Ronald Reagan and the Triumph of American Conservatism, Book Review Example

Ronald Reagan, the 40^th President of the United States of America. Conservative Republic, Reagan was known as a great communicator. The Illinois born man, dreamed of being a sportscaster, an actor, but never did he dream of being the President. Throughout his travels and self education, he learned much about the government that he needed to fix. Learning of Reagan’s life and the steps that he took to get to where he was going plays a big role in admiration and respect that many have for the legacy of Ronald Reagan.

Chapter one addresses Ronald Regan and his Midwestern boyhood. He was born on February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois. He had an older brother whose name was Neal. Due to his poor eye sight Ronald memorized the lessons given by his teachers. Chapter two is surviving the great depression. Ronald’s father, Jack was unable to keep a job; they had to move to Dixon, Illinois. Ronald enrolled at Eureka College and as a result of the great depression; he took several part-time jobs to pay for his tuition.

Chapter three is the making of a Hollywood star. Ronald knew he wanted to be a sportscaster and after college he landed his first job at WOC in Davenport, Iowa. Regan made his movie debut in a b-movie, later he worked his way to the big screen and appeared in better films such as 1939?s Dark Victory. Chapter 4 is fighting the cold war. Reagan was married with a child at the time the war began, but he was not granted a deferment from serving. He had to put his movie career on hold to go fight in World War II. He never had to serve in combat because he had poor vision; he ended up serving by making instructional films.

Chapter 5 is the shift to conservatism. Reagan began to work as a public relations employee for G.E. He traveled throughout the country visiting G.E. plants speaking to the employees. This is when he began his strong views on anti-communism, anti-government, and wanting reform for the social security and welfare programs. Chapter 6 is where Reagan enters politics. In his travels around the United States as a public relation employee, he began expressing his political views on government actions. In 1966 a group of wealthy Republicans funded his campaign for California Governor.

Chapter 7 is the shift from Governor to President. Reagan served two terms and decided against a third one to put himself in the Presidential running. In 1976 he came close to getting the nomination, but was defeated by Gerald Ford. In 1980, Reagan ran for President and was elected. Chapter 8 stays the course, the Reagan Presidency 1981-1982. An assassination attempt by John Hinckley injured Reagan in 1981. The air traffic control union went on strike, even though they it was forbidden by federal law. A little over a third of the people went on strike, and Reagan fired them, it proved to be favorable to the people.

Chapter 9 is the road to reelection in the Reagan Presidency 1983-1984. Foreign affairs were very turbulent, primarily with the Soviet Union. He was favorably reelected for his second term as the United States President. Chapter 10 the Reagan doctrine: the Reagan Presidency 1985-1986. The foreign affairs continued to be difficult. The Middle East terrorist began to kidnap Americans, holding them as hostage. Under the Reagan administration, the U.S. sent missiles to the Israel, who turned around and sold them to Iran for profits. Hostages were not freed and it turned into a major scandal towards the end of his presidency.

Chapter 11 Sandals and Summits: the Reagan Presidency 1987-1988. There were many scandals with the Reagan staff; however he never seemed to get blamed as a result. Reagan was named the “Teflon President”. However the Iran-contra affair was one scandal President Reagan was never able to get rid of. He left the office with a 70 percent approval rating. Chapter 12 addresses the legacy of the Ronald Reagan. After Ronald Reagan left office, her retired to California where he chose to lay low. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1993. He died on June 5, 2005. He was a respectable President who left office with the country with a prosperous economy, and strong military positions.

President Ronald Regan served the country in office. As a child he had an ample amount of obstacles that could have prevented him from learning, if he let them get in his way. His vision was something that gave him trouble in school, to serve in the military, and throughout his life. That never stopped him from pursuing whatever he set his mind to. He achieved his dreams of being a sportscaster, an actor, and a political candidate. Throughout his entire life, he worked hard to get to where he wanted to be. This book honors a great conservative man who served as the President of the United States.