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Reagan's Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All
Today's political scene looks nothing like it did thirty years ago, and that is due mostly to Reagan's monumental reshaping of the Republican party. What few people realize, however, is that Reagan's revolution did not begin when he took office in 1980, but in his failed presidential challenge to Gerald Ford in 1975-1976. This is the remarkable story of that historic campaign-one that, as Reagan put it, turned a party of "pale pastels" into a national party of "bold colors." Featuring interviews with a myriad of politicos, journalists, insiders, and observers, Craig Shirley relays intriguing, never-before-told anecdotes about Reagan, his staff, the campaign, the media, and the national parties and shows how Reagan, instead of following the lead of the ever-weakening Republican party, brought the party to him and almost single-handedly revived it.
417 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
24 people are currently reading
319 people want to read
About the author
Craig Shirley
19 books51 followersCraigan Paul Shirley is an American political consultant and author of several books on Ronald Reagan.
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November 3, 2018
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Craig Shirley's "Reagan's Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All" was published in 2005. It is the first of four books by Shirley focused on various aspects of Ronald Reagan's national political career and retirement. Shirley is an author and pubic affairs consultant, a member of the Board of Governors of the Reagan Ranch and a Trustee of Eureka College (Reagan's alma mater). His most recent book "Citizen Newt: The Making of a Reagan Conservative" was published in 2017.
For most of its 346 pages, "Reagan's Revolution" is a day-to-day account of Ronald Reagan's provocative (and nearly successful) 1976 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Before the campaign is fully underway, however, three introductory chapters provide a helpful review of the decline of the Republican Party from the early 1960s through the mid 1970s and set the stage for Reagan's reappearance before a national audience in 1975.
Shirley's narrative is generally straightforward and comprehensible - avoiding the stiff, high-brow style that can burden some biographies. But it can sometimes feel too casual or unsophisticated, and it rarely provides the reader with a wonderfully fluid, colorful or captivating style which calls attention to a literary work of art. Far more often it resembles a collection of interesting facts massaged into a history text.
The most valuable aspect of the book is its detailed, behind-the-scenes look at Reagan's 1976 campaign. But for some readers that will also be its most challenging feature. "Reagan's Revolution" is too detailed (and too narrowly-focused) for readers unfamiliar with Reagan's pre-presidency and, ironically, not thorough or penetrating enough for those already familiar with the broad brushstrokes of the campaign.
But the "fly-on-the-wall" perspective Shirley provides can be engrossing and Reagan's 1976 campaign provides the author with an opportunity to tackle previously uncovered ground. And while his literary voice is not nearly as engaging as David Stewart's (in his book covering Andrew Johnson's impeachment) or Candice Millard's (in her book on Teddy Roosevelt's post-presidential expedition through Brazil's rain forest), Shirley does add a layer to Reagan's complex portrait.
Fascinating to many readers will be the insightful (but usually far too brief) introductions to supporting characters such as James Baker, Donald Rumsfeld, Michael Deaver and Lyn Nofziger. Shirley may have intentionally avoided allowing these ancillary characters to slow the book's pace, but extra time and focus on some of them could have provided greater context as well as a more captivating narrative.
More troubling, however, are "big picture" issues which are never fully addressed: who was Ronald Reagan as he prepared to take the national stage? What, at his core, did he believe (or articulate) that uniquely positioned him to challenge a sitting president from his own party? Was the tight race between Reagan and Ford the result of a widespread hunger for Reagan's brand of politics, or disenchantment with the incumbent's intrinsic dullness?
Overall, Craig Shirley's "Reagan's Revolution" is a relatively brief, but fairly detailed, exploration of Reagan's 1976 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. This book's value depends significantly on the reader. Someone familiar with Reagan's life up to 1975 is likely to find this book quite interesting (and regret it does not dive deeper); for most everyone else, it will raise more questions than it answers.
Overall rating: 3½ stars
Craig Shirley's "Reagan's Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All" was published in 2005. It is the first of four books by Shirley focused on various aspects of Ronald Reagan's national political career and retirement. Shirley is an author and pubic affairs consultant, a member of the Board of Governors of the Reagan Ranch and a Trustee of Eureka College (Reagan's alma mater). His most recent book "Citizen Newt: The Making of a Reagan Conservative" was published in 2017.
