Reaganland

America's Right Turn 1976-1980

De: Rick Perlstein

Narrado por: Samantha Desz, Jonathan Todd Ross, Jacques Roy, Gabra Zackman

A New York Times notable book of 2020

From the best-selling author of Nixonland and The Invisible Bridge comes the dramatic conclusion of how conservatism took control of American political power.

Over two decades, Rick Perlstein has published three definitive works about the emerging dominance of conservatism in modern American politics. With the saga's final installment, he has delivered yet another stunning literary and historical achievement.

In late 1976, Ronald Reagan was dismissed as a man without a political future: defeated in his nomination bid against a sitting president of his own party, blamed for President Gerald Ford's defeat, too old to make another run. His comeback was fueled by an extraordinary confluence: fundamentalist preachers and former segregationists reinventing themselves as militant crusaders against gay rights and feminism; business executives uniting against regulation in an era of economic decline; a cadre of secretive "New Right" organizers deploying state-of-the-art technology, bending political norms to the breaking point - and Reagan's own unbending optimism, his ability to convey unshakable confidence in America as the world's "shining city on a hill". Meanwhile, a civil war broke out in the Democratic party. When President Jimmy Carter called Americans to a new ethic of austerity, Senator Ted Kennedy reacted with horror, challenging him for reelection. Carter's Oval Office tenure was further imperiled by the Iranian hostage crisis, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, near-catastrophe at a Pennsylvania nuclear plant, aviation accidents, serial killers on the loose, and endless gas lines.

Backed by a reenergized conservative Republican base, Reagan ran on the campaign slogan "Make America Great Again" - and prevailed. Reaganland is the story of how that happened, tracing conservatives' cutthroat strategies to gain power and explaining why they endure four decades later.

©2020 Eric S. Perlstein. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Very strong finish to this 4-volume series

Riveting and informative. I think the weakest of this series was the third volume, although it was overall quite good. This last volume was excellent--a sobering examination of how Reagan won the 1980 election. There were multiple readers, all very good.

they bleep out a bunch of words

this is one of the best books I've read. however, some of these politicians said bad things, and instead of showing this they bleep it out

This Book is Censored by Audible

Several times in the book the “n word” appears in quoted remarks. Audible seems to think think the listeners are too sensitive to hear this word, even in context. Instead they replace the word with a short tone. It’s a disservice to the listener and a disservice to history. If you’re that sensitive don’t read history. There’s a lot of ugliness in human history. It’s not going to be changed by a narrator not saying the bad word.

An absolute must listen

Very informative - well researched and thorough. As a child of this era and history aficionado, this is a must-listen if you want to know how the country pivoted so sharply and swiftly.

This seemed like books within books - there was so much detail into events and the relevant players.

Enjoy!

Perlstein's Epic Conclusion

Perlstein's fourth insightful book detailing the decline of Democratic Liberalism and the rise of Conservative Republicanism delivers the same experience as its predecessors. He presents here the era of the Carter presidency and Reagan's triumph of 1980 in a way that makes much greater sense of the well-known broad conclusions of the period and still keeps you on the edge of your seat. Nothing seems pre-determined or set in stone, with history here being the result of human agency, accident, events, and contingency. Students of recent political history can't help but notice similar patterns in recent elections, from Reaganite election slogans, later reused ("Make America Great Again") to a recurring cast of characters, from the Bush family, young Donald Trump (who briefly appears), to Roger Stone. Throughout, the author manages to remain both open and critical to all sides, sympathetic when called for, but never pedantic or overly judgmental. The research is dense and masterful, and will bring the figures and movements (ERA, pro-life and pro-choice, Christian right, gay rights) to life, whether or not a person lived through this period). The only minor mark against the reading was that is was done by several people, all good, which required a little time to get used to for each. As with all of Perlstein's books in the series, this is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Reagan was not inevitable

A stunning retrospective on how a demagogue and his cronies were able to unwind the social, cultural, and political order wrought by the Greatest Generation after WW II. The author shows how Carter and his aids’ arrogance and fecklessness almost single handedly handed the presidency to an incompetent liar with exquisite theatrical skills, thus launching the modern American Taliban movement and American decline.

Amazing book

This is one of the best pieces of history I have ever read. Rick Pearlstein is an amazing writer because he illustrates political history within the context of social and cultural forces. His books are full of engaging anecdotes to illustrate the ideas that he is explaining. The result is history it is impossible to put down. I highly recommend this. I think he is at least as good as Robert Caro - And I love Robert Caro!

Great but held back by the actual history

Another great entry but not quite as good as the previous entries of Nixonland and The Invisible Bridge, largely because the scope of the story focuses so much on the cultural war issues of busing, LBGTQ rights, and abortion.

This is no fault of the author as it is simply reporting on the decisive issues of the day, but such issues are (and remain) much more morally draining to listen to than the other issues outlined in previous books (Vietnam vets infighting, the gold standard, price controls, the Moonies, labor unions, Watergate Babies, the ERA, the and more).

Best highlights: The rise and fall of the consumer protection movement, the consistent misfunctionings of the "Georgia Mafia" under Carter and their conflicts with fellow Democratic compatriots, and the in-depth look at Jimmy Carter's soul-searching and media disappearance that pre-empted the infamous "Crisis of Confidence" speech.

Least great highlights: Ronald Regan himself is actually quite boring. He appears to be a fairly vapid individual blessed with charisma and divine mission to be the vector of the conservative right. In practice, he ended up riding the tide more than causing the tide it appears.

Overall, this was good, but I reckon Nixonland and The Invisible Bridge were both better, with The Invisible Bridge being my favorite in the series that started with Before the Storm (which I have not read). Your mileage may vary.

Excellent

Just filling in the blanks of my youth. I was living in Hawaii and in the Navy. Seems I missed a lot. This is an excellent history and fits with what I remembered. I voted for John Anderson too.

Fascinating Looking Glass

It’s much easier to understand how we arrive at our current state after listening to this. Excellent deep dive.