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Summary: Shining history of Reagan's battle against Communism
Review: After the fall of the USSR, a certain idea took hold among the part of the American populace. This idea was that the USSR was bound to collapse and that certainly Ronald Reagan had nothing to do with. This book demolishes that myth and sets the record straight once and for all with a mountain of documentation, much of which came from the former Soviet Union. "Reagan's War" traces the formation of Ronald Reagan's anti-communist character and his rise to political power. It then shows the sharp break Reagan's administration had with prior presidencies concerned with containment and detente. Far from wishing to coexist, Reagan believed that confrontation was the key to destroying the USSR. And confront he did from aiding anti-communist guerrilla bands around the world, to toppling Grenada's government, to aiding the Polish solidarity movement, to embarking on the biggest peacetime military build-up in US history, to starting the fledgling SDI program (aka "Star Wars"). This book lists the shock waves that such actions produced in the Soviet Union as well as how they eventually pushed the USSR to oblivion. This book is a must for anyone interested in the fall of the Soviet Union or the Reagan legacy.
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Summary: Communism was indeed a real threat!
Review: Historically, it is of this reviewer's opinion that Ronald Reagan was too far to the right on the political spectrum. For instance, he was opposed to Nixon in regards to Detente, SALT, Civl Rights, and many of Nixon's more moderate iniatives. In fact, the most recent release of Watergate tapes where Nixon is is complaining about Reagan's character are a result of Reagan stealing Nixon's Southern support in the primaries. Quite simply, Reagan thought that Nixon was to progressive on Civil Rights and tried to capitalize on the South. The Southern strategy was actually utilized by Reagan. Despite some of Reagan's political beliefs, he was in fact right that Communism was a threat to the free world. This reader's favorite part of the book is Reagan's defiant battle with the Communists in Hollywood. It is easy for today's world to look back at the 1950s and laugh at the Red Scare and feel sympathy towards the poor Hollywood elite whose careers were ruined by McCarthyism. 'Reagan's War' reminds today's world that Hollywood Communists did want to control the medium of film to spread 'the people's wars.' And Reagan was able to stand up and conquer Stalinist Hollywood as he would defeat the Soviet Union in the 1980s. With today's uninformed and demented Hollywood elite, where is our Ronald Reagan to stand up to these wackos? Heaven knows, someone needs to stand up to the insanity of Martin Sheen, Rosie, and the George Clooney crowd.
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Summary: Reagan: A Man of Principle and Conviction
Review: I have to preface my comments about this incredible book by noting that my parent's escaped the tyranny of Eastern Europe in the late 60s (before I was born). My parent's gave me first-hand knowledge about the misery of life in Poland long before I had ever heard of Ronald Reagan. Specifically, they told me about the pervasive atmosphere of fear, the overt and covert police surveillance, and the shortages of virtually every consumer good except alcohol -- not to mention the government policy of discrimination and intimidation which was exercised against anyone who was not a member of the communist party. I thank God that I was born in the U.S. and able to enjoy our personal freedoms and cherish the many wonderful advantages denied to the children of my parent's Polish countrymen. Despite its many problems, the United States is the greatest country in the world and I'm embarrassed that we live in an era which seems to characterize a willingness to celebrate that greatness as politically incorrect.
Having offered these personal observations, I cannot say enough about this wonderful, eye-opening book. The author skillfully puts the events of Ronald Reagan's life into a detailed historical context. For example, in the chapter that examines communist infiltration of Hollywood, he explains how some of the individuals Mr. Reagan suspected of harboring hidden political agendas where in fact working for Moscow funded organizations! Later in the book the author showcases case after case of European "anti-nuclear" peace activist leaders who secretly served as East German "Stassi" agents. Throughout the entire book, the author draws a wealth of information from previously sealed KGB files. Though Mr. Reagan's detractors would love to deny him any credit for ending the Cold War, the many direct quotes taken from individuals who worked inside the Kremlin during the 80s, attests to the brilliance of the Reagan doctrine. In the end, the evidence is overwhelming and undeniable -- the Presidency of Ronald Reagan sealed the fate of the Soviet Union.
Perhaps the greatest aspect of this excellent book is that it recognizes President Reagan's unswerving adherence to principle from one decade to the next. He never gave up, or gave in. Frankly, the book offers well-deserved criticism of Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford and other Republican leaders who lacked the resolve to challenge the communist system. Until Reagan arrived, American foreign policy was willing to permanently write-off the millions of people suffering behind the iron curtain. This book crystallizes why history will celebrate Ronald Reagan as a leader of the very highest caliber, and one whose personal courage directly led to freedom and liberation for so many.