For most of its 346 pages, "Reagan's Revolution" is a day-to-day account of Ronald Reagan's provocative (and nearly successful) 1976 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Before the campaign is fully underway, however, three introductory chapters provide a helpful review of the decline of the Republican Party from the early 1960s through the mid 1970s and set the stage for Reagan's reappearance before a national audience in 1975.
Shirley's narrative is generally straightforward and comprehensible - avoiding the stiff, high-brow style that can burden some biographies. But it can sometimes feel too casual or unsophisticated, and it rarely provides the reader with a wonderfully fluid, colorful or captivating style which calls attention to a literary work of art. Far more often it resembles a collection of interesting facts massaged into a history text.
The most valuable aspect of the book is its detailed, behind-the-scenes look at Reagan's 1976 campaign. But for some readers that will also be its most challenging feature. "Reagan's Revolution" is too detailed (and too narrowly-focused) for readers unfamiliar with Reagan's pre-presidency and, ironically, not thorough or penetrating enough for those already familiar with the broad brushstrokes of the campaign.
But the "fly-on-the-wall" perspective Shirley provides can be engrossing and Reagan's 1976 campaign provides the author with an opportunity to tackle previously uncovered ground. And while his literary voice is not nearly as engaging as David Stewart's (in his book covering Andrew Johnson's impeachment) or Candice Millard's (in her book on Teddy Roosevelt's post-presidential expedition through Brazil's rain forest), Shirley does add a layer to Reagan's complex portrait.
Fascinating to many readers will be the insightful (but usually far too brief) introductions to supporting characters such as James Baker, Donald Rumsfeld, Michael Deaver and Lyn Nofziger. Shirley may have intentionally avoided allowing these ancillary characters to slow the book's pace, but extra time and focus on some of them could have provided greater context as well as a more captivating narrative.
More troubling, however, are "big picture" issues which are never fully addressed: who was Ronald Reagan as he prepared to take the national stage? What, at his core, did he believe (or articulate) that uniquely positioned him to challenge a sitting president from his own party? Was the tight race between Reagan and Ford the result of a widespread hunger for Reagan's brand of politics, or disenchantment with the incumbent's intrinsic dullness?
Overall, Craig Shirley's "Reagan's Revolution" is a relatively brief, but fairly detailed, exploration of Reagan's 1976 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. This book's value depends significantly on the reader. Someone familiar with Reagan's life up to 1975 is likely to find this book quite interesting (and regret it does not dive deeper); for most everyone else, it will raise more questions than it answers.
Overall rating: 3½ stars
January 11, 2008
Yeah, another one of those where I don't agree with the politics, but it's a really fascinating story.
March 1, 2007
A detailed look at the primary process...and an interesting race.
October 23, 2024
Ronald Reagan’s presidency has, as I’ve discovered in recent months, been a rich gold mine for writers of late 20th century American politics and history. Yet what came before the presidency and the man himself can feel elusive in those accounts. Craig Shirley’s Reagan’s Revolution, published mere months after the former president’s passing, offered a look at an often overlooked portion of Reagan’s rise: his ultimately unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination against incumbent Gerald Ford.
Shirley’s book (the start of an entire series by the author on Reagan through his presidency and passing) is an all encompassing portrait of the 1976 Republican campaign through to the convention in Kansas City that summer. One that takes in Reagan’s campaign, as evidenced by the title, from early wooing (including for a potential third party run, such was the state of the GOP post-Watergate) through the final battle for delegates at the convention. Readers are introduced not just to Reagan’s team but also that of Ford whom, still settling into the White House, found himself facing a serious and unexpected challenge from the former California governor. Shirley offers a sometimes day by day, even hour by hour, account of the decision making and back room wheeling and dealing that turned Reagan from former governor into a serious contender for the presidency. For a political junkie or historian, there’s times when Shirley is able to make the sometimes dry party process and historical facts come alive.
That attention to detail also mires the book down. The opening third or so of the book is a dry recounting of the Republican Party’s presidential electoral history for the quarter-century or so leading up to the 1976 campaign. A process that takes in Eisenhower, Goldwater, and Nixon and what Shirley decries as the party’s race to either the center or, at worst, the big government of the left. From there, the minutia of the early campaign bogs the book down even longer, as does Shirley’s repetitive (conservative) messaging. Like so much of the Reagan reading I’ve done, much of the book seems to be preaching to the choir rather than trying to make an actual objective case to future generations.
