The Reagan I Knew

( 13 )

All Available Formats + Editions

——

$10.52

NOOK Book

——

$10.52

The Reagan I Knew (eBook) Pub. Date: 10/14/2008 Publisher: Basic Books
$0.01

$11.51

Paperback

$0.01

$11.51

The Reagan I Knew Pub. Date: 10/13/2009 Publisher: Basic Books
$1.99

$17.95

Audiobook

$1.99

$17.95

The Reagan I Knew (CD - Unabridged, 5 CDs, 6 hours) Pub. Date: 11/15/2008 Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

$18.59

$26.95

The Reagan I Knew (MP3 on CD - Unabridged, 1 MP3, 6 hours) Pub. Date: 1/1/2009 Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

Advertising

Overview

In The Regan I Knew, the late William F. Buckley Jr. offers a reminiscence of thirty years of friendship with the man who brought the American conservative movement out of the political wilderness and into the White House. Ronald Reagan and Buckley were political allies and close friends throughout Reagan’s political career. They went on vacations together and shared inside jokes. When Reagan was elected president, Buckley wrote him to say that Reagan should not offer him any position in the new administration; Reagan wrote back saying he had hoped to appoint Buckley U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan (then under Soviet occupation). For the rest of his term, Reagan called Buckley "Mr. Ambassador.” On the day the Soviets withdrew, he wrote Buckley to congratulate him for single-handedly driving out the Red Army "without ever leaving Kabul.”

Yet for all the words that have been written about him, Ronald Reagan remains an enigma. His former speechwriter Peggy Noonan called him "paradox all the way down,” and even his son Ron Reagan despaired of ever truly knowing him. But Reagan was not an enigma to William F. Buckley Jr. They understood and taught each other for decades, and together they changed history.

This book presents an American political giant as seen by another giant, who knew him perhaps better than anyone else. It is the most revealing portrait of Ronald Reagan the world is likely to have.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Buckley worked on this book-commemorating his 30-relationship with Ronald Reagan-up to his final days. He struggles to paint a picture of a more private Reagan, but the book sheds little fresh insight; instead, it is a scattershot compilation of Buckley's reminiscences and reprinted correspondence between the author and Ronald and Nancy Reagan. Malcolm Hillgartner performs a good balancing act, shifting from the essays to the letters with subtle changes that clearly indicate whose letter is being read. His most impressive feat is creating a clear yet subdued voice within the reading to indicate when footnotes or asides for clarification are being made. A Basic Books hardcover. (Jan.)

Library Journal

Buckley, the icon of conservative intellectuals, founder of the National Review and host of Firing Line, wrote almost 50 books and completed most of this one before his death. It offers a compilation of his correspondence with Ronald and Nancy Reagan during a friendship that began in 1961, narratives about Reagan's entire political career, a sampling of Buckley's columns, and an engaging foreword by Buckley's son, the popular novelist Christopher Buckley. The book does not live up to its promotional copy as "the most revealing portrait of Ronald Reagan the world is likely to have," because Ronald Reagan's responses to Buckley's letters are focused on politics and daily events and less introspective than they are humorous. Nevertheless, Buckley has written an enjoyable account of the Reagan years and the camaraderie he shared with the Reagans. He concludes that Reagan's legacy is his opposition to big government, his role in the fall of the Soviet Union, and his having been the nicest person to have been President. Recommended for most public libraries.
—Karl Helicher

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780465018024
Publisher: Basic Books
Publication date: 10/13/2009
Pages: 312
Sales rank: 565,287
Product dimensions: 5.20 (w) x 7.90 (h) x 0.90 (d)

Meet the Author

William F. Buckley Jr. (1925—2008) was the author and editor of over fifty works of fiction and nonfiction. The founder and former editor-in-chief of National Review and former host of “Firing Line,” he was one of the intellectual leaders of the right from the 1950s until his death in 2008. His syndicated column, “On the Right,” was begun in 1962. He served as a CIA agent in the early 1950s, helped found the Young Americans for Freedom in 1960, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George H.W. Bush in 1991. His most recent work of nonfiction, Flying High, an appreciation of Barry Goldwater, was published by Basic Books in 2007.

Prologue 1

1 First Meeting 3

Correspondence, 1965-1966 9

2 Visiting the Reagans in California 17

3 Is It Possible to Be a Good Governor? 21

4 Capote and the Reagans 27

Correspondence, 1967 33

5 Is Reagan Running? 39

Correspondence, 1968-1969 45

6 Nixon to China 51

Correspondence, 1972-1976 55

7 Reagan vs. Ford 69

8 Schweiker for Veep? 73

9 Thanksgiving at the Buckleys' 77

Correspondence, 1976-1977 81

10 Firing Line and the Panama Canal 89

Correspondence, 1977 95

11 Firing Line: The Debate 99

Correspondence, 1978 113

12 Reagan Anticipates His Presidency 115

13 National Review's 25th 127

14 New Beginnings 133

Correspondence, 1980-1981 137

15 Stockman and the Budget 147

16 A Self-Interrogation on the Size of Government 151

Correspondence, 1981-1985 157

17 National Review's 30th 177

18 On Nuclear Strategy in Honolulu 185

Correspondence, 1986-1990 191

19 Final Meeting 219

Correspondence, 1990-2005 227

Coda 239

Appendix Selected Columns 243

Index 267

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 3.5

( 13 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(3)

4 Star

(5)

3 Star

(3)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(2)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines

Tell the world what you think of this product.

Add Recommendations

Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

- HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
- Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
- Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
- Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
- Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
- Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
- Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

- By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
- Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
- See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.

PBRaju

Posted July 23, 2010

more from this reviewer

Seminal Conservative Forces

I did not know how deep a friendship this was, till I read this last book by Mr. William F Buckley Jr. This was a deep ideological relationship that developed into a personal friendship. More interestingly, the wonderful thread of humor all through their correspondence, whether it was Mrs.Reagan or the Governor himself. Policy influencing correspondence written with dry humor that rendered the folks involved very human and down to earth. This was a relationship that changed America in the 70s and the 80s, with the affects even felt today. Mr. Buckley, the original conservative thinker and theorist found the perfect executor of these values in Reagan, who later became the president and induced the implosion of the Soviet empire. A masterful, insightful and an evergreen lesson in letter writing to the people in power, also, a fantastic time capsule of an era that makes me yearn for a leader like Reagan. This book is a must for every American who wants to understand the two giants of conservatism at their most vulnerable, as personable humans, yet, wielding awesome power. I recommend this great little book as a treasure for everybody, including my flaming liberal friends! Raju Peddada

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted January 3, 2010

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted February 18, 2011

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted February 16, 2009

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted May 29, 2011

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted May 16, 2010

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted June 11, 2009

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted July 14, 2011

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted January 24, 2011

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted September 13, 2010

No text was provided for this review.

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble