An American Life was an excellent overview of all-things Reagan. This autobiography would be especially useful to younger generations who wish to understand the challenges facing not only the United States but also U.S./Soviet relations post WWII to 1989. Ronald Reagan was known as the "Great Communicator", and it showed through his personable style of writing. One feels that despite flaws natural to mankind, as a leader, Reagan was at worst benevolent, and at best a President who's policies helped improve the nation's economy while promoting democracy and peace around the world.

A strong 3 stars with points off due to the length of the book and some repetition. Overall a good primer on historic events which I was too young to follow as they were happening. The direct excerpts from letters and notes does help extend the credibility. Reagan Smash!

President is the definitely one of the GREATEST presidents of all time! What a role model! I wish I lived during his presidency. I love his humor. I admire his perseverance. He never gave up on anything he put his mind to accomplish even when odds were stacked up against him. He was always committed and gave his 110% in everything he did.

"Mr. Reagan, then, is a somewhat different political leader from the bumbling idiot of liberal myth — in private a kind and gentle man, in politics a charming Machiavellian, economical in his use of power, manipulative in his use of people, and modest when it comes to sharing out the credit. In short, a master politician.

The problem of this book is that memoirs are a form of taking the credit and Mr. Reagan simply can't do it. A lifetime of not fully showing his hand has bred in him a style of amiable discretion that he simply can't shake. His talented ghostwriter, Mr. Robert Lindsey, captures his tone of voice perfectly. But the effect is a kind of literary muzak in which the harsh edges of the last decade's political battles are softened in recollection."

- John O'Sullivan's book review reflects my thoughts exactly. I think reading Steven F. Hayward's two part "Age of Reagan" series will provide me the friendly but fair introspection on a monumental political career that I hoped for from this memoir but failed to receive.

Very lengthy read- I'll admit I started skimming chapters towards the end- but I enjoyed reading some of his views on politics and national government.

A solid autobiography, but I do wish President Reagan had used additional sources to show exactly what was going on around him and how the press and his political enemies were shading the truth and even out and out lying.

For the most part, I believe he was being truthful, but when it came to the Middle East, he was bordering on being willfully naïve when it came to dealing with Iran, Syria, and Lebanon. Still, it is a very interesting story, and one that everybody with an interest in the office of the President should read.

Great book detailing the life of one of America's greatest Presidents!

Väga hästi kirja pandud elulugu ühe oma aja enim saavutanud riigimehe kohta, mis kõneleb nii töövõitudest kui ka tema enda sõnul raskeimatest hetkedest. Teada on, et loo pani kirja variautor, kes haltuurat ei teinud.

Muserdavad kirjeldused Dutch Reagani lapsepõlvest tekitavad koheselt usu American Dreami olemasolusse. Kolledž, esimene armastus, karjäär raadios spordireporterina ja hüpe Hollywoodi. Sealt edasi General Electricu kõnemehest poliitikuks esmalt California kuberneri ja hiljem USA presidendina. No kuidas siis ei ole siin tegemist näitega meritokraatiast?

Näitlejakarjäärist pakkus mulle enim huvi kirjeldus sellest, kuidas ametiühingute eesotsas viibides tuli Reaganil palju tegemist teha kommunistidega, kes igal rindel USA ühiskonda imbuda üritasid. Sealt tuli elukestev vihkamine selle režiimi vastu. Põhimõtetest rääkides ei saa Reagani puhul üle ega ümber vabariiklaste 11. käsust, millest ta hilisemates valimisdebattides juhindus - musta poriga loopimine kasuks ei tule.

Reagani vabariiklaseks saamise lugu on üldse huvitav. Demokraadi mõõt täis siis, kui tulumaks võttis pea kogu tema Hollywoodi sissetuleku ja suunas selle sotsiaalsüsteemi - mitte süsteemi endasse, vaid selle süsteemi ülalpidamiseks. Reagan sõnastas selle bürokraatia esimese reeglina - bürokraatia toidab bürokraatiat.

Pikalt on kirjeldatud tema suhtlust Gorbatšoviga. Palun mitte lugeda järgnevat, nagu ma kuidagi usuksin kommunismi kui maailmavaatesse, aga häirima jääb Reagani suhtumine, et ainult tema lahendused on alati õiged. Lõpuks teame, et mõnes asjas oli ta nõus leebuma, et jõuda Gorbatšoviga vajalike kokkulepeteni.

Soovitan raamatut kõigile neile, keda huvitab kogu 20. sajandi ajalugu, sest Reaganil õnnestus elada nii kaua, et ta sai seda kõike kõvasti kogeda. Ja kahtlemata ka kujundada, olles kindlasti üheks külma sõja suurkujuks, kelleta rohkem kui veerand sajandit tagasi toimunud sündmused poleks sellised olnud.

