Rating: 
Summary: Excellent, risky history
Review: I stayed up the whole night reading this book. In many parts it is brilliant. Morris does what is always done in biography, meaning he projects his own interpretations and observations into the narrative. The difference is that he uses a device always found in film---he plays the "camera", observing (especially) young Reagan and he organizes the man's history into conglomerate scenes or situations to get at the truth. In film it is a time-saver. In book form my first impressions after going through it are that it heightens the drama, pulls you much closer to the subject and ultimately is a more satisfying, if more artsy read. Artsy might not be what serious historians want, but no one can deny, after reading this book, the astute portrayal of Reagan. How Morris delivered some of those insights will be debated heatedly for a while but I found it a most serious treatment and, as a reader, an utterly fascinating approach. I doubt if the person who reviewed above me even read the book. I'd recommned it highly to him and others
Rating: 
Summary: Greatness and failure, together in one volume.
Review: Edmund Morris reached for greatness with this authorized biography of Ronald Reagan. It is too bad that he sabotaged his own effort by weaving fictional elements into the book, and taking the extra step of inventing footnotes so that it would be impossible to separate fiction from fact.There is a lot here that is worth reading and adding to Reagan historiography. For instance, Reagan was a fine writer from his earliest youth to his mature speech-making days. And Reagan was more than a B-movie actor (in 1942 he ranked as the No. 1 box office star in America). Morris is at his best in his history of Hollywood during the blacklist period, when Reagan was a union chief involved in the wars between pro-Communist and anti-Communist factions. This is the decisive period of Reagan's political life, where he makes his first break with Hollywood left-liberalism and becomes a hard-line anti-Communist. But, alas, Morris is at his worst in describing Reagan's youth, where he resorts to the heaviest use of his fictional alter ego. The ending, also, (and since this is one of the historical fictional elements, I won't spoil it), is a cliche most striking in its obviousness. Morris is too good a biographer (his TR series is one of the greatest presidential bios ever written) to call on his akills as an untested novelist.
Rating:
Summary: A welcome contribution and a mixed bag
Review: Pulitzer Prize winning biography of Theodore Roosevelt Edmund Morris' biography of Reagan was twenty years in the making. Was it worth the wait? Well, yes and no. There are flaws, yes, as a lot of reviewers have pointed out. There is also a lot of good in this book, too.
First, the good. Morris devotes equal time to all aspects of Reagan's life. Contrast this to the typical presidential bio where the childhood and adolescence of this historical figures are glided over in order to get the "good stuff." Morris is as interested in where Reagan came from as where he wound up. Morris' research is astounding (he complains on occasion that the Reagan Library is the most least used of the presidential libraries). He includes exerts from papers a young Dutch wrote as a child, college essays, not to mention the amount of analysis and information Morris obviously went through. The man clearly wanted to understand his subject. He can be faulted for failing, perhaps, but not for trying.
Despite criticism to the contrary, I did not find any indication in this book that Morris thinks of Reagan as the "amicable dunce" he was so often portrayed as. Aloof, yes, but even Reagan's most trusted confidants would have to admit that. In fact, Morris might suffer from a bit too much admiration for Reagan. Instances where Morris arbitrarily chose Reagan's side in a fight piled up so fast I found myself almost wishing I could have voted for him. Hero-worship is one thing; glossing over flaws is another (to his credit Morris does admit that Reagan "wasn't very tolerant in the 50s", I suppose).
Then, there's the controversial decision Morris made--he put himself in the book as the narrator, a man whose life paralleled Reagan's own. Sometimes, it works, as when he describes 1920s Dixon, IL, or the building of the exact replica of Japan. But the closer we get to Reagan's presidency, the more Morris' poetic style and first-person sensibilities become distracting. Then annoying. Sometimes even obnoxious.
Many have gotten the impression that Morris thinks he's better than Reagan and that Reagan is, in fact, just a lucky schmo blessed with a stunning oratory skill and likable manner. This isn't the case as Morris is very clearly intrigued and perhaps even enamored with the Commander in Chief. However, it's easy to see where readers would get the impression. Morris makes it clear right from the start he styles himself an intellectual by his use of constant foreign phrases that continue throughout the book. They don't add subtext. They don't contribute to the narrative. And they don't make us think Morris is any more artistic and sublime than he really is.
There are changes in the structure, such as pages where the we get a movie script of real events and whatnot, and while I thought it was interesting I can understand why others would rather have not had them.
I liked it. Edmund Morris, for all his ridiculous excesses, is a valuable researcher whatever you think of his writing. And even that writing does hit home at times, and perhaps even the most ardent Reagan hater could feel a little sympathy for the President.
Rating:
Summary: A TOUCHING TRIBUTE
Review: With a portrait both enigmatic and arresting Pulitzer Prize winner Edmund Morris delivers his biography of our 40th President.
