Reagan, In His Own Hand: The Writings of Ronald Reagan that Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America

by Kiron K. Skinner, George P. Shultz (Foreword), Annelise Anderson (Editor)

Presents a collection of never-before-seen annotated documents that prove that Ronald Reagan served as the intellectual architect of the 1980s prosperity and of the strategy that won the Cold War. 50,000 first printing.

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

576 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Kiron Kanina Skinner is an American political scientist. She was Director of Policy Planning at the United States Department of State in the first Trump administration. Skinner is presently the Taube Professor of International Relations and Politics at the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy, where she teaches graduate courses in national security and public leadership. Prior to that, she was the Taube Professor of International Relations and Politics at Carnegie Mellon University, and the founding director of the Institute for Politics and Strategy and associated centers at the university. She is also the W. Glenn Campbell Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University. After leaving the Department of State, she returned to her position at Carnegie Mellon University until stepping down in 2021.
She co-authored two books on Ronald Reagan: In His Own Hand (2001) and Reagan, a Life in Letters (2003), which were New York Times bestsellers. In 2005, Skinner was appointed by President George W. Bush to a term on the National Security Education Board.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throughout my life, almost all of my friends have been liberals, and if they were politically inclined at all, liberal Democrats. I remember well how so many people were shocked at the "lack of qualifications" for the presidency Reagan was supposed to have exhibited, forgetting that he was a two-term governor of the nation's most populous state. He was often thought of as an easy-going dunce, and it's certainly true that he took much of the nation by surprise when he won the presidency in 1980. This collection of radio addresses from the 70s illustrate his work ethic and his far-ranging intellect. "Talk radio" as we know it today had not been invented yet, but Reagan exploited the medium to maximum advantage in the 70s, in a mode perhaps pioneered by Paul Harvey. As a libertarian, I cheer his ringing defenses of capitalism and the free market, as well as his scathing critiques of the communist and socialist direction the world was taking in those years. I cringe to some extent at his social conservatism, and think that his insistence on massive defense spending turned out to be not as necessary as was thought, as Communism was bound to collapse anyway, but who's to say. The presentation of the book is fascinating as we see his crossouts and edits for each radio address. Here we see how the "Great Communicator" honed his gift to the point where he was able to claim the ultimate prize of the presidency. Well worth study for anyone who wishes to communicate ideas effectively to a general population.

[Nooilforpacifists · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book consists of largely Reagan's 1970s radio scripts, found written in his own hand on stacks of legal paper--this was pre Peggy Noonan. Back then, he had a 3 minute spot to talk about any topic of his choice.

It is impossible to read this book and not realize that Reagan was exceedingly well informed, highly intelligent and a good thinker. Once more, he had a component of intelligence so lacking in other politicians (say Jimmy Carter): he could summarize the important matters for his audience. For all their other virtues, neither Bill Clinton nor either Bush possessed that ability. I'll skip over the current occupant of that position.

Not just the U.S. but other Western leaders (hello David Cameron and François Hollande) could use that talent now.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned what a true conservative's views are. He was authentic and true passionate and optimistic. He was the best president in my generation.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic insight on this great American. It is very easy to read and enjoy watching his reasoning abilities.

[Todd Stockslager · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review title: The Honorable Politician

Edited, with an introduction and commentary by Kiron K. Skinner, Annelise Anderson and Martin Anderson, with a foreword by George P. Schultz.

I am conflicted by reading this book. I voted for Reagan twice and consider him the best president of my lifetime. Now 50 years later I disagree with some of his positions in these addresses, yet I respect his intelligence and thoughtfulness to writing them out in longhand. These are Ronald Reagan's ideas in his words, not those of a speech writer or political advisor or "influencer" (I detest both the word and the concept). One of my motivations in reading this book was to try to understand how voters who supported Reagan could now support Donald Trump. And I do see some of the roots of MAGA frustration in Reagan's words like these: "I cannot & would not tolerate the 'arrogance of officialdom' that has made govt. overbearing & interventionist in it's attitude toward those it was created to serve." (p. 469). But transferring support from Reagan--who I would call an honorable man, as old-fashioned and anachronistic as that word may sound to describe a politician today--to Trump, the most despicable and dishonorable human being I've ever encountered in my lifetime of reading in American history and government, to me remains unfathomable.

Reagan, in 1980 while campaigning for President, stated his "three broad requirements" for recovering American pride and world leadership. "First it must be based on firm convictions, inspired by a clear vision of, and belief in Americas future. Second, it calls for a strong economy based on the free market system which gave us an unchallenged leadership in creative technology. Third, and very simply we must have the unquestioned mil. ability to preserve world peace and our national security." (p. 472). He did not propose to make America great again by closing our borders and unleashing trade war on the world. Instead he said this: "We have been a refuge for the persecuted & down-trodden from every corner of the world for 200 yrs. Today some of us are concerned by the latest influx of refugees. . . . We worry about our capacity to care for them. I don't believe we should turn them away. But let's do a better job of exporting Americanism." (p. 486)

The book concludes with Reagan's 1994 letter in his own hand announcing his diagnosis of encroaching dementia. "I now begin this journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead." (p. 499). This honorable man made America great.

But let's look closer at what is between the covers. This series of short radio broadcast scripts that Reagan wrote out longhand on yellow legal pads and recorded from 1975-1979 were written before his eight years as President gave him the opportunity to put much of his philosophy into practice. This is Reagan in his own voice and thought processes literally in his own longhand, with crossed out sections and abbreviations and the occasional misspelled word and anachronistic punctuation. The editors provide examples of the originals to show how they have transferred the words and edits to the typeset book pages to preserve the original. Not many politicians then or now would have the intelligence or patience to do this.

One of Reagan's top-of-mind worries then--of a weak-willed America being overrun by a more powerful and willful Soviet Union--were resolved by his buildup of American military strength and his moral leadership that broke the global power of Communism, expressed so succinctly in his call to "Tear down this wall!". He wrote on May 4, 1977 "The U.S. could find itself isolated in a hostile world with a succession of bitter choices between war & surrender. Only by mustering a superiority, beginning with a superiority of the spirit," (p. 112-113) could Reagan foresee a brighter future, and his political and moral leadership enabled that future for rhe next 30 years.

For Reagan, America was great from our founding and inherently always would be: "from our Founding Fathers to present day leaders the plea was for social justice, decency & adherence to the highest standards man has evolved in his climb from the swamp to the stars. From the Soviet leaders came calls for treachery, deceit, destruction & blood-shed." (p. 15). "Govt. has no greater responsibility than to protect even the least among us whereever he may be in the world if his right to life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness is being unjustly denied." (p.50).

Ronald Reagan wrote this last quote in 1976. Now that Donald Trump is denying legal residents of the United States due process and shipping them to foreign prisons run by dictators, apparently the party of Reagan and Lincoln no longer believes this. Are these men and women native-born Americans with American birth certificates, the argument I have seen FB friends use to justify Trump's actions? No, but they are still "the least among us" because many are here legally and have the right to due process under our constitution and legal system. Without it, the time will come when none of us will have those constitutional rights.

Someone once said every form of govt. has a single characteristic which forms the basis for it's power; if that is lost the govt. falls. Monarchy for example is based on the affection & respect of the people for the Royal family. When that respect & affection disappears the monarchy falls. Dictatorship is based on fear, it is successful only so long as the people fear the dictator. In a Democracy the underlying principle is virtue, when that is lost the democracy fails & ceases to exist. (p. 61)

Reagan summarizes a 1975 "what-if" story about an America in which "Thousands of people have been jailed without any legal process such as serving warrants and none have been brought to trial. Many thousands of others have fled the country.". The projected cause of this dystopia in 1975 was "A group of military officials stage a coup and take over the govt." (p. 130). In 2025 the scenario has become reality by a free election and the willing complicity of one political party.

One of his broadcast scripts describes his research after he was challenged on the veracity of the statistics on political prisoners he used in a speech. He went back to his original source at Amnesty International and after accounting for a typo and differing opinions within the organization he reported a lower number. (p. 157). This kind of serious attention to facts and data are no longer evident in the Republican Party of Trump. In another example of the shift from common sense to falsehoods, Reagan writes about seasonal agricultural labor that the US Department of Labor (then under a Democratic--"liberal"--administration) insisted be done by unemployed US citizens, not illegal aliens. "But it makes one wonder about the illegal alien fuss. Are great numbers of our unemployed really victims of the illegal alien invasion or are those illegal tourists actually doing work our own people wont do? One thing is certain in this hungry world; no regulation or law should be allowed if it results in crops rotting in the fields for lack of harvesters" (p. 302).

