Ease Reading-Find Your Next Favorite Book

Hot Search

Reagan's Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All

craig shirley fred barnes

... Show More
Today's political scene looks nothing like it did thirty years ago, and that is due mostly to Reagan's monumental reshaping of the Republican party. What few people realize, however, is that Reagan's revolution did not begin when he took office in 1980, but in his failed presidential challenge to Gerald Ford in 1975-1976. This is the remarkable story of that historic campaign-one that, as Reagan put it, turned a party of "pale pastels" into a national party of "bold colors." Featuring interviews with a myriad of politicos, journalists, insiders, and observers, Craig Shirley relays intriguing, never-before-told anecdotes about Reagan, his staff, the campaign, the media, and the national parties and shows how Reagan, instead of following the lead of the ever-weakening Republican party, brought the party to him and almost single-handedly revived it.

417 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1,2005

This edition

Format
417 pages, Hardcover
Published
January 1, 2005 by Thomas Nelson Inc
ISBN
9780785260493
ASIN
0785260498
Language
English

More editions

About the author

Profile Image for craig shirley

craig shirley

... Show More
Craigan Paul Shirley is an American political consultant and author of several books on Ronald Reagan.

Readers also enjoyed

Community Reviews

Rating(4.2 / 5.0, 24 votes)
5 stars
11(46%)
4 stars
6(25%)
3 stars
7(29%)
2 stars
0(0%)
1 stars
0(0%)
24 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Haiyaya
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
... Show More
I just finished this excellent book about Ronald Reagan's 1976 presidential campaign, where he challenged the incumbent president, Gerald Ford. Craig Shirley's writing is clear, precise, and pulls the curtain back on the campaign that made Reagan a truly national political figure who would eventually win the white house in 1980. Some of the best parts of the book are the accounts of the battle at the GOP convention in Kansas City. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading Shirley's follow-up book about Reagan's winning presidential campaign in 1980.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Nefi_HRamos
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
... Show More
It's written from the perspective of a Reagan disciple and is built on the premises of the conservative movement, so it needs to be read with a grain of salt. But Shirley has done a lot of research and it's hard to dispute his premise that the 1976 Republican primary had a major impact on the future shape of the Republican Party, and in a more indirect way, America.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Icouto
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
... Show More
Really good filling in of the gaps on Reagan. Focuses exclusively on the 1976 Republican primary with Gerald Ford. Great introduction to Reagan's influence on the Party.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
butterflyeffectt
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
... Show More
Reagan's Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All by Craig Shirley (2005)
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
1dubloon
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
... Show More
A punchy, entertaining and incredibly detailed account of the 1976 GOP Primary, truly one of the most important yet least heralded campaigns in American history.

Shirley covers it all, from delegate battles to campaign infighting to grand strategy. Really a compelling story, especially for anyone interested in the goings-on of political campaigns, left or right.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
gatoqliooo
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
... Show More
A detailed look at the primary process...and an interesting race.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
MikeMike
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
... Show More
Great historical account of the '76 Republican Primary nomination between Reagan and Ford. Even though Regan lost, it is the story of what launched him and and the conservatives within the party to prominence.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
keisha13ph
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
... Show More
Craig Shirley never disappoints. This was a very deeply insight look at the 1976 campaign for president. There were a lot of details that just show such a great level of research and insight done by the author. I really learned a lot about the heated contest between Ford and Reagan during this time, even to the point of almost never being reconciled. Definitely highlighted a section of history that is nearly forgotten.
0 0 Reply
Leave a Review
You must be logged in to rate and post a review. Register an account to get started.