To be the author of the only biography every authorized by a sitting President is a daunting task and a time consuming one, as the 14 years Morris spent in research and preparation clearly show. From Reagan's Illinois birth through a varied career, which includes lifeguard, sportscaster, actor, soldier, company spokesman, and governor, we follow him to the White House with its inherent challenges. The author's measured reading is especially effective in the closing which is a moving account of the once robust President in the throes of mental disease. - Gail Cooke
Rating: 
Summary: A Fresh Approach with Interesting Insights
Review: I initially shied away from reading Edumund Morris' "Dutch" because I disapproved of the idea of mixing history of an American president with fictional information which actually had the author becoming a friend of the youthful Ronald Reagan in his Illinois days. I was also aware that Morris had won a Pulitzer for his fine biography on the young Theodore Roosevelt, and so I finally decided to give him a chance. The more I read the clearer it was why Morris took a novel approach to history in the case of Reagan. Since after meeting Reagan many times and researching his life Morris decided that he was a complex figure but someone who was too boring to do a conventional book on such as that about Roosevelt, he decided that weaving some fiction and personal commentary would provide the ticket. This technique would not work with just any historical figure, but Reagan affords a unique case in point. His presence and oratorical skills developed over a lifetime of acting make Reagan a formidable influence in the right settings, such as speaking to a huge crowd in Berlin and exhorting, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" In his personal life, however, as well as in administrative situations as a governor of California and president, he could seem remote and distant. Morris explains why, tracing Reagan back to difficult roots in Illinois with an alcoholic father. He sought to create his own world on the one hand while keeping a distance from people to avoid hurt, a classic response to children who have had to bear difficult early home lives. Rather than providing a regular biography, Morris focuses on the impact Reagan has had on people, which is the most fascinating part of his legacy. He uses letters to his son Gavin to depict the response of angry young men of the period. The famous screenwriter and director Phillip Dunne is also used to prove a point as Morris uses his friendship to draw the Hollywood figure into the picture. He relates what liberals thought of Reagan through the years as the future president gravitated from flaming liberal to staunch conservative. This is the personal side of Reagan interestingly explored. For those wanting a regular biography the works of authors such as Lou Cannon and Bob Schieffer are more valuable, but for a character study of an interesting and highly unusual figure who achieved a great impact on the world, this is a work that provides highly worthwhile reading.
Rating:
Summary: It Has an Unusual Style - But Do Not Be Put Off
Review: I do not know why Edmund Morris uses the style of projecting himself into the book as a friend of Reagan but I guess that is the only thing really controversial about this book. Otherwise the book is smooth flowing and gives a feel for what it was like to be Ronald reagan growing up in Illinois, then becoming an actor and moving up through the actors union, etc. The book has lots of color and transmit a certain "feel" for his life. The book is a bit slow in parts but in general it is fine. After I read this I read "Reagan on Leadership" which gives a nice summary of his management philosophy and I prefer that work over this. Jack in Toronto
Rating: 
Summary: THE OLD LIBERALS NEVER GIVE UP
Review: When a ultra liberal sets out to trash a decent man, he uses all the techniques his "intellectual" arsenal provides him. The goal that Morris sets for himself is constantly getting in the way of the "real" Ronald Reagan which Morris never finds. More of a book and scary at that about the liberal hate of conservatism than a biography of Reagan. I really didn't buy the book to read about Morris's life or that of his spoiled son. Fortunatley, I bought it cheap on e-bay.
Rating:
Summary: Nice Story but
Review: An enjoyable read despite the liberties the author took by fictionalizing the narrator. I had hoped to learn more about RR's rise to prominence in the Republican Party in more detail than Mr. Morris presented. I could have learned the same from watching various tele-pundits and reading screeds to RR on the editorial pages of the major periodicals. While I enjoyed the 672 page book, I will, unfortunately, remember it more as a piece of fiction (especially the "surprise" ending) than as an enduring historical reference. (The lack of detail in this review is my sincerest form of flattery for the author.)
