Customer Reviews

My Turn: The Memoirs of Nancy Reagan

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Mrs Reagan makes no apology for this personal partisan expose of her life.This is as the title states HER turn to tell Nancy's side of the story which she does with candour,regret,humour a slight bitterness and a little sadness.Her love and devotion to her husband and their marriage stands out above everything including a candid admission that between the two of them they could have been better parents.Despite their closeness Nancy adamantly refutes any suggestion she was a power behind the throne or weilded great influence on her husband "otherwise Don Regan would have been dismissed much earlier than he was".Neither does she make apology for giving Ronnie unwelcome opinions about policy and personalities in the administration.Anyone sleeping with the leader of the free world is going to put in their sixpence worth and no mistake.But does that mean he takes the advice? Probably not.

She also makes no bones about people she disagreed with and her meetings with Raisa Gorbachev bear testimont to an ability to carry on regardless.You go girl! What other similar situations did she leave out I wonder.Her opinions of Roslyn Carter were interesting and uncatty,considering the circumstances both women deserve a medal for their restraint. I read this book by chance soon after the joint briefly worded statement from Mr & Mrs Reagan about the Presidents illness was announced to the world, "...for me personally it is the start of a long goodbye..." so tried not to let this affect my views. Nancy Reagan admits to a faults on her part and actions she regretted but I was pleasantly surprised about this revealing biography of a public person who had been vilified in the press for doing what she did best,trying to protect the interests of the dearest person in her life. Would that most of us could say the same.

It's been awhile since I read this book, but being that I am an admirer of Nancy Reagan's, I didn't mind reading it again.

The main thing that strikes you throughout this book is her strength, sensitivity, and love for her husband. She brought a level of dignity and class to the White House and as subsequent events have proven, she maintained it beautifully long after she was out of the limelight. The way she cared for her husband throughout his long illness showed a devotion that we aren't used to seeing in marriages, especially very public ones.

Even though this book is a few years old, you will learn much about the wonderful lady. If you are a fan of hers or just curious, there is much in this book that is enlightening and entertaining.

Heard the taped version of my turn: the memoirs of Nancy Reagan . . . I never followed her career too closely, when she was the first lady, though I do recall she was always involved in a lot of controversy . . . now I can see why . . . it was interesting to read her version of why she consulted an astrologer, about her feud with Ronald Reagan, etc. . . . what comes though loud and clear: her passionate love for the president . . . I particularly liked the fact that she did the actual narration . . . in addition, I admire her ability to admit her mistakes.

For a single penny and the price of postage you too can own this camp classic. And the Don Regan paragraphs are just too too rich. Sharpen your claws girls and get it today!

I agree that in the beginning of the book, it did start out very defensive,and Nancy truly believes people have the wrong idea about her.
However,as the book progresses, I do feel I am hearing quite a bit from
"the Heart" as she tells about Ronald Reagan being shot, her experiences with the Fords,the Carters, the Bushes. There are some very straight forward remarks about many historical figures, and that is what a reader would expect from the writer. There are some very interesting "tidbits" of information that you may only read in this book about other historical figures. She talks candidly about her children, and in many areas, as she explains her feelings, I certainly understand her point of view. She comes across as a very kind person, and has been lucky enough to have a wonderful full life love affair with her husband thru any adversity as well as the good times. I think alot of people don't understand what she and the President had , including her own children. The feelings between them, and perhaps Maureen Reagan and Ron
Reagan understood the best, may be why some people just can't "get it". They have and had a blessed life. Very good read. We should all have such devotion to our spouses. Wonderful.

I'm a Presidential buff. The Reagans' are my favorite 1st family so i rate the book a ten. This book will show you that everyone has difficult times. That being a celebrity or President can be the best as well as being trying at times..........i read and reread the book often. Well written and an easy read.

I just finished reading this booking and I so thoroughly enjoyed it. I hated to finish it. I am now looking to read other books about Nancy Reagan, Ronnie and their family and life. "My Turn" was so well written. I had difficulty putting it down. Very enjoyable and interesting.

I think her book was as honest & frank as anyone who is a mature adult can be about themselves & the peole around them. Mancy admits to her mistakes & lapses in judgement like consulting her "astrologer" who was more of a needy confidante in a world where there was no one she could trust to unburden herself with. Too bad the astrologer betrayed her trust to make a few extra bucks. Her daughter, Patti, seems like she has spent her entire life trying to "get back" at both her parents for the privileged life she was born into. Nancy freely admits she is over anxious about everything & also had the responsibility of trying to make up for lack of maternal care that her husband's 2 chidren from his previous marriage never had. I think she tried her best. She did not want him to run for a second term after his assasinaiton attempt shortly after his first eletion.
The book ends before the long tragic battle with Alzheimers began. Nancy has that in front of her & Maureen (her favorite) was the only sibling who actually came to visit regularly & then Maureen had an untimely cancer death. I think My Turn is a very restrained memoir showing real understanding of her life as far as anyone can.

Review by Isis Beckhardt: Did the other reviewers read a memoir porrtraying an entirely different woman than I did? Nancy Reagan reveals herself to be exactly as numerous others described her: entitled, shallow, manipulative, and self-centered. For eight years, she was in a unique position to contribute to the greater good and to dedicate herself to a causes larger than herself. Instead, lacking a moral compass, her concerns were designer clothes and jewelry (without paying for them), socializing with the elite, berating those she considered beneath her, and turning a cold shoulder to the disenfranchised she could have greatly assisted had she not refused to be "inconvenienced."
I am sincerely glad for her happy and loving marriage; I just wish that, counting her blessings, she would have been willing to translate her joys to helping others find their own.

After years of being attacked as being an insensitive, astrology consulting, overly protective Dragon Lady, Nancy Reagan got her turn to give her side of the story. Any fan of the Reagan era should be glad that she did.

"My Turn" is not primarily a response to her attackers but a chance to tell her story and quite a story it is. The daughter of a Broadway actress and a disinterested father, her life was difficult until her mother married a Chicago neurosurgeon who later adopted her. Acting was never far from Nancy's world as her mother's friends, including Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn were frequent visitors. When Nancy got into movies she spent a week dating Clark Gable.
Just like Ron, she says that her life started when they met. Both tell essentially the same story, that Nancy sought Ron's help, in his capacity as a President of the Screen Actors Guild, when she found her name on a membership list of a Communist Front organization. Although they both had an escape clause by saying that they had an early call the next morning, their first date lasted until 3 a.m. and their love affair would last until Ron's death.

With Ron's entry into politics, Nancy became a public figure and hence a target of many. She uses the pages of this book to give her view of the events and personalities of the Reagan Era. She insists that she used astrology for reassurance, particularly after Ron was shot, but only to change the dates of events, not to alter policy. I knew that she would have a score to settle with Don Regan, but I was a bit pleasantly surprised with her forthright assessments of Raisa Gorbachev, John Sears and others. Nancy's disappointments regarding the relations with her children generate empathy and help the reader appreciate that fame and fortune do erase all pain.

I recommend this book for any fan of Hollywood, who fondly remembers the Reagan era or just wants a personal memoir that is an enjoyable read.