Customer Reviews

A Different Drummer: My Thirty Years with Ronald Reagan

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This is simply the best book that has been written about how Reagan operated and how he was successful in getting things done. Deaver communicates a deeper personal sense of Reagan than any other book I have read. For any student history interested in how this remarkable man could carry the conservative movement to the White House, defeat the Soviet Empire, restart the American economy and rebuild faith in the American civic culture, this book is must reading. Deaver was with Reagan for thirty years and has thought deeply about his leadership since then. This book captures that analysis in remarkably few pages.

Let me just give you a few of the many insights Deaver outlines: "If we Californians had a modicum of smarts, it was that we understood the secret to Reagan's success. He won when people saw him and heard his message. Personal persuasion, not political manipulation, was the secret of Reagan's magic. To Sears, Ronald Reagan was just another political commodity. To us, he was something special, someone we knew the American people would embrace if they got to know him," p.198-99.

"It was during his tenure as GE spokesman that he learned it was best always to dine with his listeners. Later in life Richard Nixon would advise Reagan that he should eat his dinner in solitude in his hotel room where he could rehearse one last time and relish the quiet time before facing the gritty masses. This would not only provide the opportunity for singular uninterrupted dining, Nixon advised, but would also afford a triumphant entrance into the ballroom. Reagan respectfully discarded the loner Nixon's counsel, preferring to always take his seat at the head table and dine at the same time as everybody else. He did this not out of any populist impulses but out of a need to be in the same room as his audience so he could make a personal connection before he spoke. " . . . He was always listening and learning." p.54. This is a must read for students of leadership, government, politics and history.

Reagan made it all look so easy -- a simple clarity which unnerved many, but enabled a revolution.

Fate smiled when it put Michael Deaver at Reagan's side; they clearly worked as a matched set. And that fit shows here in the story.

Deaver has managed to match his old boss again. This time by making the telling of this American Classic look easy!

The difference from others' earlier attempts is that unlike those who've tried to talk about being there, he ignores the academic and chattering-class' over-analysis. Like The Gipper, Deaver wisely insists on just sharing a great set of stories.

Reading "A Differnt Drummer" is a lot like listening to The Great Communicator himself. Even for a political agnostic, I was swept up by the clarity of Deaver's perspective. He carries you through three decades with insight and soul.

If you are a Reagan fan, this is a Must Read.

But more important, if you don't much like politics, Reagan, or the '80's, it is a delightful and valuable surprise. It flows. It fills in the gaps. And finally peeking inside the reality -- is fun.

EMG

No review of this book would be complete without addressing the first point to be made by the author -- a description of what this book is not.

It is not an exhaustive biography, an apology for Reagan's policies, or a criticism of his opponents. It is simply an accounting of Mike Deaver's time with Ronald Wilson Reagan.

This is a comfortable book, because it is written with an ease and familiarity born of friendship. It is comforting, because it shows that behind the scenes and out of the spotlight, Ronald Reagan was as genuine as he appeared to be. His integrity and conviction was not an act.

Deaver could easily have used this book for self-promotion, but he wrote it in the same way he served Reagan -- with wholehearted committment to his friend and boss.

Reagan's person and policy has been, and will continue to be studied, criticized, and defended. Biographies and collections of works will tell much of the story. But none of them will offer such a simple glimpse into the public and private nature of the 40th President as does this recounting of memories shared by a loyal friend and advisor.

After the massive disappointment of Edmund Morris' "Dutch", I thought I would give up on outside accounts of the Reagan legacy. Mike Deaver's book, however, brought me out of the disappointment of "Dutch" and in this week of mourning, has brought this reader many smiles. Let not the slimness of this volume dissuade you: Deaver, having been close to Reagan from before the Governorship of California, understands his subject in a way that completely eluded Morris' bloated opus and what emerges from these pages is a picture of an introverted extrovert. One sees a complex Reagan - but where "Dutch" seemingly gives up and fails in trying to understand the complexity, "Drummer" seems to draw a picture of a man who simply wanted to share his very personal life with Nancy - and respects him for it.

I also salute Deaver's work for its assessment of Reagan as bringing about the end of the Cold War, for the little-trumpeted Reagan reaction (or lack thereof) to the shooting down of Korean Air flight 007, thereby isolating the Soviets further. Hopefully, history will follow Deaver in marking this as the non-shot that saved the world from a nuclear winter.

I highly recommend buying this book now; it will become _the_ definitive Reagan assessment in the years to come.

When Ronald Reagan first appeared on the political scene in 1964, most thought he was a vapor drifting by, never to be seen again. After all, he was a grade B movie actor, a spokesman for General Electric and nothing more. In the book A Different Drummer by Michael Deaver, the author gives insight into the man Reagan, not President Reagan. Deaver spent 30 years with him and was the only person outside of Nancy Reagan who really knew what made him the type person he was. Even then he was an enigma to Deaver at times. The pages are filled with selected views of the former President from brief glimpses of his movie career to the days he spent in the Oval Office. If one thing stands out in the book, it is Ronald Reagan's ability to connect with people, not as a packaged movie actor as so many of his detractors thought, but his genuine respect and admiration for people that others did not like. One of the most touching series of scenes occured on his inauguration day in 1981 involving President Jimmy Carter. The compassion for Carter and what President Reagan asked Deaver to do took a man of real caliber to even think about doing it, much less laying the plan to do it, if it had worked out. What Reagan said about the Iranian situation and what he was prepared to do showed the inner qualities of a fine man; a man with a genuine feeling for President Carter's anguish. The news media never had a clue about what actually happened that day.
Ronald Reagan's wit, charm, and intelligence comes through in the book. He was a complex man, yet simple in his approach to his life because he had a strong sense of right and wrong that lay outside himself but at the same time had residence inside him giving him direction. He knew his strengths and his weaknesses and used them both, not to his advantage necessarily, but to the advantage of doing what was right for the nation as a whole, not just for a select few.
One particularly touching act by President Reagan showed his warm and tender feeling for those struggling to make ends meet. He found out about a young woman who needed money. He wrote a personal check and sent it to her. Later he wrote her another because she framed the first one. Acts of kindness were his forte, acts which the public never knew about. And the news media didn't take the time to find out what drove him to do as he did. Also he and Nancy guarded his personal nature and privacy so closely that the media never could figure him out, though with some effort they might have.
Deaver makes it clear that no one ever fully understood Ronald Reagan except Nancy. She not only understood him, she protected him ferociously from his foes when his kind and gentle nature tended to put him in harms way. He said without her he would not have been President, but she took no active political role as did Hillary Clinton. She was his guardian angel in a manner of speaking, the one and only love of her life. A love that endure to this day as she looks after him daily, ministering to him during his tragic illness of Alzheimer's disease.
No matter what you may think about Ronald Reagan as President, or his politics, this book should give every reader a glimpse of the resolute character of the man Reagan, and at the same time a deeper appreciation for all that he did for this nation because of the morals, his honesty, his integrity ,and personal belief that he must do his best no matter the task. For himself, the man Reagan was not important, but what the man Reagan stood for and did was of the utmost importance to him. Deaver captures the moments in the life of Reagan with clarity, humor, and, seriousness. And the author makes it quite understandable that few men have ever risen to the stature of Ronald Wilson Reagan, both as a man and as President.
A good read and highly recommended.

I picked this book up with some skepticism. I had long since grown tired of books that refused to accept that Ronald Reagan was a human being and was merely looking for an interesting, insightful, yet honest read about the man. Being as close to Reagan as Michael Deaver was, I suspected that this book would be another glossed-over account of reality, but I could not deny that it probably had some interesting stories that would be worth the time it took to read. Upon finishing, I had to admit that Deaver had delivered the book I was looking for.

What I liked about the book is that there is no discussion of policy. There is no index and there is little discussion of legislative events. The book is simply Deaver's reflection on his years with Reagan and it paints a portrait of a man (not some quasi-godlike figure that no one can relate to) who had the courage to dream things so tremendous that he was laughed at from one end of the country to the other. Paying no mind, Reagan set out to achieve his goals and repeatedly amazed critics by with his ability to make tremendously optimistic goals a reality.

