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Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power
In Governor Reagan , Lou Cannon offers--through recent interviews and research drawn from his unique access to the cabinet minutes of Reagan's first years as governor of California--a fresh look at the development of a master politician.
At first, Reagan suffered from political amateurism, an inexperienced staff, and ideological blind spots. But he quickly learned to take the measure of the Democrats who controlled the State Legislature and surprised friends and foes alike by agreeing to a huge tax increase, which made it possible for him to govern for eight years without additional tax hikes. He developed an environmental policy that preserved the state 's scenic valleys and wild rivers, and he signed into law what was then the nation's most progressive declaration on abortion rights. His quixotic 1968 presidential campaign revealed his higher ambitions to the world and taught him how much he had to learn about big-league politics.
Written by the definitive biographer of Ronald Reagan, this new biography is a classic study of a fascinating individual's evolution from a conservative hero to a national figure whose call for renewal stirred Republicans, working-class Democrats, and independents alike.
At first, Reagan suffered from political amateurism, an inexperienced staff, and ideological blind spots. But he quickly learned to take the measure of the Democrats who controlled the State Legislature and surprised friends and foes alike by agreeing to a huge tax increase, which made it possible for him to govern for eight years without additional tax hikes. He developed an environmental policy that preserved the state 's scenic valleys and wild rivers, and he signed into law what was then the nation's most progressive declaration on abortion rights. His quixotic 1968 presidential campaign revealed his higher ambitions to the world and taught him how much he had to learn about big-league politics.
Written by the definitive biographer of Ronald Reagan, this new biography is a classic study of a fascinating individual's evolution from a conservative hero to a national figure whose call for renewal stirred Republicans, working-class Democrats, and independents alike.
592 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2003
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About the author
Lou Cannon
25 books7 followersLouis Cannon is an American journalist, non-fiction author, and biographer. He was state bureau chief for the San Jose Mercury News in the late 1960s and later senior White House correspondent of the Washington Post during the Ronald Reagan administration. He is a prolific biographer of US President Ronald Reagan and has written five books about him.
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September 26, 2018
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Published in 2003, Lou Cannon’s “Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power” is the prequel to his 1991 biography “President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime.” Cannon is a journalist who covered Reagan for nearly four decades – first as a reporter for the San Jose Mercury News and later as White House correspondent for The Washington Post. He is the author of five books on Ronald Reagan.
As the most recently published of Cannon’s books, “Governor Reagan” is informed by an extremely wide array of sources including hundreds of interviews with individuals associated with Reagan’s gubernatorial campaign and administration, detailed cabinet meeting notes and other insightful documents including memoirs and diaries.
Despite its title, this 511 page book does not focus exclusively on his two terms as California’s governor. The first one-fourth of the book proves an extremely useful review of his childhood, education and careers in radio and television. Half of the book is devoted to an astonishingly thorough and penetrating review of his gubernatorial career. And the last quarter of the book focuses on his campaigns for the presidency in 1976 and 1980.
More a political than personal biography, Cannon’s book nevertheless provides significant access into Reagan’s inner-self: aspects of his childhood which influenced who he was to become, the devastation he felt after the failure of his first marriage, his unconditional lifelong devotion to Nancy, and the elements of his personality which proved to be political strengths or weaknesses.
Cannon demonstrates a careful sense of balance throughout the book. On balance, he displays an almost reluctant sense of respect for his subject which seems to have been earned over time rather than simply being a function of the author’s political ideology. His writing style is articulate, straightforward, detailed and perceptive. And Cannon is clearly a gifted journalist if not quite as much a natural storyteller.
The first pages of most chapters – where Cannon tends to lay out an overarching theme or message for the topic being covered – are often the most valuable pages in the biography. And the detail and color he is able to provide on many subjects, such as Reagan’s Hollywood career, is impressive.
Cannon brilliantly traces the evolution of Reagan’s political philosophy from his early adulthood through his campaigns for the presidency. But while the book’s core – 260 pages reviewing his two-term governorship – is meticulous and historically invaluable, the most interesting part of the biography may be the chapters describing the various personal, political and strategic issues Reagan faced while pursuing the presidency.
