Rating: 
Summary: Leadership Illustrated
Review: This book, part biography, part history of the Cold War, puts to rest the myth that Reagan was just an empty suit who succeeded due to his mastery of communication. It begins with Reagan in his 30s shortly after WWII and his part in preventing a Soviet-friendly union from taking over the Screen Actors Guild and using it to push Marxist ideology through Hollywood.
Schweizer shows how Reagan, a life-long, pro-New Deal Democrat, educated himself in political theory and came to formulate a srategy in the 1950s that he would use 30 years later to push the USSR into its grave. I found it genuinely amazing that back during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations Reagan was saying that if only we pushed them militarily their economic and policy system would come "unhinged." That is what happened in the 1980s.
Reagan's physical courage is also underappreciated. Repeatedly in the 1940s and the 1960s (when he was governor of California) he put his life in danger in order to take a public stand. There were so many threats on his life, in his Hollywood days his wife would sometimes wake up in the morning and see him sitting at a desk with gun in his hand because he had heard something outside. Reagan probably felt he had something to prove, since he didn't get a chance to see combat in WWII, but he got his chance later.
This book should also be recognized for what it is not: it is not a comprehensive history of the Cold War, nor is it an objective look at Reagan. Schweizer is a Reagan booster, and in my view he deals a little too harshly with some other Cold War leaders who favored different policies. Hindsight is always 20/20.
Nevertheless, this book contains so much little known information on this great leader that I must recommend it strongly. Reagan didn't win the Cold War single-handedly, but his vision and leadership played a crucial role in bringing about the final victory.
Rating:
Summary: Not balanced, but highly recommended anyway!
Review: This exciting book tells the story of Ronald Reagan's lifelong war against communism. Skipping unnecessary background history, the book immediately launches into the exhilarating story of Reagan's defiance of communism in Hollywood, and his presidency of the Screen Actors Guild. Following that, the book follows the history of American-Soviet relations under the various American presidents. And then, in exquisite detail, the author follows the actions of President Reagan, as he wrestled the Soviet system into discredit and bankruptcy.Let me start out by saying that if you want a balanced look at President Reagan's strengths and weaknesses in dealing with the Soviet Union, then you will be *terribly* disappointed by this book. This book is a shout of "Halleluiah!", a celebration of Reagan's courage and farsightedness. Using newly opened Soviet sources, the author looks at what the Americans did throughout the era, and what the Soviets thought and did. I must say that I enjoyed this book immensely. Coming of age at the beginning of the Reagan Revolution, I remember a good deal of what this book covers, but this book does an excellent job of filling in the details that were unavailable at the time (secret meetings between Americans and Soviets, Politburo discussions, personal opinions from both sides of the wall). Therefore, if you want an exciting, fact filled look at Ronald Reagan's triumph over communism, then I highly recommend that you get this book!
Rating:
Summary: Good History
Review: This is a very good book, well researched and well written. It is a bit pro-Reagan, but its a good antidote to those who claim Reagan was a dunce who just happened to be there at the right time. The initiatives Reagan instituted helped anti-Communists to fight for themselves and have hope. Reagan's ideas and policies reversed the imperialist spread of the USSR and exploded the USSR's communist centrally-planned economy. Without a Reagan presidency, we'd probably still have an uneasy detente with the Soviets. This book details this well.
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