I find myself noticing that, while officials in other presidential administrations write memoirs of their personal experiences, Reagan officials seem only to write tributes to Reagan. The conclusion I have come to is that Reagan was able to make people believe: in themselves, in America, and in his ability to lead the country toward some great end. There are very precious few people like that in the history of politics and, when one comes along, those on the inside end up chomping at the bit to get the message out, Reagan wasn't perfect and he made mistakes, but as Deaver points out, his ability to make people believe again made him an extraordinary president. This book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in politics who deeply wants to believe again.

In "A Different Drummer", Michael Deaver follows the theme of other authors, including Dinesh D'Souza, who hold that Ronald Reagan had sufficient confidence in his own beliefs to allow him to follow his own instincts regardless of the opinions of others.

Deaver has the unique perspective of thirty years of intimate association with Ronald Reagan. Through the first campaign in California to the second term in the White House, Deaver advanced from campaign staffer to the office adjacent to the Oval Office.

Deaver introduces the reader to the private Reagan. We see Reagan as he lives with Nancy, works with his staff and deals with his adversaries. Deaver portrays Reagan as knowing his core values and adhering to them. Even in controversy, such as the Bitburg decision, Reagan's loyalty to his friends remained unshaken.

A self identified member of the family, Deaver provides an insight into Nancy's role in protecting and leading Reagan through his life.

In the story of his own return to the Reagans after Deaver's downfall, Deaver presents a loyal, concerned Reagan, unlike some others who portray Reagan as dumping cohorts who are no longer useful to him. Finally, through Michael Deaver, we see the declining Reagan in the early stages of Alzheimer's.

"A Different Drummer" is a sympathetic portrayal of a confident, steady leader by one of his closest associates. It is a valuable tool with which to uncover the real Ronald Reagan.

If you liked Ronald Reagan, this book could cause you to love him. If you didn't like him, this book could change your mind. Well written by a man who possibly knew Reagan better than anyone, second to Nancy.

I grew up with Ronald Reagan. He was my president. Although I was 11 when he was elected, I consider him to have been the first president that I heard, noticed, watched. The image of a father figure was obviously shared by millions of Americans, and I guess the day when I began looking on him as my president, was when Hinckley fired his .22 caliber. I had arrived home from school and was outside playing basketball with friends. My mother came out and told me, and I remember missing my bedtime that night, up watching the latest news. I prayed for Reagan, I watched him, listened to his radio addresses, wrote to him, pulled for him, admired him.
Deaver's book brings back the reasons we all loved President Reagan. He was different. He did not rely upon polls, he was constant, unflappable, strong. At a time when the vernacular included phrases like "Iron Curtain" and "Arms Race", he comforted and protected us, and single-handedly dismantled the biggest threat we faced. Deaver lets us glimpse what we already knew to be true. His stories, although new and unknown to me, validate why I called Reagan MY president. I was at the National Republican Convention in New Orleans in August 1988 when he gave his farewell speech to the faithful. I was right up front, and as a 19 year old, I remember crying upon realizing that he was leaving public life. This book will remind you, too why we loved him.

This is absolutely the best Ronald Reagan book I've read and very well-written. I could not put it down! Michael Deaver is the most qualified person to write about Ronald Reagan. Deaver was there for almost thirty years!! Deaver's admiration for his boss shines throughout. Filled with very interesting personal stories, it's a story of Deaver's loyalty and respect for Ronald Reagan, not just an ordinary biography. The portrait of Ronald Reagan that emerges is truly inspirational. Also, it's about Michael Deaver, a man of integrity and character, who always put Ronald Reagan first. Nice comments about Nancy Reagan are throughtout the book. Also, it's nice to see someone so close to Reagan speak out against some of the critical comments/biographers that have been printed over the years. I wish this book was even longer, I'd love to still be reading it. I highly recommend "A Different Drummer".