Reagan

His Life and Legend

De: Max Boot

Narrado por: Graham Winton

In this “monumental and impressive” biography, Max Boot, the distinguished political columnist, illuminates the untold story of Ronald Reagan, revealing the man behind the mythology. Drawing on interviews with over one hundred of the fortieth president’s aides, friends, and family members, as well as thousands of newly available documents, Boot provides “the best biography of Ronald Reagan to date” (Robert Mann).

The story begins not in star-studded Hollywood but in the cradle of the Midwest, smalltown Illinois, where Reagan was born in 1911 to Nelle Clyde Wilson, a devoted Disciples of Christ believer, and Jack Reagan, a struggling, alcoholic salesman. Boot vividly creates a portrait of a handsome young man, indeed a much-vaunted lifeguard, whose early successes mirrored those of Horatio Alger.

And contextualizing Reagan’s life against American history, Boot re-creates the world in which Reagan transitioned from local Iowa sportscaster to budding screen actor.

The world of Hollywood from the 1930s to the 1950s would prove significant, not only in Reagan’s coming-of-age in such classics as Knute Rockne and Kings Row but during the twilight of his film career, when he played opposite a chimpanzee in Bedtime for Bonzo, and then his eventual emergence as a television host of General Electric Theater, which established his bona fides as one of the leading conservative voices of the time. Indeed, the leap to California governor in 1966 seemed almost preordained, in which Reagan became a bellwether for a nation in the throes of a generational shift.

Reagan’s 1980 presidential election augured a shift that continues into this century. Boot writes not as a partisan but as a historian seeking to set the story straight. He explains how Reagan was not only an ideologue but also a supreme pragmatist who signed pro-abortion and gun control bills as governor, cut deals with Democrats in both Sacramento and Washington, and befriended Mikhail Gorbachev to help end the Cold War. A master communicator, Reagan revived America’s spirits after the traumas of Vietnam and Watergate. But Boot also shows how Reagan was armored in obliviousness. He traces Reagan’s opposition to civil rights over forty years, reveals how he neglected the exploding AIDS epidemic, and details how America experienced a level of income inequality not seen since the Gilded Age.

With its revelatory insights, Reagan: His Life and Legend is no apologia, depicting a man with a good-versus-evil worldview derived from his moralistic upbringing and Hollywood westerns. Providing fresh examinations of “trickle-down economics,” the Cold War’s end, the Iran-Contra affair, as well as a nuanced portrait of Reagan’s family, this definitive biography is as compelling a presidential biography as any in recent decades.

“This is a timely and fascinating book, just what we need to understand, and perhaps transcend, our current age of political paralysis and polarization. Understanding Reagan is key to understanding our politics today.”—Walter Isaacson, author of Elon Musk and Steve Jobs

©2024 Max Boot (P)2024 Recorded Books

Remarkable biography of a political giant

A remarkable biography of Reagan. Going through his upbringing and childhood and through his entire career as a sportscaster, actor, and politician, the author provides a detailed and engrossing portrait of Reagan. While clearly bringing out and emphasizing Reagan’s unique political skill and his ability to connect with people, the author also delves into Reagan’s faults, both in his professional and personal life. An amazing biography that I strongly recommend.

Well done

Fair and balanced description of the Reagan administration. Boot credited Carter for inflation defeating and his deregulation success. Reagan on working with Gorbachev and Cold War issues. A pretty good administration but a lot corruption and unforced errors.

Tremendous balance

It’s easy writing a book that tears doen a figure like Reagan, and it’s just as easy to write one making him out to be a God. He deserves neither and this book, as someone who lived my life involved im many of the events of Reagan’s day, gets it just right.

The real story about Reagan

To know what truly happened with the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.

Un presidente limitado, encantador y eficaz...

4/5

Esta biografía ofrece un retrato completo, equilibrado y a veces desconcertante de Ronald Reagan. No es un panegírico, pero tampoco una demolición; más bien, una exploración de un personaje que, sin ser un gran intelectual ni un gestor detallista, se convirtió en uno de los presidentes más icónicos de los Estados Unidos gracias a su carisma y manejo magistral de la imagen.