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Summary: The man who slayed the Evil Empire
Review: If Ronald Reagan was "an amiable dunce", Carter and Ford were simple unicellular organisms. This book is a stirring account of one good man's holy crusade against the cancer of Communism. While it is empirical that Stalin made Hitler look like a nancy boy, the post-Stalinist Russia remained a War-based economy that relied on mass slave labour. A gulag is a gulag and a bully is a bully. Yet even though The Ron achieved a great deal in his own right, the book recognizes that it was his partnership with Margaret Thatcher, whom the Russkies termed "The Iron Maiden", that drove the final well-deserved nail into the Soviet coffin. The combination of the Star Wars defence programme and the deployment of Cruise and Pershing missiles in Europe, coupled with the total resolve of Reagan and Thatcher simply crushed the Russian Government's spirit. The book does not really explore the extent to which The Ron may have exaggerated the extent of the Soviet threat, although it it clearly better to over-estimate an enemy than the reverse. You can never have too many anti-tank missiles. I recall from military intelligence sources back in the seventies that there was a concensus that the Russian troops in the Soviet Bloc countries were garrison troops and that the populations detested the Russians even more than we did. For this reason, many analysts secretly felt that any Soviet attack on Western Europe would break up during the first 48 hours, partly due to the sheer decimation of Russian armour (even without Tac Nukes), and that this would quickly precipitate the collapse of the Soviet Union. Whether Ron knowingly exaggerated "Soviet" power or not, he certainly beefed up NATO to a point where the enemy could no longer compete, especially in the sphere of hi-tech weaponry. A great book about a great man, who ended the Russian reign of terror in Eastern Europe.
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Summary: Disintersted participants don't participate
Review: Kurt A. Johnson has written a review that captures the essence of this book. The book is not written as an "objective" scholarly text but neither it is a collection of knee-jerk assertions that too often today pass for commentary and analysis. It is a thoughly researched, well documented perspective on a man that Mr. Schwiezer thinks (and I agree) had a large, positive impact on history. The book would be invaluable in preparing for a debate but does gloss over some of Mr. Reagan's less successful actions. The only mention of Oliver North, for example, is as "a Lt Col on the NSA staff [who] pointed out" that a Marine Amphipious Unit was under way and available to be diverted to Grenada. I'm sure this is accurate; it's just not the first episode that comes to mind when Oliver North is mentioned. Even if you don't like Reagan, Mr. Schweizer makes points that are hard to refute. Read the book.
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Summary: A compelling account of Reagan's crusade against Communism
Review: REAGAN'S WAR begins with a terse retelling of the "Battle of Hollywood," a violent 1946 strike by a Communist-controlled labor union against the Warner Brothers studio. The strike fizzled, as did the Communist attempt to take over a studio. From the perspective of the Kremlin, it must have seemed like a small defeat at the time. But the unintended consequence of that strike was that an actor on the Warner lot, Ronald Reagan, began to realize that Communism posed a serious threat to American liberty. REAGAN'S WAR tells the story of how Reagan developed his commitment to rolling back Communism and how his policies resulted in a fatal blow to the evil Soviet empire. REAGAN'S WAR is not a biography, but a reexamination of Reagan's life through the narrowing prism of anti-Communism. Loyal Reaganites will find little emphasis on Reagan's tax-cutting fervor, or the resulting economic expansion. Critics of the Reagan Administration may be disappointed that Iran-Contra is mentioned only briefly (and Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North only once). But the readers who will be the most dissatisfied --- if they read the book at all --- will be the former Communist elite in the former Soviet Union. For them, REAGAN'S WAR will bring back only painful memories of tyranny past. The part of the book that will most educate readers deals with Reagan's formative experiences in anti-Communism, placing his evolving worldview in counterpoint with the aggressive tactics of the Kremlin. While Communist satellite governments were consolidating their hold on Eastern Europe, Reagan recorded fundraising appeals for what would become Radio Free Europe and helped build Democratic support for Dwight Eisenhower. While Communism was toppling dominoes in Southeast Asia, Governor Reagan was confronting student protesters at Berkeley. While Nixon and Kissinger were laying the groundwork for detente, Reagan was advocating a more confrontational strategy, and preparing for a run at the Presidency. REAGAN'S WAR provides an in-depth analysis of Reagan's economic and political maneuvers that led to the downfall of the Soviet Union. Author Peter Schweizer describes how Reagan coupled his legendary ability to communicate with his principled leadership and his unwavering faith, and shows how these characteristics were essential in his efforts to roll back Communism. Although his critics constantly accused Reagan of being a warmonger, Schweizer shows that his greatest victories were not in the battlefield but at the conference table. The last chapter of the book summarizes the efforts to cause the economic collapse of the Soviet