Reagan: The Man and His Presidency

Following the format of their oral histories of the Kennedy and Nixon presidencies, the authors of this sympathetic, composite portrait of Ronald Reagan have spliced together interviews with 108 administration insiders, friends and political associates, among them Gerald Ford, Edwin Meese, George Bush, Colin Powell, Jeane Kirkpatrick, Oliver North, Fawn Hall, Yitzhak Shamir and King Hussein of Jordan. Organized thematically, the interview snippets range from Reagan's selections for his Cabinets to the arms-for-hostage deal with Iran, U.S. support for Nicaragua's contras and Reagan's current struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Both self-serving and revealing, the comments add new details to our knowledge of the Reagan presidency. Although this compilation often reads like a glowing tribute, even Reagan detractors will find pertinent material, for example, the wide influence of astrologer Joan Quigley, the first lady's informal adviser, on White House decisions, and the constant internecine infighting among top Reagan appointees. There are many memorable quotes, e.g., this from Reagan's press secretary Lyn Nofziger: ""[Secretary of the Treasury James] Baker is one of the great leakers of our time. He spends a lot of time with the press."" (June)