Posted on 11/16/2004 12:19:59 PM PST by I'm ALL Right!
I take it that there is little enough that a remarried ex-husband can favorably say about an ex-wife.It is, I take it, a subject on which silence cannot be improved upon.
I didn't care for Reagan's war. The writer left out the shooting down of KAL 007 and wrote the whole thing like he was sifting through documents. Plus he has Proxmire as a Republican, a real factual error if I've ever seen one.
All the selections given here are good, but this one, (as does Hand Of Providence), touches on the most important thing in RR's life - his absolute, unabashed, and unshakable belief in, and love for, our Lord God. And we learn more about the strong and wonderful influence his mother, Nelle, had on him.
Over lunch today I asked Ed Meese about one of Reagan's favorite jokes. "The pony joke?" Meese replied. "Sure I remember it. If I heard him tell it once, I heard him tell it a thousand times." First the psychiatrist treated the pessimist. Trying to brighten his outlook, the psychiatrist took him to a room piled to the ceiling with brand-new toys. But instead of yelping with delight, the little boy burst into tears. "What's the matter?" the psychiatrist asked, baffled. "Don't you want to play with any of the toys?" "Yes," the little boy bawled, "but if I did I'd only break them."
Next the psychiatrist treated the optimist. Trying to dampen his out look, the psychiatrist took him to a room piled to the ceiling with horse manure. But instead of wrinkling his nose in disgust, the optimist emitted just the yelp of delight the psychiatrist had been hoping to hear from his brother, the pessimist. Then he clambered to the top of the pile, dropped to his knees, and began gleefully digging out scoop after scoop with his bare hands. "What do you think you're doing?" the psychiatrist asked, just as baffled by the optimist as he had been by the pessimist. "With all this manure," the little boy replied, beaming, "there must be a pony in here somewhere!"
"Reagan told the joke so often," Meese said, chuckling, "that it got to be kind of a joke with the rest of us. Whenever something would go wrong, somebody on the staff would be sure to say, 'There must be a pony in here somewhere.'"
Great idea! The parents will get a big kick out of that as well. Thanks for the suggestion!
First, when I first started reading about Reagan, I read material that could be (or reasonably be) directly attributed to him. I think it's important to do this, so you first get an exposure to President Reagan in his own words, and not filtered via a biography.
My top picks:
Reagan In His Own Voice - by Kiron K. Skinner, et al
Absolutely outstanding. You get to hear President Reagan when he was doing his radio commentaries in the late 1970's.
Reagan, in His Own Hand: Ronald Regan's Writings That Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America by Kiron K. Skinner (Editor), et al
Same here. Dr. Skinner, et al has really done a good job putting together many of Reagan's commentaries, the majority of which he wrote himself.
An American Life - by Ronald Reagan
Reagan's second autobiography. I hear complaints that it was ghostwritten. So what? Do people think that Clinton wrote his autobiography without the help of a ghostwriter?
Where's the Rest of Me: The Autobiography of Ronald Reagan. With Richard G. Hubler
Little known to most folks is that Regan wrote his first autobiography circa 1965. It's out of print - which I don't quite understand. You can get a copy on Ebay or through Inter Library Loan at a local library.
Biographies, etc.
President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime by Lou Cannon by Lou Cannon
I have mixed feelings about this book. I kept getting the impression that Cannon was trying to prove something other than discussing Reagan's presidency. I read the entire book, and it does have much good information, thus I recommend for reading. Certainly, President Reagan had flaws. But I got the impression that Cannon was at times trying to bash Reagan over the head with these flaws.
Reagan's America by Garry Wills I did not make it all the way through this book and will finish up later this Spring. It is a slogging, tedious read. I understand the concept of Wills trying to explain the forces in America that shaped President Regan. But he rambles at times- well, a lot. And it makes for a real tedious read. But it also has much detailed information.
Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power by Lou Cannon
What I am reading now as of 02/2005. Through about 100 pages and pleased with the book. It certainly carries itself in a more scholarly manner that Cannon's "President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime ". Note that Cannon wrote this book in 2003 AFTER President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime, so be mindful that many years have elapsed since Reagan's days as California governor, and keep an eye to Cannon trying to describe events that occurred in the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's, but opining through the prism of the early years of the 21st century.
Yet to read this summer:
Reagan's Path to Victory : The Shaping of Ronald Reagan's Vision: Selected Writings by George P. Shultz (Foreword), Kiron K. Skinner, Annelise Anderson, Martin Anderson
Reagan: A Life in Letters by Kiron K. Skinner (Editor), Annelise Anderson (Editor), Martin Anderson (Editor), George P. Shultz (Foreword)
When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan by Peggy Noonan
I would initially stick to writings by Reagan himself to start with, then move on to biographies and books by others about Reagan.
How did your son's assignment turn out?
He had to make a biographical poster, write a report, and give an oral presentation (dressed as RR) to the class and all the parents on Open House night. He was outstanding! Thank you all for your input and great suggestions. I saved this thread on my bookmarks so I can decide which Reagan books I want to read.
You were so thorough! Thank you! My son's report is over with, and he really did well. He is excited now when he sees anything about RR, so I'll encourage him to look into some of these books, and I will do so as well. Many thanks.
That's just wonderful!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.