A book about the BEST PRESIDENT The United States Has ever had, A True Conservative Republican, There will never be anyone like him, True Conservatives : Regan, Buckley, Goldwater. Ronald Reagan Anti-Communist and Friend of the FREE WORLD. America Desperately needs someone like him again.

A straightforward and detailed look at the major parts of Reagan’s presidency including the Iran-Contra affair to his negotiations with the Soviet Union. Definitely a great source for Reagan’s administration as it is told in his own hand.

The Great Communicator has done it again! "An American Life" takes the reader from his birth in Tampico, Illinois to the return to California with mission accomplished. Ronald Reagan earned the moniker "The Great Communicator" for his ability to reach an audience. "An American Life" proves that he could do it in ink too. His writing is direct, easy to follow and engaging. The theme of the book is the optimistic world view of the Reagan we knew. There is little introspection. Reagan knew what he believed and told it with gusto! Many of the stories are ones with which we are familiar. This book is the Gipper's exposition of his belief in family values and the individual. The readers are drawn into the issues which defined the Reagan Administration.

As a frequent traveler in Reagan's native region in Northern Illinois, I found the narratives of his youth in Galesburg and Dixon and his years at Eureka College to be particularly interesting. The reader follows Reagan to Iowa and on to California. The sections on Reagan's years in Hollywood give the reader an insight into the movie world. The chapters on Reagan's involvement with the Screen Actors' Guild focus on his opposition to Communist domination of the industry.

Reagan's years in California politics are related with may of the stories we have heard, such as the student protesters who entered his office to tell him that his generation could not understand them because he did not grow up with the modern conveniences, to which he replied that his generation had invented them.

Reagan tells of his conversion, which began with the General Electric tour in the 1950s, from a liberal Democrat to a conservative Republican and from a reluctant candidate to an enthusiastic agent of destiny. From a reluctant governor, Reagan matured to a candidate who sought the presidency, not to be somebody, but to do something.

In the sections on his presidential years, Reagan goes through the issues, such as tax reductions, the military buildup, Supreme Court appointments, Middle Eastern diplomacy and Soviet relations. The exhilaration of the return of hostages contrasts with the pain of the return of bodies and disasters, such as the Challenger. Reagan's dealings with the Soviets pulled his car up and down the roller coaster of emotions.

Other than that, this was a slow and tediuos read.

America has faded over the years, but the hope that it was founded on still stands. Ronald Reagan, our 40th president, understood that hope. The hope of Liberty, Democracy, and Freedom was the hope of the Revolutionary War, and it still must be the hope today, along with the fact that "in God we trust." Without these things America is no longer America. We are the United States. This is profound, as although every state is unique, they are all (or at least should be) united under the hope we have in God and America. Ronald Reagan did not fight in the Revolutionary War for our independence, but he did still fight for our independence and freedom in other ways. At the time the United States was facing a threat greater than many it had seen: Communism. The Soviet Union had been like a great viper dripping poison on the world, infecting places like Vietnam, East Germany, Cuba, and countries in the Middle East and Southern Europe. Its poison could even be seen in America itself, (more on this when I finish Witness by Whittaker Chambers; it is a big topic of that whole book) from Hollywood to government. Being an actor in California, Reagan knew exactly what Communism was and its form in American society. Reagan spoke out against it as vehemently then as he did during his presidency, and he wasn't shy about criticizing the ideals and policies of Democrat politicians as well. When Reagan became president, he did everything he could to not only keep the world from destruction but also to promote worldwide peace. The most notable examples of this would be his painful striving in the Middle East to make peace between Israel and other Middle East countries (and believe it or not, Palestine was an issue then as well) and also with his relationship with General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. Reagan kept his friendship with Gorbachev and the Soviet Union at arm's length, though, knowing that the "Evil Empire" that was the Soviet Union was still very much a Communist country. This can be seen in Reagan's Berlin Wall speech, where he told Gorbachev that if he really wanted peace, that Gorbachev must tear down not just the Berlin Wall, but the entire Iron Curtain that Churchill warned the world about after WWII. Reagan also promoted the free market and tax cuts in America (very unpopular notions in today's society), creating economic prosperity while he was president. The deficit created during Ronald Reagan's presidency was a sour point, but ultimately Reagan did more good than harm. Reagan also (shifting away from politics) was simply a good guy. Despite being an actor in Hollywood (apologies to Hollywood actors), Reagan was able to keep his integrity, morals, and political ideals clear as crystal. He loved his wife Nancy wholeheartedly, and also his children, even though one of his daughters separated herself from their family after Reagan became president. Reagan also, I think, loved God, and understood the power and sovereignty of God. He knew the power of prayer well and would pray much during his presidency. This is a long review, and one that has surprisingly a lot of parentheses, but it must be known that Ron Reagan was truly one of the greatest presidents, and even Americans, in our history. "We did it. We weren't just marking time; we made a difference. We made the city stronger, we made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad. Not bad at all." - Ronald Reagan