Ronald Reagan: A Twentieth-Century Life (Up Close) - Hardcover

Sutherland, James B.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670063452 ISBN 13: 9780670063451

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers, 2008

Synopsis

Ronald Reagan was a Hollywood actor turned Republican politician known for his sunny optimism and gifted salesmanship. He entered the White House in 1981, a time when many Americans were wondering if their country's best days were behind them. But things had changed by the time he left office--the economy was thriving and the Cold War was coming to a close.

The child of an alcoholic, he was an intensely private man, yet he was so charming that he routinely befriended even his enemies. Reagan was both a complex man and political figure, and his legacy strongly influences politics today.

About this title

About the Author

James Sutherland was a political reporter for a national news magazine for eight years, covering George W. Bush during the 2000 presidential election and the subsequent recount, the September 11, 2001, attacks, and Senator John Edward's presidential campaign. He is now a freelance writer and lives with his wife in Brooklyn.

Reviews

Both a character portrait and an account of Ronald Reagan’s life and career(s), this profile sheds as much light on his goals and outlook as it does on his accomplishments. Portraying his subject as, in essence, a “loner” shaped by his father’s alcoholism and his mother’s faith-based optimism, Sutherland tracks Reagan’s steady rise, noting—and proving—that he “was underestimated for most of his political career but found a way to succeed.” The author’s generally admiring tone turns more critical toward the end, when the President’s “relentlessly upbeat” (to quote his wife) attitude caused him to lose track of reality during and after the Iran-Contra affair. Still, readers will come away understanding how, for better or worse, Reagan has become an iconic figure in American and world politics. Though illustrated with a paltry assortment of photos and capped by a rather high-level reading/source list, this entry in the valuable Up Close series is a thought-provoking alternative to the plethora of routine assignment titles. Grades 6-9. --John Peters

Edition details

• Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0670063452
• ISBN 13: 9780670063451
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256