The amazing life and autobiography of Ronald Reagan, detailing eight prosperous years as President of the United States, but also his life from childhood and careers embarked upon long before politics were a glimmer in his eye. The tenure of President Reagan represents some of the most remarkable times of any generation, and as lengthy as this book is, I found myself captivated by this first-person account.

As President Reagan was the oldest president to take office, there tends to be a memory perpetuated of him as this charismatic grandfatherly figure, of weathered appearance, and later afflicted by Alzheimer's disease long after his second term had ended. While these are representations of him, his youth as an athlete in small-town humble beginnings gives you more of the measure of the man to come. He is often remembered as an unlikely actor who was thought to be an even unlikelier candidate for the highest office in the land, but before he was either of those things, he was a sportscaster simply working hard to make a living. You get a strong sense of his work ethic and it was genuinely exciting to follow the rise of this young man.

Once politics enters into this book, it is as relentless as the passion exhibited by Ronald Reagan to become Governor of California. Reagan actually started out his career as a Democrat, which may surprise people, and it wasn't until his examination of Democratic policies and the influence of his older brother did he change his allegiances. As reluctant as Reagan was to embrace politics, officially, at first, he takes the bull by the horns to enact changes he believes in that are for the betterment of his constituency.

Family plays a strong role in Reagan's life, and his devotion to Nancy is beautiful and admirable. Strangely, his first marriage to Jane Wyman is barely mentioned by him - no more than a sentence, I believe, despite producing two children. I believe President Reagan remains the only man to hold that office as a divorcee, if I'm not mistaken. Regardless, it is comforting to hear him discuss his family and the bond they all share as his incredible career unfolds.

Two areas of this autobiography gripped me like something out of a spy thriller. The first being the 1981 attempted assassination by the deranged John Hinckley Jr. I recall fairly vividly the news accounts of this occurring, but to actually read in his own words what it was like was positively chilling. Reagan's relationship with the Soviet Union is also fascinating, particularly as it pertains to nuclear disarmament, and programs such as the Strategic Defense Initiative, a.k.a. the "Star Wars" program. The Cold War was in full swing during the Reagan Presidency and there are so many great letters exchanged between Reagan, and Andropov and Gorbachev. There is a palpable sense of frustration on the part of all leaders.

President Reagan, essentially, defeated Communism. "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" will never, ever be forgotten. Reagan in his own words in this book represents a form of outstanding leadership the likes of which has never been seen since he left office, and is particularly relevant today, in lieu of the utter lack of leadership and questionable motives of the current administration. Furthermore, this book is a terrific lesson in leadership in general. President Reagan has a tenacity and admirable fervor that allowed him to get things done. While this is largely a treatise on the life and politics of the 40th President of the United States, it is so much more than that overall, and is more of the measure of a great man. Highly recommended.

There are many books worth reading about Reagan, but it sure is fascinating to hear his story from the man himself.

This was a good laugh. It was required college reading.

Written shortly after the end of his presidency, Ronald Reagan tells the story of his life before and during it. Forget what the pundits have said; Reagan tells how things were for him and what his family and political views were really like, and he explodes a lot of myths about himself.

His father was an alcoholic but not a bum; Ronald had a poor childhood but not more miserable than most peoples'. He was strong and athletic, a necessity for him to keep working to survive, and he talks about his hardships and political education during the Great Depression, as well as what his family went through, and what he dreamed of and how he had to change his goals as necessity demanded. He mentions his ten-year marriage to Jane Wyman and its surprise breakup (nothing to do with politics), his romance with Nancy, and how his political views changed as he saw how government actually worked (not always well) and how Soviet infiltration in America was no paranoid myth.

His movie career declining (partly because of his having been head of the Screen Actors' Guild), he moved to television, and decided (at first reluctantly) to become governor of California, and his path to becoming elected President. He describes how he interacted both with Congress and other nations and why he made the decisions he made, and is not shy about admitting his failures as well as his successes. No ego trip this, just straight talk.