But for all this biography’s merit, many readers will find it too detailed. The discussion of Reagan’s work for the Screen Actors Guild, for instance, eventually becomes tedious and the fifteen chapters covering his time as governor become exhausting under the weight of their microscopic focus on events. As a result, this book is undoubtedly valuable for historians but may not provide the thrilling narrative some readers seek from a biography.
Overall, however, Lou Cannon’s “Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power” proves to be a comprehensive, revealing and often interesting review of Ronald Reagan’s pre-presidency. It is hard to imagine a more thorough or insightful review of his gubernatorial career – a fact that will attract some readers while deterring others. But anyone with a modicum of persistence will find this book provides countless nuggets of wisdom and an unusually perceptive portrait of Ronald Reagan.
Overall rating: 4 stars
Published in 2003, Lou Cannon’s “Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power” is the prequel to his 1991 biography “President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime.” Cannon is a journalist who covered Reagan for nearly four decades – first as a reporter for the San Jose Mercury News and later as White House correspondent for The Washington Post. He is the author of five books on Ronald Reagan.
As the most recently published of Cannon’s books, “Governor Reagan” is informed by an extremely wide array of sources including hundreds of interviews with individuals associated with Reagan’s gubernatorial campaign and administration, detailed cabinet meeting notes and other insightful documents including memoirs and diaries.
Despite its title, this 511 page book does not focus exclusively on his two terms as California’s governor. The first one-fourth of the book proves an extremely useful review of his childhood, education and careers in radio and television. Half of the book is devoted to an astonishingly thorough and penetrating review of his gubernatorial career. And the last quarter of the book focuses on his campaigns for the presidency in 1976 and 1980.
More a political than personal biography, Cannon’s book nevertheless provides significant access into Reagan’s inner-self: aspects of his childhood which influenced who he was to become, the devastation he felt after the failure of his first marriage, his unconditional lifelong devotion to Nancy, and the elements of his personality which proved to be political strengths or weaknesses.
Cannon demonstrates a careful sense of balance throughout the book. On balance, he displays an almost reluctant sense of respect for his subject which seems to have been earned over time rather than simply being a function of the author’s political ideology. His writing style is articulate, straightforward, detailed and perceptive. And Cannon is clearly a gifted journalist if not quite as much a natural storyteller.
The first pages of most chapters – where Cannon tends to lay out an overarching theme or message for the topic being covered – are often the most valuable pages in the biography. And the detail and color he is able to provide on many subjects, such as Reagan’s Hollywood career, is impressive.
Cannon brilliantly traces the evolution of Reagan’s political philosophy from his early adulthood through his campaigns for the presidency. But while the book’s core – 260 pages reviewing his two-term governorship – is meticulous and historically invaluable, the most interesting part of the biography may be the chapters describing the various personal, political and strategic issues Reagan faced while pursuing the presidency.
But for all this biography’s merit, many readers will find it too detailed. The discussion of Reagan’s work for the Screen Actors Guild, for instance, eventually becomes tedious and the fifteen chapters covering his time as governor become exhausting under the weight of their microscopic focus on events. As a result, this book is undoubtedly valuable for historians but may not provide the thrilling narrative some readers seek from a biography.
Overall, however, Lou Cannon’s “Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power” proves to be a comprehensive, revealing and often interesting review of Ronald Reagan’s pre-presidency. It is hard to imagine a more thorough or insightful review of his gubernatorial career – a fact that will attract some readers while deterring others. But anyone with a modicum of persistence will find this book provides countless nuggets of wisdom and an unusually perceptive portrait of Ronald Reagan.
Overall rating: 4 stars
May 28, 2020
Governor Reagan is Lou Cannon’s 2005 prequel to his 1991 celebration of President Reagan, and I received it in the mail just in time to start right after finishing the last book I was reading. I had been anxious that it would not be fair and as extensive as I wanted, and unsure that I wanted to read more pages on Reagan than I had on any president besides Lincoln and LBJ. But on the latter concern, I decided it was appropriate to spend a lot of time with the first president I really remember from my own lifetime, and with the president most celebrated as great by my generation.