Virtudes y contradicciones

Reagan es descrito como un hombre optimista, bien intencionado, pero intelectualmente limitado y profundamente dependiente de su equipo. La paradoja es que, aunque tuvo al mejor chief of staff de la historia… también tuvo a los peores. Su estilo era natural, presidencial, casi sin saberlo.

Sus pares lo veían con distancia y hasta escepticismo —Margaret Thatcher llegó a decir “no hay nada ahí”—, pero aun así reconocían su temple, su valor y su presencia.

Una presidencia de símbolos y percepciones

Uno de los grandes méritos del libro es mostrar cómo Reagan fue un maestro en controlar la narrativa, más que los hechos. Un ejemplo brillante es cuando Walter Mondale, durante la campaña de 1984, admite que ambos (él y Reagan) subirían los impuestos, pero que él era honesto al decirlo. Un asesor de Reagan dijo que esa línea la podría haber escrito su propio equipo. En una era donde la política ya comenzaba a girar alrededor del espectáculo, Reagan fue pionero.

Fortalezas, debilidades, luces y sombras

La biografía parece objetiva: reconoce sus logros (revitalizar el optimismo estadounidense, abrir el diálogo con la URSS), pero también sus grandes fallas (el manejo negligente del SIDA, el escándalo Irán-Contra, su desinterés en los derechos humanos). Se muestra su habilidad para comunicar, conectar con la gente, inspirar… pero también para creerse sus propias mentiras y delegar sin supervisión.

Lectura recomendada

Un libro clave para quien quiera entender la política de los años 80 y la transformación de la figura presidencial en una marca comunicacional, más que en un líder estratégico. Reagan fue, para bien y para mal, el primer político plenamente adaptado a la era de los medios.

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This biography presents a surprisingly balanced portrait of Ronald Reagan: charming but shallow, principled yet often uninformed, and ultimately a master of narrative more than policy.

Natural charisma, limited intellect

Reagan had perhaps the best Chief of Staff in presidential history—and also some of the worst. He was optimistic, good-hearted, but heavily reliant on others. His presidency seemed effortless, his demeanor almost regal, even though he lacked deep understanding of the issues. Peers like Margaret Thatcher remarked that “there was nothing there,” yet still appreciated his strength of character and communication.

Narrative over substance

One of the book’s strongest points is showing how Reagan’s success was less about substance and more about storytelling. During the 1984 campaign, Walter Mondale famously admitted both candidates would raise taxes—only Reagan wouldn’t admit it. A Reagan staffer said that line was as if their own team had written it. The public rewarded the illusion.

Strengths, failures, and legacy

The book acknowledges Reagan’s transformative role in reigniting American optimism, his key part in engaging with Russia, and his unmatched ability to connect with the public. But it doesn’t gloss over the dark spots: negligence during the AIDS crisis, the Iran-Contra scandal, and his tendency to believe his own myths.

Highly recommended

A must-read for those interested in the 1980s, the evolution of presidential image, and the early rise of politics as performance. Reagan didn’t just live in the age of media—he defined it.

Focused on Pre-Presidency

Over half the book is focused on Reagan’s life prior to the Presidency. As such, some White House issues are skirted over.

Informative

Max Boot has done a great job of shedding light on the good and not so good deeds of Ronald Reagan.

Pretty good book, ok narrator

I’m maybe a little too anti-Reagan to love this book, but it was overall a strong (if occasionally surface-level) book. I found the reading hard to follow at times, but generally pretty good.

Reagan Revealed

Max Boot does an extraordinary job of revealing Ronald Reagan, like never before.

Fascinating journey through Reagan’s epic career and why he should be considered one of our greatest presidents, flaws and all.

5 Stars.

Myth vs reality

Book portrayed quite a different perspective on Reagan . Felt like a bit of a hit piece with the author going back forth in an attempt to find balance . No doubt regans administration did an incredible job of portraying him a favorable light but this author , with access to new documents, tears down that wall and I don’t mean the Berlin Wall. I suppose the truth is in middle