Greatness: Reagan, Churchill, and the Making of Extraordinary Leaders [Paperback]

Steven F. Hayward (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 24, 2006

The Unexplored Connections Between Two of History’s Greatest Leaders

Ronald Reagan and Winston Churchill were true giants of the twentieth century, but somehow historians have failed to notice the many similarities between these extraordinary leaders. Until now.

In Greatness, Steven F. Hayward–who has written acclaimed studies of both Reagan and Churchill–goes beneath superficial differences to uncover the remarkable parallels between the two statesmen. In exploring these connections, Hayward shines a light on the nature of political genius and the timeless aspects of statesmanship–critical lessons in this or any age.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ronald Reagan was just a B-list actor when Winston Churchill assumed control over Europe's fate. Even as president, Reagan remained at heart a California rancher with Midwestern roots, while Churchill was a British aristocrat groomed for the political stage from a young age. Despite these obvious differences, American Enterprise Institute fellow Hayward (The Age of Reagan; Churchill on Leadership) argues that the two icons possessed the same essential ingredients for the making of political greatness: boundless vision and imagination; a capacity for strength and optimism, even humor, in the face of crisis; an iron will; and a denunciation of evil, embodied most famously in Churchill's Iron Curtain speech and Reagan's "evil empire" and "tear down this wall" counterparts. While the two were essentially conservative figures, Hayward's analysis is not innately political but is, rather, marked by balanced insightfulness. Finally, the author argues, with an optimism worthy of his subjects, that political greatness in the 21st century—an ostensible oxymoron at times—is not only necessary but possible. This is a useful primer for students of political science, not to mention politicians, in the essential qualities of truly great leaders. (Oct. 11)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Hayward compares and contrasts two stalwarts of conservatives' twentieth-century pantheon. Sympathetic to Reaganism, Hayward finds similarities between Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan and strives to generalize them as generic attributes of political greatness. Perhaps that will expand his audience; in any case, admirers of his two subjects will be reinforced in their views by Hayward's observations. These typically reflect off the criticisms made of Churchill and Reagan by contemporaries, such as their fear of wielding power. This attitude was not the preserve of socialist or liberal opponents but existed in the men's own parties. Consequently, both men experienced a "wilderness" period before events moved toward their way of thinking, a validation in their own minds, in Hayward's argument, that providence had marked them for a special historical mission. Imagination was also behind their conservatism, which was instinctual rather than intellectual, Reagan characteristically explaining his policies anecdotally. Concluding with their repugnance for the Soviet system--which each believed, against the grain of realpolitik, was destined for collapse--Hayward's essay previews his forthcoming history of the Reagan presidency. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (October 24, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307237192
• ISBN-13: 978-0307237194
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #660,647 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hayward has done it again, October 5, 2005

By 

Peter F. Schweizer (Tallahassee, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Greatness: Reagan, Churchill, and the Making of Extraordinary Leaders (Hardcover)

This is a great examination of two superb leaders. Hayward has the ability to combine scholarly depth with a light wit that makes for great reading. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in understand what makes a great leader.

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Nobility of Man., October 28, 2005

By 

Bernard Chapin "Ora Et Labora!" (CHICAGO! USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Greatness: Reagan, Churchill, and the Making of Extraordinary Leaders (Hardcover)

I've been saying for many years now that the only two men of the Twentieth Century who qualify as "eternal heroes" are Ronald Reagan and Sir Winston Churchill. Imagine my glee upon discovering that Steven Hayward has taken the time to compare these two epic figures in his new book, Greatness. What is offered here is a lengthy essay considering just how similar these seemingly dissimilar leaders were. Via the examination of their overlapping attributes, the author is able to illustrate a recipe for what prodigiousness in man is.

On the surface, the juxtaposition of Reagan and Churchill does not seem apt, yet the narrator undertakes substantial effort to illustrate just how much they had in common. When we think of Churchill, we immediately think of his monstrous wit and intellect, but, in reality, we should also think the same about the 40th President of the United States. Certainly, he was not a scholar, but Reagan wrote thousands and thousands of pages for radio addresses and columns which kept his name alive during the wilderness years of the late and middle seventies. Reagan's wit and humor was every bit the equal to Churchill's. Both men were mavericks who never allowed their political parties to predetermine their views or actions. These were conservatives occasionally distrusted by their fellow conservatives, but, regardless, they managed to outshine all of their peers.

Greatness, albeit it short, manages to convey the spirit of two titans who will be referenced well into the next millennium. It reads very quickly, but what will be best remembered are the quotations detailed within. The words of Reagan and the words of Churchill flower over every page, and, by letting his subjects speak, Hayward has fulfilled his mission. By vanquishing Nazism and communism, the two vanquished the paramount evils of history. Their backgrounds could not have differed more, yet the results could not have been more grand for the people they led and saved. I'd say God Bless Churchill and Reagan, but we know that He already has.

52 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cannot Deny Greatness, October 7, 2005

By 

Tomato Pie "tomatopie" (West Chester, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Greatness: Reagan, Churchill, and the Making of Extraordinary Leaders (Hardcover)

I am a Democrat who voted against Reagan in 1980, but for him in 1984. I'm still a Democrat but I've never seen a leader like him in my lifetime. The comparisons to Churchill are apt. I place FDR in the same light as a leader, even though he and Reagan had very different philosophies as to the role of the government as nanny. As I see it now, Churchill and FDR won WWII. Reagan, with help from the Pope and others, won WWIII - the Cold War. I know that many in my party cannot accept that the GOP holds claim to a man of greatness, but it cannot be denied.