The book turned out to be sufficiently fair, carefully presenting Reagan’s habit of bending truths and combining stories, often in embarrassing ways but usually to his advantage. The coverage of his pre-gubernatorial life was surprisingly excellent, with ample attention given to Reagan’s acting career without being too much. Only one chapter was dedicated to Hollywood, but the subject was visited in other chapters, as well. From small town to radio booth; big screen to small screen to biggest stage, Governor Reagan covers everything until January 20, 1981.
I have never liked when biographers place themselves in their works by referring to themselves (first person), but as Cannon followed Reagan as a journalist for decades, he is in fact part of the story. Yet even though he mentions his other books about Reagan a few times, I never felt like the author was selling me on his own career, like I felt with Jean Edward Smith’s FDR. Governor Reagan and President Reagan can supersede Cannon’s earlier Reagan biographies.
For someone like me who grew up in the 1980s and is already quite familiar with Reagan’s presidency, Governor Reagan can adequately serve as a stand-alone biography. But for someone, also like me, on a mission to read cradle-to-grave biographies of every president, another 800 pages from Cannon await.
The book turned out to be sufficiently fair, carefully presenting Reagan’s habit of bending truths and combining stories, often in embarrassing ways but usually to his advantage. The coverage of his pre-gubernatorial life was surprisingly excellent, with ample attention given to Reagan’s acting career without being too much. Only one chapter was dedicated to Hollywood, but the subject was visited in other chapters, as well. From small town to radio booth; big screen to small screen to biggest stage, Governor Reagan covers everything until January 20, 1981.
I have never liked when biographers place themselves in their works by referring to themselves (first person), but as Cannon followed Reagan as a journalist for decades, he is in fact part of the story. Yet even though he mentions his other books about Reagan a few times, I never felt like the author was selling me on his own career, like I felt with Jean Edward Smith’s FDR. Governor Reagan and President Reagan can supersede Cannon’s earlier Reagan biographies.
For someone like me who grew up in the 1980s and is already quite familiar with Reagan’s presidency, Governor Reagan can adequately serve as a stand-alone biography. But for someone, also like me, on a mission to read cradle-to-grave biographies of every president, another 800 pages from Cannon await.
April 3, 2021
Solid biography. I just wished it skipped much of the growing up. It had those bland moments that felt like a drag to get through, but once part II came, it picked up.
July 3, 2021
The book is a well-informed, well-written, sympathetic-yet-critical study of Reagan's life up to his winning of the presidency.
June 8, 2015
Cannon has made somewhat of a career out of covering Ronald Reagan in California and Washington, DC as he ascended from "citizen-politician" to Governor and then to President. This volume provides a brief biography of the citizen years, then covers the 8 years of Reagan's two terms in Sacramento (1967-1974).
Written (and read) in hindsight, it is hard to separate the President to come from the governor who was, but Cannon does an excellent job of conveying the politics and progress of Reagan in his terms. Reagan had already started making the transition from acting to politics many years before, through his stints in leadership of the Screen Actor's Guild, his years working as a spokesman for General Electric, his years hosting the "General Electric Theatre" television program, and his time stumping for the Goldwater campaign in 1964.
While Reagan gave a widely-praised and nationally-televised speech in support of Goldwater, the magnitude of the Goldwater defeat scarred Reagan with the same brush, and this "reactionary" label combined with his "citizen-politician" naivety contributed to the beginning of a pattern of underestimation by his political opponents. In fact, writes Cannon, Reagan was successful at being underestimated so often because he worked so hard at it as a political strategy (and one that stood him in good stead throughout his career).
Reagan's terms as governor proved a valuable learning ground for Reagan, and honed his skills and exposed his weaknesses that would later be splashed large on the national stage. He learned quickly, but tended to latch on to insignificant or misplaced facts and statistics. He could learn and perform from a "script" quickly and adeptly, but could overreach when speaking off-the-cuff. He wanted to answer every question from reporters and opponents, but didn't always have the depth or breadth of knowledge to recognize when he was out of his element. He knew when to delegate, but sometimes over-delegated or failed to provide guidance or follow-up.
