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The Age of Reagan: The Fall of the Old Liberal Order, 1964-1980

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The Reagan Revolution started with Barry Goldwater getting pounded like a disobedient mule back in 1964. That's pretty much common knowledge. Reagan campaigned for the GOP presidential candidate and delivered a well-received prime time televised speech on Goldwater's behalf. From there Reagan went to the Governorship of California and the rest is history. For those who think this is a study of Reagan, should be informed that it is instead the story of what changed America's mood in the years 64-80...a study of the politics, social changes, and what-have-you. Reagan in the early portions maks infrequent, almost cameo appreances.

Steven Hayward charts the death of small "L' liberalism (at the hands of the radical New Left) and the rise of the conservative tide which led to Reagan's victory in 1980. Much of the material has been printed before, but when it is all accumulated and is digested in full, the the effects are mind-boggling.

Thanks to Steven Hayward the history of the US from 1964 to 1980 comes alive in this absolutely brilliant book. As a Canadian, I found much of the material that related to the mid-sixties to early-seventies to be fascinating (even the economic portions were well done...and I'm no wizard with numbers!). Hayward's obvious dislike of the left's 'usual suspects' comes through on every page. Liberals may not like this book, but for the rest of us, it's a mighty fine read.

Many Conservatives anxiously waited for the completion of Edmund Morris' work on Reagan because of the serious and candid attention Mr. Morris brought to his favorite subject,Theodore Roosevelt. On the same token, many historians are still unsure how to treat the 40th President, with no serious historical work being produced since Reagan faded into the shadows of the American political scene. The Age of Reagan is first serious work that will give Conservatives the proper treatment to their greatest hero, and at the same time cast Reagan in the historical context that will ensure his place as one of the greatest Presidents of the 20th century. Hayward seeks to explain the context in which the Reagan revolution set forth in motion, and why even 20 years after the presidency, Republicans and Conservatives attempt to claim the mantle of Reagan's successor. Hayward's language is lucid and compelling. The book reads as if a novel, clearly the flow that Morris struggled to find but could not find in _Dutch_. Despite it's size, this first volume is a quick read, and the second volume will be eagerly anticipated. Conservatives will be proud of the proper treatment given to Reagan, and historians will find themselves attempting to distinguish future works from the serious attention given in _The Age of Reagan_.

Steven F. Hayward's "Age of Reagan" is a sweeping history of the decay resulting from "New Deal" of Roosevelt as well as "The Great Society" of Johnson. As a backdrop to the philosophical backlash against "Big Government," Ronald Reagan ascends to Power in the Republican Party. For anyone looking for well-written histories of the administrations of Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter, "Age of Reagan" is an excellent source. Hayward uses considerable footnotes from various sources (such as National Review, Time, etc.) as well as quotes from the major players in all the aforementioned administrations.

It is also highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the
ascendancy of the conservative movement in American politics. Starting with the Goldwater movement and then using Reagan as a catalyst, Hayward charts the progression (or regression, depending on your political bent) of the conservative movement in America.

Hayward is also to be commended for his writing style. Not writing in the needless academic jargon or pendatry of some history writers, "The Age of Reagan" moves along quickly but with a sufficient amount of depth into all the administrations. The two-fold narrative, one focusing on the Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter administrations while the other focusing on Reagan, moves swiftly without becoming entagled.

Nevertheless, Hayward does seem to have a slightly right-wing bias. He extensively rips apart the "progressive" left and their minions, especially student protesters and the McGovern movement. He quotes extensively from "National Review" (which is a great magazine, IMHO) and William F. Buckley, Jr. At times, he also comes off as a Reagan apologist, especially when defending Reagan's intellectual gifts. Hayward does, however,mention in the foreword to his book that the next volume of his work will mention the defiencies in the Reagan administration as well in the conservative movement.

Overall, I recommend this book as a good primer for anyone interested in American politics in the last 35 years or the ascendacy of Ronald Reagan to President. As someone with an abiding interest in American history, I look forward to Hayward's next volume.

In the first of two volumes on the "Age of Reagan," Steven Hayward has done an extremely creditable job of bridging the emergence of the political Right in 1964-1966 (an era which has been the focus of a great deal of recent scholarship), with the "malaise" years of the late 1970s and the collapse, Hoover-style, of a whole system of liberal governance. The years 1964 to 1980 will be seen decades from now as hinge years in American history.

The period from Goldwater to Reagan was a tumultuous one. Liberalism seemed to reach its apogee with the landslide re-election of LBJ in 1964, followed by the last uninterrupted spurt of liberal legislation in 1965. At this very moment, students in Berkeley, California coalesced around the Free Speech Movement and launched a political tidal wave that was successful in deposing Johnson in 1968 and discrediting its' primary target, the managerial liberalism of Johnson and Robert McNamara.

If the antiwar movement was successful in driving a wedge through the heart of the liberal movement and the Democratic party, it was not successful in gaining converts in the overall electorate. Hayward's central insight, I think, is that despite all the mythology surrounding the student movement, it remained deeply unpopular in the rest of America. The antiwar movement was anathema to most Americans even after 1968. Hayward also successfully shows that LBJ lost the Vietnam War because he never really wanted to fight it to a final and complete victory. Rather, the goal was to apply "graduated pressure" which would result not in victory but a "negotiated settlement." The North Vietnamese understood perfectly well that the American effort was half-hearted, and calculated they could win the war simply by grinding it to a standstill. Powerful lessons about how not to deal with aggression are abundant in Hayward's work.

