Making of the Great Communicator: Ronald Reagan's Transformation From Actor To Governor

by Kenneth Holden

One week after Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for governor of California, the San Francisco Chronicle “It was simply a flagrant example of miscasting.” Reagan was tanking, and his businessmen backers panicked. Their bold experiment was about to fail. Then a think-tank friend suggested the expertise of two UCLA social pyschologists. Kenneth Holden and Stanley Plog agreed to take the job only if they could have three full days alone with Reagan. The candidate and his backers agreed, and the three men disappeared into a Malibu beach house. Those three days remade the bumbling neophyte into an articulate, confident politician whose devastating sound bites shredded the opposition. Holden or Plog remained by Reagan’s side for the rest of the campaign, feeding him information about California’s problems, teaching him to handle the press, writing his position papers, and helping develop the programs he offered, all while battling factions of the campaign team who seemed determine to sabotage their own man. Not everyone who voted for Reagan supported his positions, but voters preferred his honesty and forthrightness to the waffling of other politicians. Reagan won by a landslide. Holden and Plog had shaped an actor into a governor, but they were also turning a governor into a president. Here is the untold story of how they did it.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Biography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published September 4, 2012

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good info

Good info but you gotta skim to get to it. Could've been shorter. I liked it overall. Worth a read

[Daniel Bush · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great history- Straight from the Horses's Mouth

Quite interesting on how close Reagan came to losing before he started. These two guys were in the right place at the right time!

[Janet Eshenroder · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two and a half stars. I had enjoyed Ben Cramer's book, "What It Takes: The Way to the White House" and assumed this would be similar: What kind of personality and background leads a man to run for political office, how does he survive the challenges of running for office, and how does campaigning change him and his original priorities? Cramer had gotten us inside the politicians' heads.

Yes, this book did cover the details usually released to the public, but it contained far less than I wanted about Ronald Reagan (I should have researched the book more before choosing it). This book is really about the behavioral psychologists who joined Reagan's campaign team.

The work of Kenneth Holden and Stan Plog was a turning point in how campaigns were run, and the insider information about people behind the scenes was interesting. This is a great book to read during an election year. It is a book for those interested in campaign management. It will paint a glowing picture of Reagan and conservative ideals, fighting against liberal bias and oppression.

In the end, the Reagan described in this book remains someone who is amiable, fiercely dedicated to conservative principles, able to put crowds at ease and inspire devotion. It becomes clear how he became the "Teflon President." While the reader can watch Reagan's effect on other people, Reagan himself remains an actor, a man who never lets anyone get close enough (other than Nancy) to see beneath the public image. That part was a disappointment.

If you are looking for an unbiased, in-depth study of a legendary president, this is not the book. If you always adored or admired Reagan (and still do), this will be right up your alley.

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free from goodreads giveaways.

I didn't sign up to get this particular book so I believe there was a mix-up at the publisher's mailing house. I am glad. I was born in '74 and there were a couple of presidents before Reagan in my lifetime but for some reason Reagan is the first president I remember. There was a lot going on in that time and from my memory (notice I am judging by my memory and not by the history books) Reagan handled things quite well. I was a young man and life was innocent and carefree. (As far as I knew anyway.) This book introduced me to a Reagan I never knew existed. This book is about the B actor who couldn't land a leading role but landed himself in the governor's seat in California. This is about the road that got him started towards the White House. This was a great read, not boring me with facts but giving me enough so I could follow the thoughts and intents of the time. Holden does a wonderful job of introducing us to the human side of Reagan - jokes and all. This book also introduces us to new ideas and philosophies concerning everyday life. Holden was on the ground level of a new science that was getting ready to take off...Psychology. Little did Holden and Plog realize that the ideas they were using in the 60's would be used in the presidential election in the 2000's. Just a really solid book. I enjoyed it greatly.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I switched party affiliations in 1979 so I could vote for Regan in the primary, and then voted for him in the subsequent national election. To this day, he is the only president I have voted for that was worth my vote. Unfortunately.

As far as this book is concerned, it was a trip down memory lane reading all the politicians' names and the events of the 60s. My family had just moved from Los Angeles to Sacramento in 1962 and I remember when Regan was elected govenor. They were pretty "heady" times. The author is very conservative, and some of his phrasing regarding the 60s is harsh. But, again it was the 60s and conservatives were having heart attacks. However, if you liked Regan, then you will enjoy the book. Regan is portrayed as the man that I grew to admire even when I was wearing my liberal/Democratic hat.

[Debbie Jacob · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are no footnotes and only a short bibliography to a book that is more a biography of Reagan than the story of how two psychologists turned Reagan from an actor to a politician. Even that is suspicious because there's only one person left who can make that claim to have transformed Reagan into a politician. That story begins on page 132 and the three chapters devoted to that story are thin on detail. The author veers off course at times to make cutting comments about democrats rather than sticking to the story. It's really hard to believe that someone who came off as natural as Reagan had to be turned into a politician, and if it is true, there needs to be more proof. Very disappointing.

[Kasey Cocoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written captivating tale of the steps taken to bring an unknown into greatness. For anyone who remembers Reagan this is a quick insight into those early years without anything to distract us from a cherished individual. Certainly something I'd want on my bookshelf.


Free advance copy provided through goodreads First Reads. Many thanks for the privilege to read this book.

[Carl Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought it was excellent. Very different perspective on the inexperience of Ronald Reagan and his transformation from an aging actor who seemed like just another gentleman to an understanding, down-to-earth communicating genius.

Thoroughly loved it. Learned a lot about Reagan I didn't know. Definitely inspired me to read more about him.

[Rob Mcniff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book. If you are Reagan fan then this book is right up your alley. It gives wonderful insight on what started the greatest president on his path into politics. Its full of information but not boring. It makes you want to turn the page and see whats next.

[Emily Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Want to read!

[Robert Kradoska · Rating 3 out of 5]

a lesson in politics