I listened to abridged audio version of the book read by the President himself. First time reading the autobiography of a Republican President and I found it generally disappointing in the same way as Obama and Clinton’s in that it is rather generic, though this one slightly more interesting due to the longer time since he was in office and that he is of an older generation so his childhood is a bit more interesting.

Only real news was that FDR had originally run on a platform of reducing government. Reminded me of Elon Musk’s explanation of his move from Democratic Partt support, due not to changes in his own positions but to their having leap frogged him to the left. I admire people who are independent enough to develop and stick to their principles when their party starts chasing votes off in a different direction.

I don’t generally care for abridged versions of books, but I guess I’ll probably never get around to checking out the full one.

An incredible autobiography about one of the greatest American Presidents ever. He was truly a great man and a great American.

From his hand you learn the man behind historic and personal events. I came to know him as a real person and how his decisions directed his life, influenced others and helped shape a nation and the world.

I enjoyed it. Gave me a new perspective on the Republican party.

I picked up this book while joining my son's class field trip to the Reagan Library, I believe that the sorry state of U.S. politics prompted me to read this and yearn for a time that was filled with hope and promise.

Although his story is a remarkable one set at a pivotal moment in modern history, autobiographies tend to ask the reader to overlook amateur writing in favor of catching a glimpse into the mind of an interesting person. The latter made 726 pages tough to get through, but some may enjoy the very intimate view he offers into his life story.

I was most struck by how many themes and challenges remain so in 2016. Threats of terrorism, immigration & trade issues, taxes & entitlements, etc. In many respects, the conversation was incredibly similar, but with a leader who genuinely believed in and loved his country. I wish we had such an option today. Perhaps the words of Imagine Dragons sum it up best.

"And the walls kept tumbling down
In the city that we love
Great clouds roll over the hills
Bringing darkness from above

But if you close your eyes,
Does it almost feel like
Nothing changed at all?
And if you close your eyes,
Does it almost feel like
You've been here before?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?"
-Pompeii Lyrics | MetroLyrics

Maybe I'll keep 'em closed until 2020.

As someone who wasn't born until the late eighties, I am too young to remember the Reagan presidency, or even that of the elder Bush. The first Commander in Chief I remember with any clarity was Bill Clinton, and I still learned a lot more about the office of United States President as I got older, especially when "W" was in the White House. So, though I'd heard a lot about Ronald Reagan from my parents and other significantly older individuals, reading about his life and times from his own perspective was an eye-opening experience.

President Reagan and I had some things in common: We were raised in Christian homes, and we were early readers. An early memory he shared of being able to read the newspaper easily at only five years old reminds me of how surprised everyone was I could read pretty much anything--even a high school science textbook--when I was a mere kindergartener. As someone who has always loved entertainment, reading of President Reagan's time in Hollywood was fun. I could see why people often say that movies aren't what they used to be.

Where the book really got crazy was after Reagan was elected as leader of the free world. Between an assassination attempt, health scares, death in the family, and especially the tensions with the U.S.S.R., his time in the White House was tough...but, he and the former First Lady showed admirable strength and courage despite adverse circumstances.

As great as this book is--and it's the longest one other than the Bible that I've read in a while...but I loved it--I do have to issue one complaint: Some profanity--not all of which is censored--is included; though I know this is a true story, it's still a bit unfortunate, and may bother some discerning readers.

So interesting to learn more about where Reagan came from and what shaped his values and ideas over the years. He was a gifted writer, speaker and skilled negotiator, that's for sure. But he also had a degree in Economics, which influenced many of his decisions. For history buffs, he gives a detailed account of his dealings with Russia and other threatening nations.

Following along with the audiobook on portions of the hardcover in my case, I am always a fan of an autobiography when read by the author. While the audio version is abridged, it was very well-edited and made for an excellent curation of the hardcover's contents.