Empire, showing billions of dollars lost by the Soviet economy due to military spending, Western economic sanctions, and aid to Cuba and Eastern Europe. Schweizer's conclusions are buttressed significantly by his research in newly opened secret archives. We learn, unsurprisingly, that the peace movement in West Germany was supported and controlled by the East German secret police. We hear the complaints of Soviet leadership that the Reagan Administration would not shift its policies for political advantage, and worries that Reagan's spread of "anti-Soviet ideas" would prove decisive. There is even a too-brief mention of a North Korean threat to assassinate Reagan during a visit to South Korea. Schweizer also adds the Soviet perspective of summit meetings in Geneva and Reykjavik, and details the effect of Reagan speeches on the Russian dissident community. REAGAN'S WAR is a popular, rather than a scholarly treatment of its subject. There is less detail than some readers would like about particulars, such as Reagan's relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev, and the decision to pursue missile defense. The book's positive, aggressive defense of the Reagan record causes it to overlook some important issues. For example, the invasion of Grenada is presented without reference to the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, which immediately preceded it. The recounting of the arming of the Afghan resistance fails to take
into account the unintended consequences of that decision, which are still ongoing as of this writing. However, the purpose of REAGAN'S WAR is not to criticize, but to celebrate a great victory and the great leader who is responsible for that victory. It accomplishes that purpose brilliantly, compiling Reagan's efforts against Communism into a unified whole, and further burnishing the Reagan legacy in the process. It is a valuable and important book for students of the era or students of leadership. --- Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds (curtis@txreviews.com) writes movie reviews at http://www.txreviews.com/
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Summary: You got the wrong Reagan
Review: Ronald Reagan always said, it doesn't matter who gets the credit as long as the job gets done. Well, this may be the beginning of giving this cold warrior his due.
Focusing on Reagan's first hand experience with communism and the destruction it wrought on family and friends beginning in the 1940's, his steely determination to remain uncompromising in his goal and his unflinching belief that he was right, through the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990's, this book weaves a remarkable odessey which never fails to captivate.
Critics will complain that there is no balance to this book as it focusses on Reagan's viewpoint and ignores all other players in the cold war. This is patently false, with 41 small print pages of footnotes, few if any players on this stage were omitted. One of the facinating features of the book is the evenhanded treatment of all participants in the cold war regardless of party affiliation or political leaning. Recently declassified documents show how close we were to losing the cold war and how we finally won.
President Reagan has often been portrayed in the media as a man bereft of original thought, simplistic and ill informed. This book, whether you like Reagan or lothe him, should put those myths to rest.
If you are at all interested in knowing why the United States is the only superpower, why countries harboring Islamic radicals and terrorists got weapons and technology from us as well as the Soviets, and how we, the American people, are spoon-fed only minimal information from socialist leaning media types and politicians about how truly blessed we are in this country to have individuals of character step up and lead us at our moments of greatest need, READ THIS BOOK.
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Summary: The Truth about Reagan
Review: This book is very easy to read and at the same time documents how Ronald Reagan helped to defeat communism and end the cold war. Using documents from the former Soviet Block as well as sources here, the author shows how Reagan defeated communism.
The book clearly shows that Reagan was concerned about communism and developed a plan of action from the time he was an actor and that he was far more than the empty suit the liberals will want you to believe. This was a great book that tells the truth about Reagan, a truth many of us already knew but many on the far left will never admit. This book should be required reading for anyone interested in recent history. Reagan was a great president and this book shows just one reason why. Complement this book with the recent collections of Reagan's letters for an accurate portrait of this great leader.
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Summary: Very Persuasive Book!
Review: This book was excellent. It was extremely engaging and Schweizer's arguments were very clear and persuasive. I highly reccomend this book to those interested in Reagan and/or the cold war.
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Summary: Hard to Refute Facts
Review: This book was incredible. I'll let any objective readers take apart the poor reviews of the Reagan bashers elsewhere in this list. The context of their comments speaks to itself. Schweizer did extensive research in assembling this material, and even though it may not be totally "objective", it's pretty damned close. If you have an interest in Reagan, Nixon, Carter and the success/failures of Cold War Policy, this is undeniably the tome you should be reading.
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