Reagan: A Life in Letters

by Ronald Reagan, George P. Shultz (Foreword), Kiron K. Skinner (Editor)

Ronald Reagan may have been the most prolific correspondent of any American president since Thomas Jefferson. The total number of letters written over his lifetime probably exceeds 10,000. Their breadth is equally astonishing -- with friends and family, with politicians, children, and other private citizens, Reagan was as dazzling a communicator in letters as he was in person. Collectively, his letters reveal his character and thinking like no other source. He made candid, considerate, and tough statements that he rarely made in a public speech or open forum. He enjoyed responding to citizens, and comforting or giving advice or encouragement to friends. Now, the most astonishing of his writings, culled in Reagan: A Portrait in Letters, finally and fully reveal the true Ronald Reagan. Many of Reagan's handwritten letters are among the most thoughtful, charming, and moving documents he produced. Long letters to his daughter Patti, applauding her honesty, and son Ron Jr., urging him to be the best student he can be, reveal Reagan as a caring parent. Long-running correspondence with old friends, carried on for many decades, reveals the importance of his hometown and college networks. Heartfelt advice on love and marriage, fond memories of famous friends from Hollywood, and rare letters about his early career allow Reagan to tell his own full biography as never before. Running correspondence with young African-American student Ruddy Hines reveals a little-known presidential pen pal. The editors also reveal that another long-running pen-pal relationship, with fan club leader Lorraine Wagner, was initially ghostwritten by his mother, until Reagan began to write to Wagner himself someyears later. Reagan's letters are a political and historical treasure trove. Revealed here for the first time is a running correspondence with Richard Nixon, begun in 1959 and continuing until shortly before Nixon's death. Letters to key supporters reveal that Reagan was thinking of the presidency from the mid-1960s; that missile defense was of interest to him as early as the 1970s; and that few details of his campaigns or policies escaped his notice. Dozens of letters to constituents reveal Reagan to have been most comfortable and natural with pen in hand, a man who reached out to friend and foe alike throughout his life. Reagan: A Life in Letters is as important as it is astonishing and moving.

Genres: History, Biography, Politics, American History, Nonfiction, Autobiography, Presidents

934 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2003

About the author

Ronald Wilson Reagan was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party and became an important figure in the American conservative movement. His presidency is known as the Reagan era.
Born in Illinois, Reagan graduated from Eureka College in 1932 and was hired the next year as a sports broadcaster in Iowa. In 1937, he moved to California where he became a well-known film actor. During his acting career, Reagan was president of the Screen Actors Guild twice, from 1947 to 1952 and from 1959 to 1960. In the 1950s, he hosted General Electric Theater and worked as a motivational speaker for General Electric. Reagan's "A Time for Choosing" speech during the 1964 presidential election launched his rise as a leading conservative figure. After being elected governor of California in 1966, he raised state taxes, turned the state budget deficit into a surplus and implemented harsh crackdowns on university protests. Following his loss to Gerald Ford in the 1976 Republican Party presidential primaries, Reagan won the Republican Party's nomination and then a landslide victory over President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 presidential election.
In his first term as president, Reagan began implementing "Reaganomics", which involved economic deregulation and cuts in both taxes and government spending during a period of stagflation. On the world stage, he escalated the arms race, increased military spending, transitioned Cold War policy away from the policies of détente with the Soviet Union, and ordered the 1983 invasion of Grenada. He also survived an assassination attempt, fought public-sector labor unions, expanded the war on drugs, and was slow to respond to the AIDS epidemic. In the 1984 presidential election, he defeated former vice president Walter Mondale in another landslide victory. Foreign affairs dominated Reagan's second term, including the 1986 bombing of Libya, the secret and illegal sale of arms to Iran to fund the Contras, and engaging in negotiations with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, which culminated in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
Reagan left the presidency in 1989 with the American economy having seen a significant reduction of inflation, the unemployment rate having fallen, and the U.S. having entered its then-longest peacetime expansion. At the same time, the national debt had nearly tripled since 1981 as a result of his cuts in taxes and increased military spending, despite cuts to domestic discretionary spending. Reagan's foreign policies also contributed to the end of the Cold War. Though he planned an active post-presidency, it was hindered, after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994, and his physical and mental capacities gradually deteriorated, leading to his death in 2004. His tenure constituted a realignment toward conservative policies in the United States, and he is often considered an icon of American conservatism. Historical rankings of U.S. presidents have typically placed Reagan in the upper tier, and his post-presidential approval ratings by the general public are usually high.

Reviews

[Denise Bradshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK - upfront, I must admit that I consider Ronald Reagan to have been a great President; possibly the greatest in my lifetime.
That said, this is a great book. President Reagan wrote letters, many, many letters every single day of this life. This book is a treasure trove of information - from when he was in school, through his years as head of the Screen Actor's Guild, Governor of California and then as President. I am glad he was not alive for the electronic communication age - so much of his wit and wisdom would have been lost; for his style of communication takes time to create, read and absorb - it would not fit into the 'instant messaging' world most of us live in.
In the book are letters to family, loved ones, peers, fans, other world leaders, and even children who wrote to him as president. Each letter oozes warmth, kindness and charm.
This is a great book.

[Lindsay McMullen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reagan is one of my favorite presidents. I think, by reading his letters, it makes him seem more human. I absolutely enjoyed every bit of this book and would read it again. My grandmother gifted this to me, many years ago, and I am more than grateful for it!

[Al Lock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific book to get an inside look at the best President of the last half of the 20th Century.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

My hero! What can I say.
This is a coffee table book that I pick up and read a section or two at a time. It is a collection of correspondence from our beloved 40th President of the United States.
The letters are a mixture ranging from official state business to very personal correspondence with friends and family. It provides an insight to the mind and heart of a great man, and surely one of the five or six greatest presidents in our history.

[Patrick Duran · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book. It shows his intelligence and deep love of family. This is an in-depth account of his life through his letters and a surprisingly captivating account of the events throughout his life. He was not the idiot that the left made him out to be but rather an intelligent man who struggled with his party and his decision to eventually leave the Democratic party with his progression in political thought.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great man. This book made me wish I had known him and want to be more like him.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read, whether you liked his politics or no. I find it inspiring to read these correspondences, and have respect for those who take the time to acknowledge others.

[Sean Pfile · Rating 5 out of 5]

You read this and you wish we still wrote letters instead of quick emails...

[Neal Dearyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching.

[Kara Weir kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most beautiful writers and orators that ever lived.

[Jonathan]

None

[Joe Martin]

Reagan: A Life in Letters by Ronald Reagan (2003)

[Tstultz69]

Thoughts from a great president.

[Dave Darus]

Good so far

[Brenden]

Reagan: A Life in Letters by Ronald Reagan (2003)