|
Ronald Reagan : How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader Dinesh D'Souza Format: Paperback, 256pp. ISBN: 9780684848235 Publisher: Touchstone Books Pub. Date: February 1999 Average Customer Review: For Bulk Orders Call: 626-441-2024 Description and Reviews From The Publisher: Ten years ago Ronald Reagan stood at the Berlin Wall and said, "General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Tear down this wall." Soon after that, the wall came tumbling down, and the regime that Reagan called the "evil empire" was no more. Looking back, we now recognize the 1980s as a remarkable decade: one that saw the spread of freedom and democracy around the world, the revival of the American economy, and the restoration of national spirit and pride after years of indefinable malaise. Yet, oddly, the man who occupied the White House is not credited with the changes that occurred during those tumultuous years. His critics and even many of his aides and allies are reluctant to celebrate Reagan as a great president. It's not hard to see why. He was a most unusual leader: a former actor who seemed disengaged from the daily operations of government. He was said to nap at cabinet meetings. He spent much of his time telling stories and cracking jokes, sometimes reinforcing his critics' perceptions. "The doctors say hard work never killed anyone," Reagan once observed, "but why take the chance?" How, then, can we square Reagan the man with the astonishing events of the Reagan era? The mystery of Reagan is best summarized in the remark that National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane made to Secretary of State George Shultz: "He knows so little, and accomplishes so much." In Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader, Dinesh D'Souza solves the mystery of Reagan by showing how this "ordinary" man was able to transform the political landscape in a way that made a permanent impact on America and the world. Through firsthand reporting and interviews, D'Souza portrays the private side of Reagan -- the man behind the mask -- and reveals the moral sources of his vision and leadership. Indeed, D'Souza argues that Reagan deserves to be considered one of the most important presidents in American history and, with Franklin Roosevelt, one of the two most influential of the 20th century. He concludes that, if Reagan does not fit our preconceptions of what makes a great leader, then we must rethink our understanding of both greatness and leadership. Reviews The best story I have read in years, and the truest. —P.J. O'Rourke, author of Parliment of Whores
About the Author Dinesh D'Souza, a research scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, served as Senior Domestic Policy Analyst in the Reagan White House from 1987 to 1988. He is the bestselling author of Illiberal Education and The End of Racism. He lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his wife, Dixie, and his daughter, Danielle. Table of Contents
Find Items On Similar Subjects Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader • Paperback All Items by or about Ronald Reagan |
The Essential Lists BOOKS TO READ BEFORE YOU LEAD Grow Your Leadership Skills NEW AND UPCOMING LEADERSHIP BOOKS Classic Leadership Books BOOKS TO READ BEFORE YOU LEAD |
| |||
© 2019 LeadershipNow™ All materials contained in https://www.LeadershipNow.com are protected by copyright and trademark laws and may not be used for any purpose whatsoever other than private, non-commercial viewing purposes. Derivative works and other unauthorized copying or use of stills, video footage, text or graphics is expressly prohibited. |