Three Days in Moscow

Ronald Reagan and the Fall of the Soviet Empire

By: Bret Baier, Catherine Whitney

Narrated by: Bret Baier

Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

One thousand miles behind the iron curtain, he stood for freedom

The number one best-selling author and award-winning anchor of Special Report with Bret Baier reveals as never before Reagan’s dramatic battle to win the Cold War.

In his acclaimed best seller Three Days in January, Bret Baier illuminated the extraordinary leadership of President Dwight Eisenhower at the dawn of the Cold War. Now in his highly anticipated new history, Three Days in Moscow, Baier explores the dramatic endgame of America’s long struggle with the Soviet Union and President Ronald Reagan’s central role in shaping the world we live in today.

On May 31, 1988, Reagan stood on Russian soil and addressed a packed audience at Moscow State University, delivering a remarkable - yet now largely forgotten - speech that capped his first visit to the Soviet capital. This fourth in a series of summits between Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, was a dramatic coda to their tireless efforts to reduce the nuclear threat. More than that, Reagan viewed it as “a grand historical moment”: an opportunity to light a path for the Soviet people - toward freedom, human rights, and a future he told them they could embrace if they chose. It was the first time an American president gave a speech about freedom and human rights on Russian soil. Reagan had once called the Soviet Union an “evil empire.” Now, saying that depiction was from “another time”, he beckoned the Soviets to join him in a new vision of the future. The importance of Reagan’s Moscow speech was largely overlooked at the time, but the new world he spoke of was fast approaching; the following year, in November 1989, the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union began to disintegrate, leaving the United States the sole superpower on the world stage.

Today, the end of the Cold War is perhaps the defining historical moment of the past half century, and must be understood if we are to make sense of America’s current place in the world, amid the re-emergence of US-Russian tensions during Vladimir Putin’s tenure. Using Reagan’s three days in Moscow to tell the larger story of the president’s critical and often misunderstood role in orchestrating a successful, peaceful ending to the Cold War, Baier illuminates the character of one of our nation’s most venerated leaders - and reveals the unique qualities that allowed him to succeed in forming an alliance for peace with the Soviet Union, when his predecessors had fallen short.

©2018 Bret Baier (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

Amazing!

The best book about Ronald Reagan the man that I’ve ever read/listen to. As you would expect Bret Bauer’s narration is flawless. I can’t wait to listen to it again!

Incredible story about Reagan and the Cold War

I continue to be impressed by Bret Baier's storytelling ability and this book only adds to my admiration for Reagan but also presents some stunning parallels to Trump and what we are seeing on the world stage right now. Bret has captured the essence of Ronald Reagan in this book and brought back memories for me of these scary times during the Cold War. I can't help but be struck with the many similarities between Reagan and Trump and how each dealt with threats, detractors, the press, a crazy Congress, and dictators in the USSR and North Korea. Both men have deep convictions to doing what is best for our country despite all the criticism and even Bret alludes to this at the conclusion of the book.

Everyone who is a student of history, Reagan and Trump should read or listen to this book as one can't help but draw clear parallels to what Trump is facing now, albeit with a different style from Reagan for sure, but with the same challenges and fortitude. Hearing Bret read it made it even better since I never miss his newscast each day for his unbiased and clear reporting. He is going to rule Fox News for many years to come.

Terrific Book

Bret Baier is a gifted writer and an equally gifted narrator. The prize is at the end of book - listening to President Reagan speaking to the students at Moscow University! It brings back why President Reagan was so important to our country. Thanks, Bret, for including the speak as part of the audio.

Incredible story and strong delivery

Very well done and informative. Really taught me a lot and made me think. A great leaders in a dangerous time, wisdom and strength was a blessing from God!

breathtaking

what a magnificent book,. I recommend it to everyone's reading list. Kudos to you and your team.

Excellent!

Five stars one of the best reads in years and very informative and interesting. Not a dull moment in this one.

Wonderful book

This book is about a success, the magnitude both in breadth and depth is mostly overlooked, underestimated and not understood by many if not most of us.

Read the book (or in this case listen to it.)

Following is not a review of the book but the backdrop of the moods and feelings I had in my life at that time. In hopes of those that did not live through the two decades before President Reagan's election, might come to appreciate how much this man changed the course of both this country and the world. This is the true story, masterfully told and read .


It is easy to forget what the country was like before and then after President Reagan…

l was 22 when Ronald Reagen became President. The economy was bad. Inflation was double digits, interest rates were in the 20% and above, tuition at colleges were doubling every 3 or 4 years. My mortgage rate was subsidized heavily so it was only 8.9% instead of 25%.
A lot of people were unemployed.

Prior to President Reagan being elected, the country was short on Hope and Faith, we were in a horrible recession and a depression of the future.
President Carter had created and used the misery index when he ran for office, a combination of inflation, interest rates and unemployment, 4 years later the misery index had increased dramatically.

In the beginning of the sixties it was ok to pray in school (we would recite the Lord's prayer), this soon became illegal, we became an atheistic state. Speaking of God was a taboo. NO ONE spoke of God in a reverent manner in public life, on the news, in schools or in politics. Even the pledge of allegiance was taken from the schools.

The fear I, as an eight to ten year old, had of government, of communism was real and nightmarish. Why I had these fears is not possible for me to say, other than my exposure to the events of that period.

Politics and Government were not a topic in my home growing up. I grew up in a family of great faith, we always we're and are active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we kneeled together in family prayer every morning, praying at meals, where we gathered together every day as a family morning and night (midday also when we were not in school.)

It is in this setting that President Reagan began his presidency.

This book is about a success, the magnitude both in breadth and depth is mostly overlooked, underestimated and not understood by many if not most of us.


PS
The first time I heard him invoke God's blessings on us as a nation - I could feel the spirit testify to me, to my soul, that God hears and honors the humble and sincere prayers of faith.

That this man Ronald Reagan having taken an oath of office before God and all men, having been elected to that office by the people of this country, had power given of God to him that he might invoke and receive those blessings sought-after.

I believe that one of the greatest powers that any Elected official has is the power to invoke God's blessings over those whom they have taken an oath to protect. God honors those Oaths and that their humble, sincere prayers of faith not doubting of God's goodness and power are answered.

This is such a story.

Evan Review

I look at Brett each night on his news report and he a good report. No I know he writes like he reports. If you like America History and want to understand what a great President Reagan was this book is for you. If you don't believe Reagan was great if you read the book you may change your mine.

BRET BAIER -- THE BEST!

After reading "Three Days In January", I couldn't wait to get his latest. Bret Baier, in addition to being one of the last honest broadcast journalists, does a great job of recounting historic personalities and events. An absolute MUST READ.

Great book, but why invoke Trump into the story?

I loved this book, and the narration. I was in my 20s during Reagan’s term, and while I witnessed these events, this telling gave me a much better understanding of the summits and backstory, and the personalities involved. I came away with an even greater admiration for both President Reagan and Mr. Gorbachov.

My only hesitation of giving 5 stars was when in the Afterword, the author, Mr. Baier, suggested that Mr. Trump shared similarities of substance with President Reagan. He quoted a speech Trump gave when visiting Poland in which he argued was one which President Reagan might have delivered. While this may be true, let’s be honest, these were not Mr. Trump’s words. President Reagan demonstrated repeatedly that he clearly cared about America and Americans and more broadly, freedom for everyone across the globe. Mr. Trump, by contrast, has demonstrated that he cares about the Trump family, and not much else. I realize Mr. Baier works for Fox, but seriously?