Rating:
Summary: Edmund Morris' Versatile Portrait
Review: With "Dutch," Edmund Morris returns with the intellectual energy and curiosity that marks his 1979 bio "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt." Morris - as well as his fictional characters - is fascinated by Reagan in the same way Morris is fascinated by Roosevelt in "Rise." Morris changes his approach, though: he approaches Reagan as a mystery, and sets out Reagan's life in chronological order to solve it. The result is an unqualified success. The book takes advantage of Morris' unprecedented access as an independent biographer to Reagan beginning towards the end of Reagan's first term, and his access to many staff meetings that Reagan attended in the White House. The book is heavy with vignettes and observations that make up the mystery's puzzle pieces, and is light on policy analysis. Morris also skims through -- or skips over in the case of Supreme Court nominations and Reagan's role in Bush's 1988 campaign -- large chunks of history. He focuses instead on events, metaphors, and ironies that help the reader understand Ronald Reagan. Morris is his best anyway focusing on what makes a great leader tick -- that's why "Rise" and "Dutch" work, and why Morris' "Theodore Rex" seems to suffer somehow from a lack of energy and focus. Although "Dutch" doesn't pretend to be comprehensive, there's no lack of research here. The number of interviews Morris participated in -- all listed in the back of the book -- is staggering. Morris' reputation and status as "biographer in waiting" gave him access to most of the important world leaders during Reagan's presidency, and it's fun getting their insights on Reagan. There's also no lack of information in the book. Although Morris could have written far more than he did, "Dutch" is almost 900 pages including its notes and index. Morris does a nice job with the people around Reagan, capturing them quickly with well-chosen description, narrative, and dialogue. His literary bent is more evident here than in his other biographies, and not just by the introduction of some fictional characters. He introduces narrative and even some original poetry, and he fusses over Reagan's failure to allude to certain poetry when speaking at the Berlin Wall. He switches literary devices frequently. For instance, one chapter covering 1977 and 1988 is made up of only Morris' own field notes, Reagan's diary, the Tower report, and other primary sources. Morris doesn't settle into a theory on Reagan that dictates how the reader experiences him. Instead, Morris presents many points of view -- those of staff members, other heads of state, and Morris' fictional characters (especially before Reagan's presidency) -- and leaves conclusions up to the reader. He doesn't even settle on whether Reagan is an enigma. Was he "the most enigmatic character of modern times," as Sondra Gotlieb suggests, or the open book that Reagan himself professed to be? He is quite fair with Reagan, and seems to agree that he was a great leader. Morris's Reagan lacks intellectual curiosity and attention to detail, but grasps a situation instinctively. He likes Pat Brown's description of Reagan's "cool intensity," and he likes Mitterand's eventual appreciation of Reagan as a man whose feeling and instincts takes the place of intellectual refinement. Morris is careful to keep some emotional distance from his subject, yet in the more controversial points of Reagan's presidency, Morris ends up defending him or at least explaining Reagan's side of things well. He seems to take Reagan's side over Bitburg, summits with Gorbachev, and Iran/Contra, for instance. He takes pains to show Reagan's overall vigor throughout his second term, citing Reagan's comprehensive diary to establish that his mind did not begin to diminish until after he left office. He is especially kind to Nancy, describing her as less intrusive on policy and more emotionally supportive to Reagan than is usually recognized. Morris' lack of ultimate conclusions about Reagan and the multiplicity of views about him that the book presents is fitting, I think, since Reagan has been out of office for only around fifteen years and since the general public is so divided over the nature of his intelligence and character. Morris' fictional characters help here, since they provide contrasting opinions of early Reagan that presage the approach Morris uses later in the book with real historical figures. The fiction reinforces a central point about Reagan and about any person subjected to a biography: what do we know about someone objectively? A biography may be described as a synthesis of subjective judgments, and Morris' fictional characters help us remember that. For Reagan the fictional technique works particularly well, since Reagan's memory was quite selective and he often got his own points across with fiction. For instance, he would insist throughout his career that he was "there" when a Jewish concentration camp was liberated. Morris believed that Reagan used such whoppers to express strong emotion. Morris' fictional technique also serves to examine an actor's approach to reality.
Rating: 
Summary: An imagined biography
Review: It's not my habit to review a book I haven't finished reading, but if the book is so bad that it's impossible to finish, it's fair game. "Dutch," Edmund Morris' so-called memoir of Ronald Reagan is a case in point. The cover photograph of the 40th president waving to God knows who while his back is turned is an appropriate image symbolizing what Morris has done. Despite unprecedented access to a sitting president, Morris turned his back on his subject and instead chose to concoct a ridiculous mish-mash of fact and fiction that only left me frustrated and confused. Morris claims he chose this approach because Reagan is just so damned weird and boring that a traditional biography would be impossible. That's nothing but a cop-out. Whatever Reagan's eccentricities, Morris' job was to see beyond them and find the man's soul. If he hasn't got one, Morris could have simply reported his findings. Instead he concocts a bizarre fiction in which the author becomes a character in Reagan's life, often sharing his adventures with a fictional son named Gavin, a 60s activist who is a laughable stereotype of every prominent radical from the period. And Morris documents his communication with the mythical son as if he actually exists. Never before has a book's notes and references been so unnecessary. All of this nonsense would have been tolerable if Morris admitted that the result is a novel, not a biography. As a fiction, it is well-written and Morris' insights are not without value, but this is neither memoir nor biography. Whether you love Reagan or loathe him, Morris' book is not the one to consult when seeking an objective look at the gipper.
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