doves' throughout the book. Regardless of this, I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to those who have any interest in politics, history, or leadership.
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