Which is understandable given how the man himself is portrayed. Reagan, despite being the notional central figure of the book, is only alive in his public appearances and campaign stops. Beyond that are only the most occasional and nearly single word explorations of his thoughts, mood, or personality as events unfolded. Indeed, one gets a better sense of Ford as an unlikely President dealing with a national campaign he seemed ill-prepared for more than of who Reagan was in 1975-76 as events unfold. The message, not the man, is what shines through.
Which is perhaps the ultimate point of Shirley’s book. Reagan lost the battle in 1976, but ultimately won the war by pushing the Republicans farther to the political right. The message and the perception won and, nearly a half-century later, we are still living with the consequences. Reagan’s Revolution documents an overlooked part of that journey, but does so often frustratingly.
Shirley’s book (the start of an entire series by the author on Reagan through his presidency and passing) is an all encompassing portrait of the 1976 Republican campaign through to the convention in Kansas City that summer. One that takes in Reagan’s campaign, as evidenced by the title, from early wooing (including for a potential third party run, such was the state of the GOP post-Watergate) through the final battle for delegates at the convention. Readers are introduced not just to Reagan’s team but also that of Ford whom, still settling into the White House, found himself facing a serious and unexpected challenge from the former California governor. Shirley offers a sometimes day by day, even hour by hour, account of the decision making and back room wheeling and dealing that turned Reagan from former governor into a serious contender for the presidency. For a political junkie or historian, there’s times when Shirley is able to make the sometimes dry party process and historical facts come alive.
That attention to detail also mires the book down. The opening third or so of the book is a dry recounting of the Republican Party’s presidential electoral history for the quarter-century or so leading up to the 1976 campaign. A process that takes in Eisenhower, Goldwater, and Nixon and what Shirley decries as the party’s race to either the center or, at worst, the big government of the left. From there, the minutia of the early campaign bogs the book down even longer, as does Shirley’s repetitive (conservative) messaging. Like so much of the Reagan reading I’ve done, much of the book seems to be preaching to the choir rather than trying to make an actual objective case to future generations.
Which is understandable given how the man himself is portrayed. Reagan, despite being the notional central figure of the book, is only alive in his public appearances and campaign stops. Beyond that are only the most occasional and nearly single word explorations of his thoughts, mood, or personality as events unfolded. Indeed, one gets a better sense of Ford as an unlikely President dealing with a national campaign he seemed ill-prepared for more than of who Reagan was in 1975-76 as events unfold. The message, not the man, is what shines through.
Which is perhaps the ultimate point of Shirley’s book. Reagan lost the battle in 1976, but ultimately won the war by pushing the Republicans farther to the political right. The message and the perception won and, nearly a half-century later, we are still living with the consequences. Reagan’s Revolution documents an overlooked part of that journey, but does so often frustratingly.
October 13, 2017
L'autore è una Vestale del Reaganismo, religione che , a più di 10 anni dalla morte del suo fondatore , è tuttora una dominante del pensiero politico americano. In questo, uno dei molti libri dedicati al suo eroe , Shurley studia, con perizia americana , la campagmna elettorale del 1976, o meglio la corsa alla "nomination" repubblicana, che vide Reagan soccombere a Ford , il quale poi perse in autunno contro Reagan, nei , per il GOP, difficili anni post-watergate.
l'autore riconosce il valore "seminale" della , per quanto ancora avccerba, campagna reaganiana , nel ridefinire e rifondare il GOP per gli anni a venire, spalancandogli poi, nel 1980 le porte della Casa Bianca
Al Reagan del 1976 mancava ancora la teoria della Supply side ecomics, pietra angolare del reaganismo economico, ma non le idee morali, vera e propria ulteriore pietra che lo ha portato ad essere , più che un Presidente, un leader morale mondiale, a tutt'oggi imprescindibile.
l'autore riconosce il valore "seminale" della , per quanto ancora avccerba, campagna reaganiana , nel ridefinire e rifondare il GOP per gli anni a venire, spalancandogli poi, nel 1980 le porte della Casa Bianca
Al Reagan del 1976 mancava ancora la teoria della Supply side ecomics, pietra angolare del reaganismo economico, ma non le idee morali, vera e propria ulteriore pietra che lo ha portato ad essere , più che un Presidente, un leader morale mondiale, a tutt'oggi imprescindibile.
May 26, 2010
Of the many Reagan volumes which occupy my library, Craig Shirley's account of the 1976 campaign was inspiring - it made me feel as though I was right there on the campaign trail with Reagan. Reagan's close loss to an incumbent President Ford established the legitimacy of the conservative movement on the national stage, setting the tone for 1980. (I recently purchased Shirley's follow-up "Rendezvous with Destiny" about the 1980 campaign).
