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Last Act: The Final Years and Emerging Legacy of Ronald Reagan Hardcover – October 13, 2015

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Craig Shirley (Author)
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Craig Shirley (Author), Lou Cannon (Foreword)
4.2 out of 5 stars 50 customer reviews
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41: A Portrait of My Father by George W. Bush
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George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, has authored a personal biography of his father, George H. W. Bush, the 41st President. Learn more | See related books
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 496 pages
  • Publisher: Thomas Nelson (October 13, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 159555534X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1595555342
  • Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.4 x 9.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,317 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
It's a good book but falls short of the standard set by Shirley's two previous tomes
By Bio Reader on October 21, 2015
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
Let me make it clear that I an an unabashed Ronald Reagan admirer and consider him one of the greatest Americans in history. My first child was named Reagan in his honor, and I was among the people who jumped on a commercial airplane and flew cross country to stand on the side of Pennsylvania Avenue when the caisson carrying his body drove past. It's a memory that will stay with me to my grave.

I also consider Craig Shirley's two previous books, "Rendezvous with Destiny" about the 1980 Reagan Campaign and "Reagan's Revolution" about his 1976 presidential effort against Gerald Ford, to be among my favorite books. Considering I read nothing but political history, that's saying a lot.

For the reasons above, I was very much looking forward to the publication of "Last Act" and had it saved in my Amazon wish list for months before it was released. On the day it arrived, I began devouring it, and while it was good, it failed to meet the standard set by Shirley's first two books.

It's understandable that "Last Act" does not have the depth of information, detail and insight that the campaign books contained because Shirley had fewer folks to interview and a touchy subject to cover. I would have liked more information about the years when President Reagan disappeared from view and the struggles that his beloved Nancy, his family, and others who knew him dealt with as a result. The fact that this information is understandably protected by a close-knit group is a given, but the book seems to promise more than it can deliver.

The information about how Reagan's funeral was pre-planned and carried out offered an interesting view of a grand historical event, and I enjoyed that portion very much.Read more ›
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17 of 20 people found the following review helpful
The Legacy of Ronald Reagan
By Dr. David Steele on October 13, 2015
Format: Hardcover
The legacy of President Ronald Reagan is securely established in history. Liberals can scoff and moan but the fact remains; Ronald Wilson Reagan is one of the most influential Americans of all time. Indeed, Reagan is not only one of the loved and respected presidents in American history; he is also one of the most effective.

Most books focus on the life of President Reagan and work hard to establish his presidential accomplishments. Craig Shirley's new masterpiece, Last Act: The Final Years and Emerging Legacy of Ronald Reagan takes a different approach. Shirley sets out to help readers see Reagan in a different light and in a different context. This book serves as a lens for Americans to view President Reagan in his post-presidential days, including the days which followed his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

Last Act begins with President Reagan on his death bed. The author highlights Reagan’s life and legacy from different perspectives - including friends, family, and foes. One of the constant themes that weaves through the book is the deep and abiding love that America has for the 40th president of the United States.

We would do well to listen to the words of Reagan's old arch nemesis, Senator Ted Kennedy who offered these fitting words, upon hearing of Reagan's death:

He brought a special grace to the White House and the country in everything he did. We often disagreed on specific issues, but he had an undeniably unique capacity to inspire and move the Nation. On foreign policy, he will be honored as the President who won the cold war. It was more than the fact that he was a superb communicator. Some attributed at least part of his success to the fact that he was a superb communicator.Read more ›
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Like the subject of his book
By John Morris on October 14, 2015
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
Like the subject of his book, author Craig Shirley has exceptional skill at using an authentic and absolutely mezmerizing story to teach us timeless principles and invaluable wisdom. In my opinion, Last Act is another of Shirley's brilliant contributions to the ever growing larger story of the life and, even the death, of the most consequential American life of his time. While it is one more Reagan book to his credit, Last Act stands in its own category. Few, if any, other political biographies exist in its style and from its perspective. I am proud to have come to know the author personally and fee we owe Craig Shirley thanks for his passionate uncovering of untold perspective and private moments of Ronald Reagan. Thanks to him, the leadership lessons are richer now as the legacy is emerging.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
... long battled people who have argued that the media loved Reagan therefore claims of media bias were not legitimate
By Phil Roth on October 27, 2015
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
Many who worked for Ronald Reagan have long battled people who have argued that the media loved Reagan therefore claims of media bias were not legitimate. As Craig Shirley asserts in his masterful new book, most of the media loathed Reagan – it was the public that by and large adored this president. In addition to disabusing the reader of any notion that the media were somehow hypnotized or wickedly coopted by Team Reagan, Shirley debunks other legends that have taken hold about the 40th president using specific examples to show that Reagan 1) was not in the throes of Alzheimer’s Disease as president 2) was not an inscrutable figure – those close to him were very clear about what made Reagan tick and 3) cagily benefitted from his image as a shallow actor who operated on cue cards alone. Shirley has emerged as the definitive Reagan biographer whose work resonates with general readers and Reagan alumni alike. Last Act reads like a novel that leverages Reagan’s funeral as a device for deconstructing the man and how he was interpreted by a media and elite culture that had – and continues to have – a deep investment in tarnishing his legacy. The publication of Last Act will make this destructive endeavor a lot harder to accomplish thanks to Shirley’s landmark work.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Very mixed

I don't know if I've ever had such mixed feelings about a book. The facts the author wrote of Reagan's later life were very interesting and very well done. Read more

Published 2 days ago by Jim Libby
Great Idea, Disappointing Book

Randomly opening Craig Shirley's book, I came upon a passage that compared Mayor Michael Bloomburg's refusal to close public offices in New York City in honor of Pres. Read more

Published 2 days ago by Ben Wolk
Reagan is Both Leader and Very Human

Ronald Reagan fought being shot, colon cancer, and skin cancer–all during his Presidency. And this is often overlooked. Read more

Published 2 days ago by 221bwhite
Ronald Reagan is one of my favorite presidents. I grew up with him and...

Ronald Reagan is one of my favorite presidents. I grew up with him and watch him give powerful speech, many time from the oval office. ( not to many presidents do that anymore). Read more

Published 4 days ago by N. Payne
Five Stars

Great read

Published 11 days ago by Scott
History and Nostalgia

Craig Shirley takes us through the week of President Reagan's funeral in 2004--not only through the events, but the people and the planning and the mourners. Read more

Published 11 days ago by Annelise Anderson
Getting to know the late president as a person!

Clearly the author is a fan of the late president, arguing that his presidency had a significant impact on the political landscape and changed how both parties look today. Read more

Published 15 days ago by kratzy
Great Read!

Congrats to Mr. Shirley for bringing us back in time to the struggles of the Reagan Revolution Days. Read more

Published 17 days ago by Charles L. Pratt
Must read

Great read from the foremost Reagan scholar!

Published 18 days ago by Amazon Customer
good, bad

Say what you want about the book...good, bad, whatever...but was I the only one who noticed the overuse of the word "wistful?" Who uses that word anymore? Read more

Published 18 days ago by Scott Kirkland

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