Politically, he was of course conservative, but surprisingly willing to reach practical compromises. He was unswervingly optimistic and trusting (he relied on Nancy for more clear-eyed assessments of those around him). While he mangled the "trees are the worst polluters" idea and was branded an anti-environmentalist, his record as governor was surprisingly strong in practical environmental actions. While a fiscal conservative, he passed the largest (at the time) state tax in crease in California history. Considered an ideologue, he worked with Democrats in the California legislature (notably Jess Unruh and Bob Moretti) to pass difficult but necessary legislation on taxes, welfare reform, natural resources, and education. Moretti, an avowed enemy who remained at odds politically with Reagan, nevertheless said
' . . . he had a philosophy that he was willing to pursue, that he was willing to enunciate, that he was willing to attempt to push. And . . . he's a strong personality. . . . Leaders are people who are willing to take positions and stand up and fight for those positions. [Reagan] had an enduring desire to accomplish something, to leave something behind that really improved things.'
Moretti's conclusion: Reagan "was a good governor ('better than Pat Brown, miles, and planets, and universes better than Jerry Brown'). (p. 366-367).
In short, Ronald Reagan became a more than capable governor, and better, a leader with convictions and courage:
"It was often said of Reagan, from his first campaign to his last, that he was an actor who knew how to deliver his lines. This was true, but Reagan also was an experienced politician with convictions and a plan of action that he believed would rescue a nation in need of leadership." (p. 503).
Governor Reagan prepared President Reagan for a role of a lifetime.
Written (and read) in hindsight, it is hard to separate the President to come from the governor who was, but Cannon does an excellent job of conveying the politics and progress of Reagan in his terms. Reagan had already started making the transition from acting to politics many years before, through his stints in leadership of the Screen Actor's Guild, his years working as a spokesman for General Electric, his years hosting the "General Electric Theatre" television program, and his time stumping for the Goldwater campaign in 1964.
While Reagan gave a widely-praised and nationally-televised speech in support of Goldwater, the magnitude of the Goldwater defeat scarred Reagan with the same brush, and this "reactionary" label combined with his "citizen-politician" naivety contributed to the beginning of a pattern of underestimation by his political opponents. In fact, writes Cannon, Reagan was successful at being underestimated so often because he worked so hard at it as a political strategy (and one that stood him in good stead throughout his career).
Reagan's terms as governor proved a valuable learning ground for Reagan, and honed his skills and exposed his weaknesses that would later be splashed large on the national stage. He learned quickly, but tended to latch on to insignificant or misplaced facts and statistics. He could learn and perform from a "script" quickly and adeptly, but could overreach when speaking off-the-cuff. He wanted to answer every question from reporters and opponents, but didn't always have the depth or breadth of knowledge to recognize when he was out of his element. He knew when to delegate, but sometimes over-delegated or failed to provide guidance or follow-up.
Politically, he was of course conservative, but surprisingly willing to reach practical compromises. He was unswervingly optimistic and trusting (he relied on Nancy for more clear-eyed assessments of those around him). While he mangled the "trees are the worst polluters" idea and was branded an anti-environmentalist, his record as governor was surprisingly strong in practical environmental actions. While a fiscal conservative, he passed the largest (at the time) state tax in crease in California history. Considered an ideologue, he worked with Democrats in the California legislature (notably Jess Unruh and Bob Moretti) to pass difficult but necessary legislation on taxes, welfare reform, natural resources, and education. Moretti, an avowed enemy who remained at odds politically with Reagan, nevertheless said
' . . . he had a philosophy that he was willing to pursue, that he was willing to enunciate, that he was willing to attempt to push. And . . . he's a strong personality. . . . Leaders are people who are willing to take positions and stand up and fight for those positions. [Reagan] had an enduring desire to accomplish something, to leave something behind that really improved things.'
Moretti's conclusion: Reagan "was a good governor ('better than Pat Brown, miles, and planets, and universes better than Jerry Brown'). (p. 366-367).
