Ronald Reagan Our 40th President

by Winston Groom

From the author of Forest Gump , The Aviators , and The Generals ...
He was one of America’s true greats. As president, he changed the world, developing a successful strategy for defeating Communism, toppling the Soviet Union, and liberating Eastern Europe (while hardly firing a shot). And just as important, he restored an America that had found itself mired in a malaise of falling living standards, moral decay, and what seemed like inevitable decline.

Though he was our oldest president, Reagan acted as a tonic, rejuvenating America’s economy, restoring her confidence, and attracting a majority of young voters won over by his vision of making America once again a shining city on a hill.

In this superlative biography for young adults, bestselling author Winston Groom—author of Forrest Gump —gives us the full Reagan, from his Midwestern American boyhood, to his early career as a radio sports announcer, to his days as a Hollywood star and his extraordinary political career as a union leader, governor of California, and president of the United States.

Covering the gamut of Reagan’s dramatic life, Ronald Our 40th President is essential reading, as inspiring as its subject.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, School

200 pages, Paperback

First published February 7, 2012

About the author

Winston Francis Groom Jr. was an American novelist and non-fiction writer, best known for his book Forrest Gump, which was adapted into a film in 1994. Groom was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Mobile, Alabama where he attended University Military School (now known as UMS-Wright Preparatory School). He attended the University of Alabama, where he was a member of Delta Tau Delta and the Army ROTC, and graduated in 1965. He served in the Army from 1965 to 1969, including a tour in Vietnam. Groom devoted his time to writing history books about American wars. More recently he had lived in Point Clear, Alabama, and Long Island, New York.

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for content, 4 for writing. It's more journalistic in tone than literary, and occasionally feels choppy in the cursory outline of some historical events. That being said, Reagan's character shines through, and this is a great fit for middle school and early high school students. Groom does a great job of outlining the many ways Reagan promoted democracy and fought against communism and totalitarianism, not just during his presidency but for many years prior. I'm glad my students will be reading this biography as the final text for their study of the 20th century. Those who don't know much 20th century may need some further explanation at times (or perhaps their appetite will be whetted to read more about the Great Depression, WWII, and the rest!). This is a hopeful biography that looks most closely at its subject against a historical backdrop rather than the sort of biography that uses someone's life to teach history as it happened. Both have their place, but it's worth knowing which is which.

[Beth Koehler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting more of an unbiased book, but this was filled with so much bias it was hard to take completely as fact. I actually found a factual error in the book, which lessens the credibility of the entire book.

[Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very boring.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent little biography for middle schoolers.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nifty little bio aimed at high schoolers>/b>

Published by Regnery Publishing, Inc. in 2012.

Winston Groom, forever to be known as the author of Forrest Gump, has busied himself with a series of non-fiction books as of late. His latest is this short biography, Ronald Reagan: Our 40th President. The publisher lists this book as "juvenile nonfiction" but this adult also enjoyed this 148 page biography.

This is not a controversial "let's set the record straight" book. I detected no political bias except for the fact that is a generally friendly book towards Reagan. That being said, Groom covers the lows of Reagan's personal (strained relationships with his children, for example) and political life (Iran Contra - it gets more attention than almost any aspect of his presidency) and covers them as thoroughly as a book of this size should.

This is a great book for high school students because it is easy to read, does not dwell on topics for too long and covers all parts of Reagan's life well, not just his eight years as President...

Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2012/...

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light read geared toward young people, but a very good introduction to the greatest modern president. I believe the founding fathers would have been comfortable leaving the country in Reagan's hands.