The Crusader

Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism

By: Paul Kengor

Narrated by: John Pruden

The inspiration for the upcoming film Reagan starring Dennis Quaid and directed by Sean McNamara

“Combining the skills of great story-telling with his commitment to scholarly detail, Paul Kengor has written an important book that also makes for a fascinating read. The Crusader will not only entertain and inform, it will change minds.” — Peter Schweizer, bestselling author of Blood Money, Red-Handed, and Reagan's War

Based on extraordinary research, The Crusader is a major reassessment of Ronald Reagan's lifelong campaign to dismantle the Soviet Empire

God and Ronald Reagan made presidential historian Paul Kengor one of the premier chroniclers of the life and career of the 40th president. With The Crusader, Kengor returns with the one book about Reagan that has not been written: The story of his lifelong crusade against communism, and of his dogged—and ultimately triumphant—effort to overthrow the Soviet Union.

Drawing upon reams of newly declassified presidential papers, as well as untapped Soviet media archives and new interviews with key players, Kengor traces Reagan's efforts to target the Soviet Union from his days as governor of California to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of what he famously dubbed the ""Evil Empire."" The result is a major revision and enhancement of what historians are only beginning to realize: That Reagan not only wished for the collapse of communism, but had a deep and specific understanding of what it would take––and effected dozens of policy shifts that brought the USSR to its heels within a decade of his presidency.

The Crusader makes use of key sources from behind the Iron Curtain, including one key memo that implicates a major American liberal politician in a scheme to enlist Soviet premier Yuri Andropov to help defeat Reagan's 1984 reelection bid. Such finds make The Crusader not just a work of extraordinary history, but a work of explosive revelation.

Great listen

This is a great story, gives a lot of details about the 40th president. Well researched and very interesting

Outstanding book! I highly recommend!

This well written book perfectly depicts, the outstanding actions and dedication of President Ronald Reagan!

Holy Smokes!!

Fantastic read, highly interesting! Why wasn’t I taught this in school? Real underdog story, taking on a monumental task with very interesting details how it all worked!

Great research from Paul Kengor

What made the experience of listening to The Crusader the most enjoyable?

Learning about newly released documents that had been previously classified has added so much to the depth of our understanding of importance of Reagan's place in history.

What other book might you compare The Crusader to and why?

The Communist by Kengor. The story of Obama's "Frank". Flip side of the coin.

Whether you like Reagan or not....

Whether you like Reagan or not, you will miss him after reading this book, especially when considering the state of affairs today.