December 13, 2020
Given my grandfather’s role in the book, I’m clearly biased in my enjoyment of it but it was truly excellent
March 20, 2022
While this is an interesting book and covers an interesting campaign, the author is not the most skilled writer. He tends to repeat the same points, sometimes on the same page.
The author is a strong admirer of Reagan which is fine. But he tends to gloss over certain issues. For example his only discussion of the racist wing of the Republican party and whether or not Reagan was tied this wing, is a brief discussion that amounts to saying: Reagan had black friends.
There isn't much insight here, and the discussion of the 1976 election doesn't seem to add much to Witcover's book written shortly after the 1976 election.
The author is a strong admirer of Reagan which is fine. But he tends to gloss over certain issues. For example his only discussion of the racist wing of the Republican party and whether or not Reagan was tied this wing, is a brief discussion that amounts to saying: Reagan had black friends.
There isn't much insight here, and the discussion of the 1976 election doesn't seem to add much to Witcover's book written shortly after the 1976 election.
May 24, 2024
Craig Shirley never disappoints. This was a very deeply insight look at the 1976 campaign for president. There were a lot of details that just show such a great level of research and insight done by the author. I really learned a lot about the heated contest between Ford and Reagan during this time, even to the point of almost never being reconciled. Definitely highlighted a section of history that is nearly forgotten.
September 12, 2025
I had to fight my way through the first half of the book. It was interesting and a great review of history. It really picked up in the last third of the book. It makes you understand better what happened and why we are where we are today. Reagan was likable. He was not intelligent and the book demonstrates that fact. Running for the Republican nomination in 1976 won him the election in 1980. Craig Shirley did a very nice research job on the book.
January 3, 2022
This is a good book. Not great, not fair, but good.
It includes a lot of detail about a campaign in which I had very little knowledge of. It's about a campaign that if a thousand moments would have occurred differently might have changed America forever.
Easy to ready. Great supporting documentation. I recommend this book.
It includes a lot of detail about a campaign in which I had very little knowledge of. It's about a campaign that if a thousand moments would have occurred differently might have changed America forever.
Easy to ready. Great supporting documentation. I recommend this book.
July 21, 2025
Craig Shirley is an amazing biographer. Reagan is my favourite PRESIDENT of the last 150 years and Shirley does an amazing job of bringing the 76 campaign he waged to unseat Jerry Ford to life. What a fascinating tale.
November 24, 2020
It’s a solid read and a great story. Its more of a history about the evolution of the Republican Party.
November 17, 2021
Good history but not Shirley's best book. Still, a strong ending and makes the case very well that the 1976 campaign that came so close to succeeding, changed the course of history.
January 14, 2017
Craig Shirley's "Reagan's Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All" seemed like a good place to start to gain a better understanding of modern-day conservatism. This book, one of Shirley's many on the subject of Reagan, is an important link in elucidating the rise of conservativism that began with Goldwater and reached its apogee during the presidency of Ronald Reagan.
Although well written and thoroughly researched, my chief complaint with this otherwise excellent book is that it is far more detailed than what I was looking for. For a Reagan scholar, which I am not, I suppose Reagan's Revolution is indispensable reading. It seems to leave no detail untold about the thrilling state-by-state primary battles leading up to the 1976 Republican convention in Kansas.
Reagan came very close to clinching the Republican nomination in 1976. It would be interesting to speculate on how a Reagan victory might have changed the course of history had his presidency begun in 1977 instead of 1981. But the subject of this book is not speculative; rather, it is the story of how Reagan's bold and relentless challenge to the incumbent Ford helped to reconstitute and solidify the conservative movement.
Reagan's Revolution certainly helps the reader understand the man who boldly bucked the trend of the more moderate side of the Republican Party that grew out of the Nixon and Ford administrations. Conservative policies that ultimately prevailed during Reagan's presidency were not fully evolved at this point of his political career. But Reagan's brand of conservative populism coupled with his magnetic personality did much to displace the elitism the dominated the leadership of the Republican Party prior to 1976 election.
I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in an in-depth understanding of the 1976 election and the Republican Party. But if time or interest do not allow, one can also glean the essence of this scholarly book by reading the first few and final four chapters of the book. In sum, this book is the story of how Reagan's loss to Ford in 1976 was nonetheless the beginning of his path towards his monumental victory in 1980 and the seismic political shift that was marked by his presidency.