Hayward is an unapologetic exponent of the conservative view, and this is evident especially when he refers to contemporary liberals like Bill and Hillary Clinton. Nonetheless, his criticisms are thoughful throughout, and it's hard to deny just how harrowing the New Left's antics were in this period. Paul Berman's "The Passion of Joshcka Fischer," which appeared in the pages of the New Republic this summer, confirms this fact from within the left-wing sphere. One area Hayward clearly shortchanges is Watergate, although one can make the case that Watergate was not that central an element in the unfolding of the conservative movement and the emergence of Ronald Reagan.

Hayward also superbly encapsulates the political economy of the election years 1972, 1976 and 1980; in the latter two, Ronald Reagan's presence would loom large. His summaries of primaries, conventions, and the victory of Ronald Reagan -- as conventional wisdom goes, perhaps the most counterintuitive election result in modern times -- are riveting.

Steven F. Hayward has done a top notch job researching and reporting about the birth and gestation of the Reagan Revolution. Even though the book describes events that occurred during my adult life, I was amazed at how much about that now bygone era I had forgotten. Thus, Hayward's history became a fascinating journey into my own past half-forgotten past, as well as that of the country. (Having volunteered in the Jimmy Carter reelection campaign, much some of this trip down memory lane was as painful as a bruised shin.) Whether one likes or disdains Reagan, the book is a must for anyone who wishes to understand the unlikely rise of a handsome movie star into a powerful and popular president. The book is thick, but the writing most definitely isn't. Well worth the time for anyone interested in politics and modern American history.

This is a very good political history of the United States during the years 1964-1980. However, "The Age of Reagan" is not a biography of Mr. Reagan. Rather, "The Age of Reagan" focuses primarily on the rise of contemporary American conservatism (and related decline of liberalism) within the larger context of American history during the years in question.

Although a fairly long book, Mr. Hayward writes with clarity, and his book was clearly well researched. Mr. Hayward also displays considerable insight in describing and analyzing the battle between liberalism and conservatism at both the abstract and practical levels. The result is a work that is very informative, and that is both easy and enjoyable to read, with one exception: The editing could have been better, and the numerous mistakes in editing are something of a distraction.

In spite of this one defect, I recommend "The Age of Reagan," and look forward to the second volume, which I understand will cover Mr. Reagan's years as President.

Strongest parts of the book are how the fracturing of the New Deal Coalition came about and the collapse of the Carter presidency. Hayward is at his best when he's dispassionate and lets the events speak for themselves.

Weak points are the lack of extensive narrative on the Prop 13 tax revolt (the first true sign of the coming conservative wave) and the glossing over of how Watergate deeply damaged the liberal wing of the Republican Party (setting the stage for the ascendency of Reagan).

This is a very well written book. Lively. Doesn't bog down in trivial details. Always keeps events in perspective of the sweeping change that was taking place in America.

Well worth adding to your collection.

The Age of Reagan describes what seemed so improbable before 1980, but began on January 20, 1981 a Reagan Presidency. In the Prologue Mr. Hayward observes "The Vietnam War an American Gallipoli nearly dealt a death blow to American confidence and resolve." This near death blow to American confidence contrasted with Reagan resolve to overcome the blow is the theme of the book.
The prosecution of the Vietnam War by the Johnson Adminstration begins the background of the times in the Age of Reagan. Robert McNamara's direction of the war began in deception and then burdened by complexity and avoidance of simple, hard, moral truths ending in McNamara's physical and mental exhaustion best exemplified the prosecution of the war policy by the LBJ team. The LBJ policy and style contrasted with Reagan who realized there are simple but difficult answers to government responsibilities and they usally involved a hard moral truth.
The Nixon years were defined by intense hostility by and toward the President and increasing division in America. The author explains the surprising fact of liberal domination of Nixon's domestic policy. The Nixon foregin policy preferred intrigue to an obvious moral assertion. The foreign policy reflected the strangeness and success of the Kissinger-Nixon relationship.
The Ford presidency failed due to Ford's poor communication skills, public stumbles and silly programs such as the WIN buttons. The weirdness and incompetence of the Carter years are best exemplified by a President insisting to be called Jimmy, the malaise speech and mired in as well as embarassed by the hostage crisis.
The author excels in reviewing and expalining the turbulence and cultural shifts of the times. However, the theme of the book is the character of Reagan. He is the most unlikely President but not an accidental President. When elite opinion question USA's role and mission in the world, Reagan remained fatihful to belief in America's promise and leadership abilities. Where the elites searched for complicated answers, Reagan knew the simple answer was desired but difficult due to the moral truth. Reagan cared little for the details of governing, but was passionate and committed always to the principles of governance. He was the same person in and out of the public arena only less formal. The failed presidencies led to the most unlikely and one of the most important Presidents in American history. This book does an entertaining and excellent job in explaining the phenomenon of the times and the man which met for destiny's ride on November 4, 1980.

Over the top with rhetoric in some places, but jammed packed with incredible insights. Being 'moderate-left' this is not a book I would readily pick up, but was drawn to it by the memory of watching the 2000 presidential debates. Watching Gore describe how he would impliment a tax cut, lef tme thinking, "We're still living in the age of Reagan".

The 1st 224 pages are the strongest. Hayward does an excellent job of weaving the various threads of the Liberal collapse of the 60s. Having been on campus at that time (Northwestern `69), I can attest to how the student movement both toyed with and split with the Black Panthers, but only after we had trashed our ties with organized labor and the Democratic Party. We lost blue collar America and have never gotten it back.

Haywards liberal bashing gets overheated in some places, and the part on the `76 campaign drags. But overall, it's worth the price to add to your library.

This book puts into proper perspective the events of the sixties, seventies, and the beginning of the eighties. For someone of my age (50 years), it explains many things only dimly remembered (anyone remember the "Killer Rabbit" attack on Jimmy Carter?) I have never read a better analysis of the factors which have changed this country over the last thirty years.
Don't pay any attention to the Publisher's Weekly review. This is a great book.