The editors note that while Reagan was known and remembered as a socially conservative President, "in the five years from 1975 to 1979, these issues took a backseat in Reagan's essays. Of seven of the important social issues that would later be much discussed-drugs, family values, abortion, gun control, gay rights, school prayer, and immigration-we can find only a trace in his writings. In all he devoted less than 3 percent of his radio addresses to these questions. The topic that received the most attention, drugs, had eight essays--all on the potential dangers of marijuana. A few were written on gun control laws; none on gay rights; one on immigration. Only one essay concerns abortion" (p. 375). In that one (which the editors printed alongside the original handwritten script showing how heavily it was edited by Mr. Reagan, p. 380-385) Reagan admits he had given little thought to the issue before his term as Governor of California, and now logically and humanely concludes that while abortion takes the life of a "living human being", the mother should also have the right to defend her own life in cases of medical necessity and rape. It is a level of thought and compromise so missing from the issue today.

And a level of thought and compromise so missing from all issues in the political landscape today. Reagan was an honorable man. This honorable man made America great.

[Ced Crawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ronald Reagan was a man of principles, feeling, and understanding. He believed in the rights of all men as inherently given by the Creator, just as the Founding Fathers of America articulated in the Declaration statement.

In this collection of writings by the late POTUS, one sees clearly the reflection of Reagan's deeply thought-out ideas and further, the deeply held convictions which were the root and core of those ideas.

As a person who watched Reagan in office as a young boy, and whom especially observed his influence with interest during the waning years of the Cold War, I was particularly moved and impressed by the earlier writings assembled which reveal his younger years' thoughts on International Communism and the advance of the Soviet Union across the world.

However, Reagan's insights did not stop there, and this collection of his thoughts - be they on the economy, the American social condition, or on our relationships to our allies abroad - was a revealing and insightful read into the mind of one of America's most considered late-20th Century presidents and the history he helped to shape.

I congratulate the CFR team whose patience and scholarly research put together this tome for history.

[Jon Angell · Rating 5 out of 5]

As one of my reading goals this year I wanted to read a book of at least 500 pages, and this is it. I am so glad I choose this one as it was packed with so much good an varied content that it was worth the extra time and effort. My biggest regret is not taking the time to take notes and mark the book as I went through it.

I had an admiration and respect for President Reagan before I started this book. The book clearly explained Reagan's policy positions, thinking, thought processes and an insight to a well developed work ethic. A common swipe from Reagan critics is that he was intellectually and politically empty and merely delivered his lines convincingly as a good actor would. Clearly the many examples in this volume gave ample evidence that nothing could be further from the truth. Reagan's all around talent and intelligence ran both deep and broad.

Having lived through Reagan's presidency and having lived through the events mentioned are so much more real and understandable after reading through his writing..... This was very interesting and will no doubt a text that will rest in a prominent place on my shelf to reference, review and cherish ....

I miss the man.

[Marilyn Hartl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable collection of writings by a guy who changed the way of thinking of many former democrats. Seeing the hand-written notes of one of the nation's finest leaders is an inspiring thing...knowing that he wrote so much of his own material gives one assurance that his leadership was from the heart, and that his wisdom as expressed to the nation was his own. We are fortunate that he wrote in longhand...there won't be records of this sort for future leaders...the digital age has ended this sort of gift to the nation.

[Jane Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love a great original source and this is an insight one on Ronald Reagan.

[Margaret Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a ten-star book. It is a very unusual format: printed transcriptions of a selection of handwritten notes that Ronald Reagan composed during his public career, mostly the short essays that would be read aloud as radio commentaries during the second half of the 1970s prior to his presidency. The book’s text imitates typescript that includes crossed-out words, misspellings, and parenthetical notes to himself or to aides about the ideas therein expressed. Limited editorial asides, a Foreword, an Introduction, and an extensive Appendix help to clarify a reader’s understanding of context and sometimes historical events that motivated and influenced Reagan’s ideas and philosophy.

Essentially, the ideas expressed by this self-taught man demonstrate how well-informed he was. His knowledge of history, his keen observance of human behaviors, and his effort to study cause and effect in both the economic and social practices of people all contributed to his personal philosophy—and to his dedicated belief in free exchange between free peoples and devotion to the United States Constitution and the nation that abides by its law.

In a calm, reasoning way, he explained his ideas to those who would be his radio listeners—and now posthumously to us who may read them, thanks to a handful of researchers who found some boxes full of handwritten notes long since stored away (some initially retrieved from wastebaskets where he himself had discarded them).

A final section of the book adds personal Reagan compositions beyond the radio addresses. All show a consistency of integrity and thoughtful reasoning throughout his life, culminating in his short eight years as president of the USA.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to all who contributed to the project of reproducing these important words. They were timely when they were written and are timely now in 2022. In fact, I suggest that Ronald Reagan’s ideas are timeless. They are kind, understanding, sensible, carefully reasoned, and desperately needed.

