Dear Americans: Letters from the Desk of Ronald Reagan [Hardcover]

Ralph E. Weber (Editor), Ralph A. Weber (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 21, 2003

Ronald Reagan’s “Handwriting File” contains an archive of thousands of handwritten missives from the president to his constituents, written throughout his eight years in office. Historian Ralph E. Weber and his son have selected the highlights from this treasure trove, creating a uniquely intimate portrait of Reagan at work.

A fascinating glimpse at the issues facing the United States during the 1980s, Dear Americans is arranged chronologically to trace history in the making. Taking time each week to respond to dozens of Americans who asked him about a tremendous range of issues, Reagan delivered sensitive, eloquent messages to senior citizens worried about the Social Security program’s solvency, angry critics of the Star Wars missile defense program, parents of soldiers killed in Lebanon, and children inquiring about details of presidential life. Not all of the recipients were strangers; Dear Americans also features correspondence with close friends of Reagan, both famous and obscure.

Written in a down-to-earth, often gently humorous tone, the letters featured in Dear Americans reveal much about this president’s unshakable political convictions, religious faith, and concern for humanity. In the bestselling tradition of When Character Was King and I Love You, Ronnie, this compulsively readable collection will be on thousands of wish lists this holiday season.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While researching at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Ralph E. Weber, former professor of modern American military and intelligence history at Marquette University, discovered a trove of more than 3,500 letters handwritten by President Reagan between 1981 and 1989 from such locations as the White House, Camp David and Rancho del Cielo (near Santa Barbara), and aboard Air Force One. Although Weber had researched five other presidential archives, he had located "few comparable files containing such a vivid and personal record; none was as lively and optimistic." Weber and his son, Ralph A. Weber, have made a careful selection of these revealing letters, written to everyone from lifelong friends to ordinary citizens. The correspondence comments on personal matters, such as Reagan's recovery after the assassination attempt ("Let me say I'm very lucky and the Lord really had his hand on my shoulder") to subjects such as Star Wars ("That term was never mine-it was dreamed up by the press and now they saddle me with it"). Covering a wide range of issues, Reagan wrote to newspaper columnists, magazine writers, the parents of soldiers killed in Lebanon, Soviet leaders, children, students, sports figures and Hollywood personalities. The letters are arranged chronologically into chapters for each year, and each chapter has an introduction recapping the events of that year. Along with his faith and determination, Reagan's warmth, kindness, concern and compassion are evident throughout, and many readers will want to shelve this book alongside Nancy Reagan's bestselling I Love You, Ronnie.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Demonstrates the same humor, optimism, and concern for people's feelings that the public saw on a daily basis."
-- Library Journal (Library Journal ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; 1 edition (October 21, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385507569
• ISBN-13: 978-0385507561
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,026,973 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insight into the Character of Reagan from his own Words, January 12, 2004

By 

dougrhon "dougrhon" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dear Americans: Letters from the Desk of Ronald Reagan (Hardcover)

It turns out that Ronald Reagan, often derided for intellectual shortcomings, was a vociferous letter writer throughout his eight years in the White House. This collection pulls together in a single book, many of the letters he wrote on all varieties of subjects and to all manners of persons. There are letters to supporters, letters to opponents, letters to world leaders and letters to Americans who wrote either in support or critically. Most incredibly, there are letters Reagan wrote to a child with whom he maintained a "pen pal" correspondence throughout his time in Washington.

These letters, many with handwritten additions or paragraphs were Reagan's personal correspondence, not edited or ghost written by speech writers or other advisors. They reveal a man who was not detached from either the day to day workings of his administration or the policy arguments the administration was engaged in. Many of the letters are touching or filled with humor. Many times I found myself chuckling. For example, when Reagan gently let down a boy who was hoping to receive federal cleanup funds because his mother had declared his room a "disaster area." Some have a hint of anger or defiance. Many of the letters are responses by Reagan to individual citizens who wrote to him critical of a certain policy. His replies were always polite and respectful of alternative opinions. But he seems to have made the effort to convince these people of their mistakenness. The letters reveal much about Reagan the man. The book is arranged in chronological order with an introduction written by the editors detailing each year of the administration and the main issues Reagan faced both personal and professional. In this manner the book reads like a memoir of Reagan's time in Washington. I do not intend to discuss whether Reagan was right or wrong in his views or his actions. Obviously, Reagan believed he was correct and his letters reflect this belief. Others certainly disagree and may well be right to do so. But it will be helpful to an understanding of Reagan and his times to put to bed the myth that Reagan was a scripted movie actor. These letters prove this is not so. History will be served if Reagan's opponents can criticize the actions he took or the views he held and not re-hash a phony mythology. I recommend this excellent collection to anyone, friend or foe, interested in Ronald Reagan and his times.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming, December 11, 2003

By 

Robert R. Lewis (Old Greenwich, CT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dear Americans: Letters from the Desk of Ronald Reagan (Hardcover)

Great insight into the heart and mind of a great American. The letters contained in this book illustrate Reagan's convictions, humility and sense of humor. His letters to ordinary citizens are the best - gracious responses to both complimentary and negative letters he received. Reagan's love for his country and his fellow citizens is evident throughout. This is a truly heartwarming read.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Great Correspondent, November 6, 2004

By 

Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Dear Americans: Letters from the Desk of Ronald Reagan (Hardcover)

All the letters published in this wonderful book were handwritten by President Reagan, typed by secretaries and mailed to the correspondents. The correspondence includes letters to private citizens, famous and obscure lifelong friends, and heads of state. They reveal a noble spirit, a kind and decent man who took a personal interest in the lives of ordinary people.

The book starts with an introduction and editorial notes. The correspondence is divided into chapters for every year from 1981 to 1988/1989. Each of these aforementioned chapters has an introduction of the year concerned, discussing the major evens of that year, thus providing a historical background to the themes of the letters.

The correspondence displays a tapestry of Ronald Reagan's wisdom, resolve, decency, optimism, humanity and humour in his replies to young people, unemployed workers, press columnists, Hollywood friends, Soviet leaders, sports figures, relatives of soldiers and critics of government policies. It shows his positive approach to the economy, his frequent frustration with the media and an obstructive Congress, and his determination to halt Soviet expansionism, to reduce taxes and to rebuild the military.

Reagan's style was warm and down to earth and often gently humorous. Replies to his critics were factual and respectful. There are 14 black and white photographs that include pictures of Reagan with William Buckley, Michael Gorbachev, chief of correspondence Anne Higgins, personal secretary Kathy Osbourne and Reagan's young friend Rudolph Hines.

Unlike the impression created by certain elements in the media at the time, Ronald Reagan was a highly intelligent man with a keen insight into domestic issues and international relations. Moreover he had the gift to translate those insights into language that everybody could understand. But most important of all, Reagan was wise.

Besides being the Great Communicator, he was also the Great Correspondent as this volume demonstrates. What a lovely and admirable human being Reagan was. I also recommend the books When Character Was King by Peggy Noonan and Ronald Reagan: How An Ordinary Man Became An Extraordinary Leader by Dinesh D'Souza. God bless the memory and legacy of Ronald Reagan, the greatest president of the 20th century.