Ronald Reagan: The Power of Conviction and the Success of His Presidency [Hardcover]

Peter Wallison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 17, 2002

An icon of the twentieth century, Ronald Reagan has earned a place among the most popular and successful U.S. presidents. In this compelling firsthand account of Reagan’s presidency, Peter J. Wallison, former White House Counsel to President Reagan, asserts that Reagan took office with a fully developed public philosophy and strategy for governing that was unique among modern presidents. “I am not a great man,” Reagan once said, “just committed to great ideas.” Wallison shows how Reagan’s unyielding attachment to certain key ideas—communicated through his speeches—created a cohesive administration and revived the spirit of the nation. Reagan limited his personal efforts to those issues he considered central to his presidency, choosing to delegate to his cabinet and staff those matters he viewed as secondary to his agenda. This leadership style was responsible for Reagan’s accomplishments, but also for his missteps and the criticism he received from his detractors.During his presidency, Reagan experienced both enormous success—in the unprecedented growth of the economy, the first arms reduction agreement with the former Soviet Union, and the revival of confidence in America—and near disaster in the Iran-Contra affair. In Ronald Reagan, Wallison describes what it was like to be on Reagan’s White House staff and how Reagan’s attachment to principle produced both the best and worst days of his presidency.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

During his year as White House counsel, Wallison was able to witness President Reagan up close-as a man who defied the textbook model of a "great president." Unlike any other president to date, says Wallison, Reagan came to office with a firm and unique philosophy of government. While many accuse Reagan of ignorance and lack of interest, Wallison shows that the president was a man of ideas and conviction. When it came to his core beliefs-small federal government, tax cuts and a formidable defense policy-Reagan was unbending. When even his own staff members rallied against him, begging him to relent, Reagan shook his head and spoke of "staying the course." Wallison also defends Reagan's managerial style, in which he focused on his main agenda and delegated all other policy decisions to his staff. This, too, was due not to "cognitive limitations" but to a determination to focus on achieving several key principles. To his credit, Wallison is not blind to Reagan's faults, noting that the very qualities that allowed for his many successes also permitted the devastation wrought by the Iran-Contra affair. The author's recollection of the scandal is detailed and honest. Despite the personal nature of his book, Wallison's portrayal of Reagan is balanced and clear: he gives us a man who is fundamentally human, who made mistakes and yet achieved great things. 10 b&w photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"As Mr. Reagan's lawyer during the Iran-Contra scandal, Mr. Wallison is uniquely qualified." -- The Wall Street Journal

"This book will stand as a worthy addition to the large number of insider accounts of the Reagan years." -- Choice

"Wallison's interpretation of the Reagan style has a credible ring, whether or not one agrees with Reagan's agenda." -- Kirkus --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (December 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813340462
• ISBN-13: 978-0813340463
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,606,664 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Read, March 7, 2003

By 

hugh kemper (plandome, new york United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ronald Reagan: The Power of Conviction and the Success of His Presidency (Hardcover)

This is an excellent "insider" perspective on Reagan's management style and the Iran-Contra scandal. Wallison debunks thoroughly the prevailing view of the liberal media that Reagan was intellectually limited, disengaged and manipulated by his advisors. Reagan's remarkable accomplishments are attributed to the clarity of and his unfailing focus on a few "big ideas" (e.g. a smaller and less intrusive government, freer trade, a strong defense, faith in the traditional American values of individualism and sense of personal responsibility) and his ability to inspire those within the administration to actively pursue his policy objectives. As legal counsel to the President, Wallison was the White House staffer most involved with Iran-Contra. He persuasively argues that the scandal was basically a foreign policy blunder made worse by a renegade NSC staff (particularly Oliver North) and a press corps more interested in scandal mongering than issues.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Behind the scenes of Reagan Administration., April 22, 2007

By 

J.L. Populist (WI,USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ronald Reagan: The Power of Conviction and the Success of His Presidency (Paperback)

This book is based on Peter Wallison's year in the White House when he served as a legal counsel.

This book shares some of Ronald Reagan's wit,humor,and humility.

Mr.Wallison offers an assessment of the media coverage regarding the Reagan administration. The media had a tendency to over-cover the sensational while ignoring subjects of substance,like policy(foreign or domestic).They trolled for scandals.

This book shows what management style was used by the President.
It also debuncts the myth that President Reagan was not intelligent.

Another interesting topic in this book is the behind the scenes view of situations in the cabinet. Leaks to the media and how rampant they were from the White House and especially the Hill.

There was a comparison of the Chiefs of Staff. Mr. Wallison wrote mostly about Donald Regan because he worked with him.

The chapters dedicated to the Iran-Contra scandal were very good! I came away with a better understanding of exactly what happened and who was involved.

This is the first book that I have read about President Reagan. I recommend it as a balanced book from an author who worked in the White House. I wish that he had been there longer!

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true American Conservative Leader, December 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Ronald Reagan: The Power of Conviction and the Success of His Presidency (Hardcover)

I love this book as it contains what it means to be a true conservative and not a false one. As the great Conservative economist F.A. Hayek once stated "    . . . the whole conception of social or distributive justice is empty and meaningless; and there will therefore never exist agreement on what is just in this sense... I am certain, however, that nothing has done so much to destroy the juridical safeguards of individual freedom as the striving after this mirage of social justice."
That is in a Capitalistic Socieity there will be more losers than winners and that is just the way it is. If you can not make ends meet it is not "societys fault" but your own. Don't expect your mommy "the state" to make it right!
From here the author goes own to explain how all the scandals of the Reagan presidentcy where not the leaders fault but those of his underlings for they were to blaime not him. The buck stops there my friend!