I challenge America’s college professors to assign this book to students of history, students of economics, students of social studies, and students of political science. And I challenge the students and their parents to read it carefully on their own. “Listen” to it. We can all learn much from it.

[Kevin Findley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply put, this is a collection of some of Ronald Reagan's radio addresses from before, during, and after his time as Governor of California. Also included are a number of personal notes to friends, staff, and colleagues from that time and leading up to his first term as President. It was originally published in 2001.

The subjects Reagan covered are the same ones now dominating the headlines today: The economy and how to grow it so everyone can benefit, Progressive extremists interfering with government and higher learning, the growing threat of a Communist country (now China rather than Russia, but the parallels are stunning) and many others.

Some of the former President's observations are so spot-on for today's issues, you would almost think he wrote them after binge watching the news services over a three-day weekend. Reagan had a solid understanding of the roots of these problems and the ability to explain them so anyone could understand. Take your time reading them, I found myself remembering some of the original broadcasts and went diving into many of the data sources.
 
The last entry is Reagan's final public statement. This covered his diagnosis of Alzheimer's in 1994 and his wish that his beloved Nancy, family, would be spared the pain that would bring them. If you don't get at least a little choked up reading it, there may be something wrong with you.

Highly recommended for fans of Reagan, conservative thought, or biographies in general.

Find it! Buy it! READ IT!

[Rachel Shallenberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is really interesting to read commentary on current events in the 1970s. A lot of the conversations back then in politics are the exact same that we're having now. It was a little tough to read because the editors even left the errors in the text as well as crossed-out words, and it was lacking in commas and other things that make it more readable. It makes it seem more authentic, but it is difficult to reach through. Overall, I wanted to read this to get more perspective on history, and this accomplished that well. It took awhile to read. I did admittedly skip most of the last section, "Other Writings." I read the rest. Cool book! Worth a look, even if you don't read the whole thing and only pick topics you're interested in (there is an index in the back). Recommended for adults with mild, non-intense interest in history, haha!

[Andy Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! This book was written by Ronald Reagan, but unintentionally. It's a collection of his radio program from 1975 to 1979 plus addition writings from 1924 to 1993. It's all in his own hand, with his own voice and his perspective on issues of the times in which he lived.

Most of these were written while he was traveling. He was a constant writer, writing letters, speeches, and radio programs nearly every day.

Aside from giving an excellent perspective of his personality, views, and life, it serves as a crash course for the politics and current of the mid-to-late 70s. I lived through that time, going from junior high school through college and my first job.

I'd say this book is a must-read for any historian of the time, of the Presidency, or a fan of President Reagan.

[Jason Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of radio address transcripts and letters is very informative for those who wish to study Reagan in depth, but not so accessible to readers seeking a more surface level treatment of Reagan's thinking.

[Jonny Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read. Saw a lot of these speeches and essays in the Reagan Library itself in Simi Valley.

[James Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those who think President Reagan was a "dumb actor" read this sand see the brilliance of his thoughts on life and America!

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

These selections were literally in his own hand: they’re retyped from his longhand notes. They are mostly for his radio show, in 1975 until he began his campaign for the Republican nomination in late 1975, and then again from 1976 to 1979 until he his campaign for the Republican nomination then.

The radio shows were each about five minutes long. They are fascinating in their own right, and also interesting to see how he edited for clarity in such a short format. It’s also obvious that he was an economics major; he speaks a lot about what economists would call second-order effects, although of course he does not use that phrase. He uses that style of thinking not just on economics but also on human rights.

Let our State Department take heed—a little less detente with the politburo and more encouragement to the dissenters might be worth a lot of armored divisions.

And on peace. It is almost incomprehensible today, but back in the seventies our official national, and global, strategy to avoid war was literally mutually-assured destruction. There wouldn’t be any war, because if there were a war, everyone would die.

This is insane. And Reagan recognized its insanity. This was the reason for the Strategic Defense Initiative. The goal was to ensure peace by ensuring survival rather than ensuring death.

Most of these were radio shows; while Reagan did not keep his handwritten notes after they were typed up, some survived the wastebasket; his team was constantly trying to save them for posterity.

There are also a few writings from his high school days, that I’d probably have left out in favor of more radio shows. They’re fine essays/fiction for a high-schooler, but they don’t really tell us anything about Ronald Reagan, especially without the purpose for which they were written—the school assignment does not survive, just the answer.