Although well written and thoroughly researched, my chief complaint with this otherwise excellent book is that it is far more detailed than what I was looking for. For a Reagan scholar, which I am not, I suppose Reagan's Revolution is indispensable reading. It seems to leave no detail untold about the thrilling state-by-state primary battles leading up to the 1976 Republican convention in Kansas.
Reagan came very close to clinching the Republican nomination in 1976. It would be interesting to speculate on how a Reagan victory might have changed the course of history had his presidency begun in 1977 instead of 1981. But the subject of this book is not speculative; rather, it is the story of how Reagan's bold and relentless challenge to the incumbent Ford helped to reconstitute and solidify the conservative movement.
Reagan's Revolution certainly helps the reader understand the man who boldly bucked the trend of the more moderate side of the Republican Party that grew out of the Nixon and Ford administrations. Conservative policies that ultimately prevailed during Reagan's presidency were not fully evolved at this point of his political career. But Reagan's brand of conservative populism coupled with his magnetic personality did much to displace the elitism the dominated the leadership of the Republican Party prior to 1976 election.
I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in an in-depth understanding of the 1976 election and the Republican Party. But if time or interest do not allow, one can also glean the essence of this scholarly book by reading the first few and final four chapters of the book. In sum, this book is the story of how Reagan's loss to Ford in 1976 was nonetheless the beginning of his path towards his monumental victory in 1980 and the seismic political shift that was marked by his presidency.
March 20, 2010
A fascinating inside look at the 1976 Republican Primary campaign between incumbent President Gerard R. Ford, the only appointed president in our history, and former California Governor and Hollywood actor Ronald Reagan. It tells of how Reagan came close to wresting the nomination away from Ford. Ultimately the incumbent prevailed and went on to narrowly lose the general election to Democrat Jimmy Carter, but getting to that point was historic itself: This election set the stage for Reagan's victory four years later. Detailed page-turner that tells an interesting story of how the political process works.
November 27, 2009
Great insight into the 1976 campaign that really changed everything for the modern GOP. A lot of this is not "news" for anyone who is familiar with Reagan, but the huge cast of real-life people (many of whom were in their 20s and 30s who are still present today in politics), the amusing anecdotes for any political junkie, and the sheer comprehension of the fact that Reagan was challenging an incumbent, albeit a very weak one who was actually never elected to any of the executive branch positions he held - VP and President - make this for a good read.
January 2, 2016
I just finished this excellent book about Ronald Reagan's 1976 presidential campaign, where he challenged the incumbent president, Gerald Ford. Craig Shirley's writing is clear, precise, and pulls the curtain back on the campaign that made Reagan a truly national political figure who would eventually win the white house in 1980. Some of the best parts of the book are the accounts of the battle at the GOP convention in Kansas City. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading Shirley's follow-up book about Reagan's winning presidential campaign in 1980.
March 30, 2010
It's written from the perspective of a Reagan disciple and is built on the premises of the conservative movement, so it needs to be read with a grain of salt. But Shirley has done a lot of research and it's hard to dispute his premise that the 1976 Republican primary had a major impact on the future shape of the Republican Party, and in a more indirect way, America.
Read
August 6, 2011Great historical account of the '76 Republican Primary nomination between Reagan and Ford. Even though Regan lost, it is the story of what launched him and and the conservatives within the party to prominence.
Read
January 18, 2010Reagan's Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All by Craig Shirley (2005)
October 4, 2011
A very good read. He gets into the weeds a bit with very specific people and practices, but good nonetheless.
July 29, 2011
wow, what a time it must have been when the Republican Party actually had a conservative leader! Maybe someday it'll happen again.
October 16, 2013
Really good filling in of the gaps on Reagan. Focuses exclusively on the 1976 Republican primary with Gerald Ford. Great introduction to Reagan's influence on the Party.
April 2, 2017
A punchy, entertaining and incredibly detailed account of the 1976 GOP Primary, truly one of the most important yet least heralded campaigns in American history.
Shirley covers it all, from delegate battles to campaign infighting to grand strategy. Really a compelling story, especially for anyone interested in the goings-on of political campaigns, left or right.
Shirley covers it all, from delegate battles to campaign infighting to grand strategy. Really a compelling story, especially for anyone interested in the goings-on of political campaigns, left or right.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews