From Dinesh D’Souza comes the fascinating biography Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader. A former member of the Reagan Administration, D’Souza brings a bit of an insider’s perspective as he examines Reagan’s unorthodox approach to politics and bold strategies. Additionally, he analyzes some of the criticisms and praises of Reagan (from both liberals and conservatives) and whether they were justified or not. The writing is especially good, doing an impressive job at breaking down the issues and explaining the politics of the time and at showing how Reagan was a visionary who went against conventional thinking. Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader is a remarkably interesting and engaging exploration of the enigma that is Ronald Reagan.

D'Souza includes a short history of current events in the 60s and 70s that led to the challenges faced by Gov. and Pres. Reagan. That was very helpful for me. This seems to have been written during a time when Reagan wasn't yet considered "one of the greats" like he is today (to me!). I had a hard time putting this book down.

“There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit” - RR

If I could give this book zero stars, I would.

Funny how many correlations between him and Romney there are....continues to make me glad I am a Republican, but sounded like just a good guy overall. No one ever truly understands DIFFERENT.

In this chapter of the book the author explains how Reagan looks like he is a bad politician because he was an average student at a school that wasn't very good which made him not a very smart man. It was also said that he was a distant person and hard to talk to.

In this chapter it is extensively discussed how the tax cut policies that Reagan put into place effected America. It was good for some people but during this time a lot of people were laid off of their jobs. It was also discussed how Reagan admired hardworking Americans.

In this chapter of the book the main focus is how Reagan dealt with the cold war. It discuses how he is often criticized for the way he handled it but as usual the author defends Reagan but the evidence is not very strong so one could think he did not do a good job.

In this chapter it describes how when Reagan was governor in the 1960s he developed his interest in the nuclear missile defense program. It said how he started it and how The Soviet union collapsed and the cold war came to an end.

In the epilogue of this book it was discussed how the presidents after Reagan performed while in office. It discussed there good and bad actions in office. The epilogue did not really touch upon his life afterward surprisingly.

This is one of the best biographical books I've ever read. By the end it had accomplished something all such books should aspire to; to make you feel as though you have spent time with the subject. The book is worth it alone for the chapter contrasting Reagan's prescience regarding the decrepitude of the Soviet Union with the gormless admiration demonstrated by Ivy League so-called experts.

I've always wanted to know more about Reagan and this was a great book to get to know him better. He truly was what a leader ought to be. Of course he had flaws, but he was who America needed at the time and he served selflessly and courageously - in a way that reminds me of how the founding fathers served, not as politicians, for power or gain, but as leaders and servants.

Because a Ronald Reagan installment in Arthur Schlesinger's "The American Presidents" series has not been released yet, I had to turn elsewhere for my next President fix. I chose the right source here, as Dinesh D'Souza crafts a marvelous bio of one of the more interesting Presidents in the history of the Oval Office.

What I like about this book is that even though it is relatively clear that D'Souza is a "Reagan fan", he starts the book with all the criticisms thrown at Reagan in the years since his presidency. He then systematically goes through all of those points, showing BOTH how they are wrong AND how they are right. D'Souza is ready to admit where Reagan may have been weak, while also more than willing to examine Reagan's critics and show where they may have been wrong as well.

I also like how D'Souza examines the personal side of Reagan as much as the political side, as he realizes the two are deeply linked. That is the approach I like in bios, where the author realizes that the personal affects the professional and vice-versa.

All in all, this bio of President Reagan was exceptional. D'Souza writes in a format that is accessible to all, while not dumbing-down the content whatsoever. In this glad, I'm kind of glad that I had to stray from my typical "American Presidents" series!

Reagan was a great man. So funny, steady and determined. He was unflappable. Such a rare character. The book was a great insight into all of his policies, character and his constant wit.

This was a great book about an incredible man--I read this right after we got back from our European trip, since we stood in Berlin and had Julie quote him as saying "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" and I had no idea he was that forceful during the Cold War. He also passed away while we were in Europe and there were things about him written in all the European papers. A man of great courage and conviction--I loved this biography.

If one was an adult in the 80s, there isn't much new here.
If you were born after that, it paints a realistic picture. Reagan was far from perfect, but he got a lot right.
Pleasant, easy read.