There are also some handwritten speeches from his campaigns, and one especially interesting handwritten speech from shortly after he took office. It’s partly his handwriting and partly a prepared speech, so it’s interesting to see how he edited his speechwriters and even replaced what they wrote.

The major flaw with the book is also what makes those edits interesting: reproducing handwritten edits is difficult. The editors here do so by using all-capitals for some edits, and italics for a different kind of edits. Even after reading through five hundred pages I was still unable to avoid seeing all-caps and italics as emphasis. There also appears to be a systematic error throughout the notation. It looks as if crossed-out text appeared at the top of a printed page, the strikethrough disappeared. This is the only way to make sense of some of the sentences.

Another problem with their faithfulness to the original is that Reagan preferred to give speeches from notecards rather than large sheets of paper. In order to keep the number of notecards small, he abbreviated heavily. Even though his radio shows were not read from notecards he still wrote with this in mind, and many of his notecard habits filtered into his handwritten notes. I also suspect that he wrote some words with pronunciation in mind. These “misspellings” are reproduced faithfully here, which is a little disconcerting at first, although, unlike the all-caps and italics, it is easy enough to get used to.

The radio shows are organized by topic rather than chronologically; they are all interesting and most of them fascinating. Many would make for a topical collection even today. It was also interesting reading this while also reading some science fiction that had been written concurrently with them, Gene Wolfe’s The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories, because Wolfe’s final story in that collection echoed many of Reagan’s concerns, extrapolating a desolate future for the United States if they weren’t addressed.

“This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening.”

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of radio chats written by Reagan himself, not a chronological book with a narrative. However, it is truly an amazing work, almost like a bible of Regan's political beliefs spelled out by himself. Each essay is only one to two pages on average and clearly labeled so it is great to pick-up, flip through to a topic that interests you, and read for a few minutes. It truly reveals a man who, while widely considered popular, was also thought by many to not be too smart (forgetting that the man had an advanced degree in economics..."Reagonomics" wasn't actually thought out by a trained economist). These essays, however, show great wisdom and a wide depth of knowledge by this man. His genuiness, sincerity, honesty, and candor come to life within these pages.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually haven't finished this book because I only get to it every few months or so. It's a collection of Ronald Reagan's radio addresses in the years before he became president. They explain his vision of the world and his policies. I'm a huge fan of RR and every now and then, when I'm so frustrated with the current state of the union, I'll pick up the book and read pure common sense and wisdom. Very refreshing. I think that's why I'm taking so long to finish this book. I'm savoring it slowly in the moments I need it most.

[Chris Henn · Rating 5 out of 5]

To anyone interested in the thinking behind the thinking of our 40th President, this is a must read. Written as short radio commentaries he delivered from 1975-1979, these policy statements form the bedrock of his Presidency. George Schultz once commented "He knows so little and accomplishes so much." This book reveals the true Reagan genius that went beyond his title as the "Great Communicator".....

[Nick S · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book explained his life on how he lived before his political lifestyle. Where he was born and how he got into politics, also he alsmost lived a century, before politics he was an actor. Also Star Wars was introduced at this time and created into a movie also had to do with the cold war that he helped stop.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very insightful for those who wanted to know more about the man behind the legend. This book outlines almost every side Reagan took during his political, from the Economy and Foreign Policy, to Social Issues and Education. Must read for anyone wanting to know more about good ol' RR.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent sketch of how Reagan viewed the world. This book provides great evidence that Reagan's vision while in office was his own; it was a vision he outlined during his radio addresses in the 70's.

[Anthony O'Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reagan wasn't just a politician spouting what he felt the masses wanted to hear or what would make him popular...he believed every word! These speeches, letters, and radio addresses came way before he even thought about the Presidency or Governorship.

A MUST READ!

[R2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

audio book - They don't call him the great communicator for nothing. Whether you agree with conservatism or not, Reagen is a giant who told it like it is. His heart aligns with his purpose. Highly recommended.

[Daniel Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Eye Opening And Entertaining

This book offers a lot if eye opening experiences and insights about Ronald Reagan and his political beliefs and the times he lived in. It was also very entertaining.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a good book. I like this book because it talks about his life. All of his accomplishments are remembered still today. He was a good man and stood for what he belived in. That is why I like this book and I give this book a 5 stars.

[Josh Ayer]

Explodes the myth of his supposed stupidity. You don't have to like the ideas but you will understand his lucid and well written point of view.

[Joe Martin]

"Reagan, In His Own Hand: The Writings of Ronald Reagan that Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America by George P. Shultz (2001)"

[Jon Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable and insightful.