In short, Ronald Reagan became a more than capable governor, and better, a leader with convictions and courage:
"It was often said of Reagan, from his first campaign to his last, that he was an actor who knew how to deliver his lines. This was true, but Reagan also was an experienced politician with convictions and a plan of action that he believed would rescue a nation in need of leadership." (p. 503).
Governor Reagan prepared President Reagan for a role of a lifetime.
November 10, 2009
The author of this book is a journalist who quite literally spent the last 40 years following Reagan around, which has its advantages and disadvantages. Cannon has already written three books about Reagan, and one does get the feeling that some of the material in this book has been worked over more than once. One of Cannon's earlier books, Reagan (1982), basically covered the same period, and as far as I can tell the inspiration for writing this book, or for amending the old one, was Cannon's discovery of the cabinet meeting minutes from Reagan's time as Governor of California (1966 to 1974). Still, to the author's credit, he is a fairly objective observer, not a died-in-the-wool believer or an inquisitor, and his experience does allow him to get as close to his subject as any biographer could wish.
One successful part of the book is Cannon's ability to convey Reagan's very peculiar intelligence. Reagan, as everybody rightly points out, was not well-read, or even very curious, but he did have a preternatural sense for politics and spectacle and he somehow managed to write stirring speeches and more than hold his own in debates with political veterans like George HW Bush and Jimmy Carter.
Cannon also shows that despite his rabble-rousing rhetoric, Reagan was basically a moderate Governor. He raised taxes significantly to cover a budget deficit in 1967, he signed the most liberal abortion law in the nation (admittedly at the time this was less of a partisan issue and more of a Catholic/non-Catholic issue), he stopped the Dos Rios dam to save a ecologically fragile valley, and he blocked a highway across the Sierras because of his concern that it upset the vistas and environment of the mountains. Despite his speeches, Reagan was right down the middle in terms of state executives.
One of the main problems with the book, however, is that the title is somewhat misleading. Only about 250 pages of the 500 page book deal with Reagan as Governor, the rest deals with a perfunctory survey of his earlier years and then a description of his two runs for the White House, in 76 and 80. These certainly add to the portrait of Reagan, but obscure exactly how he operated as the Governor of California.
March 12, 2015
Definitely better that the previous two Reagan biographies I have read. This one caught my eye because of my interest in the early Reagan years, especially his years in Hollywood. I definitely see more Lou Cannon books in my future. The one thing some might find annoying is the emphasis on "behind the scenes" details. The author seems fond of recalling personal moments with Reagan, especially some tidbit shared while flying together. For me, this added color to the book, but in the last section covering the campaign for the Presidency in 1980, it sometimes felt as though the author was slow to get to the point while describing how Nancy Reagan rolled oranges down airplane aisles.
July 6, 2010
Absolutely outstanding fair and balanced look at Governor Reagan. He did a lot in California that I never knew about. For instance, pass the largest tax increase in the history of the state. Mr. Reagan was a true pragmatist unlike this President in the White House right now. Many conservatives don't really know the true Reagan, they just think they do. The inter party feud with Ford was a fascinating look at Republican politics, in some ways applicable and pertinent in today's Republican party. A must read for any American who enjoys honest history.
September 24, 2016
Good, fair, and balanced book about Reagan's years as governor and his campaign for President. Cannon obviously did a ton of research and interviewed many of the players involved in those days. There were still some undeserved pot shots at Reagan, but Cannon seems to understand him better than most other biographers. His analysis of Reagan's political skills and instincts is worth the price alone.
April 5, 2008
Lou Cannon is the dean of books on Ronald Reagan. Having followed Reagan's career from the very beginning, Cannon has the insight and first hand knowledge of California politics to make this book very good.
Currently reading
September 16, 2011A good source of inspiration.
January 19, 2014
One of those well researched books that leaves one with a lot of facts but few insights. I preferred Wills' book. Even Morris' book was more comprehensive, although I wouldn't recommend it.
March 3, 2016
Read this some years ago. Excellent political biography.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews