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The Education of Ronald Reagan: The General Electric Years and the Untold Story of his Conversion to Conservatism

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We have a tendency in this country to assume that when a president is thinking your way he is a genius. When he is presenting a position opposed to you; first he is an idiot, and second all his thoughts are really those of his handlers. Then the presidential advisors start leaving and writing books about how brilliant they are and the president just doesn't listen.

It's only when the books come out much later that we really begin to learn what was going on. In this book, the author concentrates on the magical speech that Reagan made in 1964 in support of Barry Goldwater at the Republican National Convention. 'The Speech' was a turning point in American politics. And of course the sarcastic will say that Reagan didn't write it but his handlers ....

This book goes back many, many years and reviews speeches that Reagan gave. From them comes a line here, a line there and in the end we get 'The Speech.' It's an interesting way to look at how Reagan changed from union president heading the Democrats for Truman to fundamentally changing the country's direction. Along the way we learn, Reagan was no dummy. And I think that as history continues to develop, his reputation will continue to go up.

The Education of Ronald Reagan: The General Electric Years and the Untold Story of His Conversion to Conservatism is a far different portrait of Reagan than typical biographies have covered. For one thing, the focus is much narrower and more specific: for another, it's based on a newly discovered collection of private papers, interviews and corporate documents, and provides fresh revelations on Reagan's ideological development. From mentors and influences on his development to the ideals of modern American conservatism, THE EDUCATION OF RONALD REAGAN is a 'must' for any college-level collection strong in not only Presidential analysis or Reagan in particular, but for those strong in American political debates.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

An excellent book and well written. In addition to showing how GE gave Ronald Reagan the opportunity to become a conservative and a great communicator it also provides a fascinating perspective on the battle between business and labor from 1950-1970. This book shows the journey that Reagan takes from being a confirmed New Dealer to a Goldwater conservative.

The more years that pass by, the greater in historical stature Ronald Reagan becomes. He effectively brought down the Soviet Union and Communism (though maybe the problems with Russia itself are not over yet); he gave America a whole generation of prosperity. He renewed us as a people. Historians are even now saying that he was one of the greatest presidents in American history.

How did he do this?

His opponents, essentially the leftist media, the columnists, the pundits, and of course many in the universities, have said that he really didn't do anything, that he "sleepwalked through history", that he played "the greatest role of a lifetime", that he left his duties to his staff and they made these things miraculously happen. Another approach of his critics is to say that the Soviets were going to collapse anyway, and that he had little to do with it, also, that the American economy would have recovered from its stagflation, anyway from ongoing recession, in spite of Ronald Reagan. Or maybe he was just lucky: all those achievements seemed so effortless.

These assertions are all silly. No great leader in all of human history has ever "sleepwalked" from smashing success to smashing success.

Other critics say he was lucky, and, yes, he was lucky: great leaders, like great generals, need luck and usually are blessed by it. That is just how it works in history. Churchill was a lucky man. In his early years, he fought in many battles, bullets and artillery and swords were everywhere threatening his life moment to moment, and he was never wounded. But throughout a life of incredible achievement he worked long, hard hours. So did Reagan.

Many leaders have demonstrated outstanding acting ability: Roosevelt, Churchill, and Andrew Jackson; even Bill Clinton is a great actor; Obama is not far behind. Reagan was merely an actor who traveled the reverse route. Rather than becoming the politician, then learning to become a good actor, he was the actor who learned and studied and grew and evolved into a politician/statesman of gravitas.

How did this happen? That is what The Education of Ronald Reagan explains in detail. This book is my favorite type of history: dry and factual, non-polemic. It lays out in detail many of the formative years that Ronald Reagan spent in learning to be a leader. It shows the foundation of his greatness.

Ronald Reagan went back to school. For eight years he studied conservative ideas and philosophies in a virtual postgraduate seminar. In those years he must have read a thousand books. He gradually became a conservative.

When he went to work for General Electric Co. as a public spokesman, he was attracted to several deeply conservative mentors. They led him to book after book, numerous writings and pamphlets, and he read them all, often on long train rides across the country, where he had plenty of time to do so. He studied Jefferson, he studied Madison and the Federalist Papers, he studied the Constitution, and he never stopped reading. He studied communism and socialism; he read many books on economics, and mastered the "dismal science" more profoundly than possibly any other president; he learned how government functions, especially in its dysfunctional parts; and he loved to read biographies.

He learned how to work with and project himself to millions over that new medium called television, which was just coming into its own at that time (1954-1962).

Eight years of study, of growth and learning. What happened to him from this experience? He developed a vast intellect, often obscured by his charm, friendliness, and charisma, but it was always observing, evolving. He developed a conservative mindset, a philosophy that goes back for hundreds of years, which emphasizes the rights of man, a connection to God, a right to create prosperity (pursue happiness), and which generally affirms the vast creativity that evolves out of human freedom.

