Book Review: The Reagan Diaries by Ronald Reagan

The Reagan Diaries by Ronald Reagan
HarperCollins
704 Pages
Copyright 2007

Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the United States. He is, without a doubt, a polarizing figure in American history. There can also be little doubt that he was, and still is, a much-loved figure in American history.

He was also the only President in the history of the United States to have kept a diary for his entire time in office.

There are so many markers in this book that I could literally tear them up and have enough confetti for a wedding reception. I doubt that I could pick any one quote and do the book any sort of justice so I'll settle for giving my thoughts on what I took away from the book.

The first thing I noticed was his complete, unending love for his wife, Nancy. He constantly remarks on how lonely the White House is when she is gone and how eager he is to have her back. Theirs is a truly remarkable love story, one told in a separate book titled "I Love You, Ronnie". It's also an amazing insight into the man.

The second thing I noticed was how crazy life becomes when you become President. Reagan's days were scheduled in 15 minute increments. What truly surprised me was the number of people who had to be fit into the schedule for nothing more than a photo op and a quick handshake. While I understand the necessity of such things (The March of Dimes poster child is every bit as important as a head of state.) I found myself wondering how anything got done.

The third thing? Reading the same names involved in politics back in the 1980's that are still involved in politics today has me believing in term limits. Seriously.

Finally, what also came through was Reagan's faith and love for his country and the American people. He believed in America, believed that the American people were capable of anything . . . and he believed that all government truly needed to do was get out of the way.

I'll leave you with one quote:

Thursday, January 19, 1989

. . . Then over to the Dr's. office - upstairs to shower. John H. came up & put a new bandage on my hand. Then it was final packing time. Dinner with Ted. Merme & Dennis went out to attend ofe of the Inaugural Gala's. And after signing a whole stack of pictures & letters brought by Jim Kuhn to bed.

Tomorrow I stop being President.

Recommendation: It's an amazing peek into the life of the President. It's also an insightful look into the man himself and it is well worth the read.