There is no audiobook for this book so please clap for me physically reading 726 pages

Excellent

I grew up in the 1980s. My teenage years cover most of Reagan's presidency, and I was brought up in a family that was instinctively against Reagan's agenda.

This said, I actually enjoyed the book. It looks at all aspects of this life (with a good chunk focusing on his pre-Presidential life, which was quite interesting), and after I read the book, I can see why they called Reagan the "Great Communicator." In short, the book was an interesting read.

Having said I found it a good read, It didn't necessarily change my view of Reagan's policies. I found myself thinking "Ah yes but have you thought about..." a fair bit, but he was more effective at explaining his views (compared to a lot of other politicians I've read in their autobiographies), which suggests I have have underestimated the man.

One thing Reagan did get me to think about, as I read the book, was the need to invest in the military. I'm aware there's a military-industrial complex, but the way his predecessors as President funded the armed forces, and the consequent level of morale made me think I'd have been a more "war-hawk" President, had I been in his position.

My biggest complaints about the book focus on his avoidance of Iran-Contra affair, which could have been handled more fully, and his insistence on the need for a "Balanced Budget" amendment to the constitution. The former made me feel like he was unwilling to take the blame for things, while the latter is just wrong economically. A little bit of debt to fund things that help the economy grow are effective, and have been proven to be so, time and again. That he doesn't acknowledge this, makes me wonder if Reagan really grasps that issue.

If the reader's goal is to learn the private thoughts and feelings of a great American president like Ronald Reagan, find something else to read and leave this one on the shelf. I set a goal to read and/or listen to all of the former Presidents' memoirs and An American Life on audiobook was the one definitely on my read first list. How disappointed I was! The audiobook is a little over 6 1/2 hours long. Six hours! For a two-term president? Obama, 34 hours. G.W. Bush, 20 + hours. Clinton, 54 hours! I learned nothing about Reagan that I could not have learned from his Wikipedia page. Most presidents discuss their presidencies at great length. All the details that made them men, leaders, and human. We learn their successes, their thoughts on failures, regrets and what kept them awake at night. Not with Reagan. Only the successes were discussed. He painted a Norman Rockwell-like view of his world, both of his childhood and his presidency. Yes, he discussed growing up in the depression and the struggles of his family but only briefly. What struck me as incredibly odd is that there is no mention of his first marriage to Jane Wyman. No mention of any of his children. It's like they did not exist. The world knows he was a divorced president with adopted children. No mention of the struggles that lead he and Jane Wyman to adopt. No discussion of what lead to his failed marriage. No mention of how the presidency affected his family, in particular, his children who were thrust into the public spotlight. And, of course, no mention whatsoever of any consequences or feelings on the Iran Contra Affair. Did he take us for fools?

Reagan is a brilliant orator and storyteller. The audiobook was read by himself which was the reason I gave this memoir the two stars I did. But, if one is going to write a book, SPILL! Or don't waste the reader's time.