All of his mentors in the GE years were effective executives, and they taught him a lot about that too, namely, how to make things happen, get results. That is part of his GE years.

The GE years were where he learned talk over the talking heads directly to the American people. With his natural talent--then polished by this training--he became the best, the most powerful communicator in America.

This book shows part of how Ronald Reagan developed into one of the best presidents ever to serve the American people.

Would recommend it highly for anyone interested in the real history of this great man.

The conservative movement has collapsed in the last election (2008); it has collapsed before; it is in need of rebirth. This book lays out many principles, offers many ideas, as to how this can take place. Read it for that alone.

This book is more a history about General Electric and its battles with unionized workers in the late 1940's and 50's. Included in the narrative is how Ronald Reagan gained an invaluable education in big business, employee relations and collective bargaining.

The Education of Ronald Reagan: The General Electric Years is one of the ten essential history books on Ronald Reagan, I would argue. It explains how lifelong Democrat and union leader Ronald Reagan, who idolized Franklin Roosevelt his entire life and considered FDR a great president, changed his views and became a conservative Republican. It places Reagan squarely in the efforts by a small group of conservative business leaders (some would say reactionary and overreacting) to repeal the New Deal.

Most people have never heard of Lemuel Ricketts Boulware, yet he turned out to be one of the most influential Americans of the 20th Century. Boulware was the GE executive who hired New Dealer Democrat Ronald Reagan to be the face of General Electric to GE workers and the American public. Boulware slowly persuaded Reagan of the virtues of free markets and pro-business policies. Reagan became the mouthpiece for Boulware and that movement.

The book shows the text of a speech given by Boulware years before Reagan was hired by GE when Reagan was still a liberal Democrat. The book then shows the text of a speech given by Reagan after he had converted to a conservative Republican many years later, and it is almost the same speech as the one given by Boulware.

Reagan began reading Boulware's required reading list for GE executives. Reagan, as a New Dealer and union leader, had authority when talking to the GE workers across the country on behalf of the company. Reagan was impressed by the efficiency of GE and American industry. Reagan was a great communicator and honed his political message over those GE years, traveling the country.

Reagan saw where his future would yield fruit. His acting career in Hollywood was over. He was competitive. Reagan was no dummy. He was a staunch anti-communist, believed in the ideals of the American dream, and was from the midwest. He switched parties. Reagan and James Roosevelt made a joint anti-communist statement, but other Hollywood Democrats opposed Reagan's anti-communist views (and those of James Roosevelt). Reagan's views become more anti-government, as opposed to the social order conservative views (active government) and the views of liberalism (government activism).

I also enthusiastically recommend the related Invisible Hands: The Making of the Conservative Movement from the New Deal to Reagan as a "MUST READ."

I also strongly recommend reading Ronald Reagan's autobiography An American Life: The Autobiography to learn Reagan's story in his own words of how his views changed. It is illuminating and not what some people would have you believe about Reagan. Reagan said he was not trying to undo the New Deal. Reagan actually saved social security during his presidency. He did not repeal the SEC or turn isolationist. Reagan said that government after FDR went beyond what FDR would have approved, and Reagan pointed out the well-intentioned but failed government policies that needed to be repealed, such as the wasteful design of welfare, government bureaucracy being ineffective and politically motivated, foolish price controls, etc. Reagan pointed out the value of free markets where consumers can make choices and the markets, with competition, efficiently respond through demand and supply. To learn more about Reagan's crusade against communism and Reagan's conversion from Democrat to Republican, read The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism. Also read The Rise and Fall of Communism and The Cold War: A New History.

Also read a good biography of Dwight Eisenhower and a reputable history of the New Deal, warts and all, (not one of the smear books of the New Deal) to learn more about the periods preceding this economic conservative movement led by GE and then Reagan. Learn about the real mistakes and achievements of the New Deal. Learn about the moderate Eisenhower presidency. Learn about the rise of conservatism in response.

The author is a Republican and attorney who worked in the Reagan administration. The book is unbiased, from my perspective.

An excellent book on Reagan's conversion from a New Dealer who supported and benefitted from Franklin Roosevelt's policies to a hard line conservative. From the man who could say:..."I considered myself a rabid union man ever since" to the man who tried to break the back of organized labor as president, we are left with the portrait of a supreme opportunist who saw his path to political power resting on the limitless finances of big business. Tragic...for America, which is still paying off the legacy of Reagan's blind obeisance to American capitalism, and for the world at large.

The book is just what the doctor ordered for someone, like me, who searches to understand how people and their politics evolve. How did an oily haired actor get to be president? Why is the United States in such dire straits? This book gives many answers; but, does not tell why RR and his cohorts showed no compassion for the mentally slow, the ill, the incompetent, the frightened, and all who just can't get a handle on how to 'get it.'

Perhaps the reps and cons plan to take care of the problem the way the Nazis did. Great Book.