Ronald Reagan: The Great Speeches, Vol. II

Ronald Reagan | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 1, 1995)
• Original Release Date: 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Jerden Records
• ASIN: B00000IKNR
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #158,400 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

THIS SECOND VOLUME TAKES YOU THROUGH 9 MORE MEMORABLE SPEECHES OF THE GREAT COMMUNICATOR

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars They Left Most Of The Good Stuff Out, October 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Ronald Reagan: The Great Speeches, Vol. II (Audio CD)

It seems as though they edited most of the good stuff out. The good and famous stuff seems to be missing. Don't know why they would do this. They should have at least put this famous quote in there:

"America is on the move again and expanding toward new eras of opportunity for everyone. Now were accused of having a secret. Well if we have it is that we're going to keep the mighty engine of this nation revved up and that means a future of sustained economic growth without inflation that's going to create for our children and grand children a prosperity that finally will last!"

5.0 out of 5 stars A different twist to the first one, July 10, 2011

By 

Magic Lemur (Somewhere in Madagascar) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ronald Reagan: The Great Speeches, Vol. II (Audio CD)

What I was expecting this CD would be a collection of leftovers that didn't quite make it onto the first CD. To an extent it is although, happily, it has a different take on Reagan's time in office and appears to be more focussed on his 'addresses' (i.e. his 'Addresses to the nation', two 'Addresses to the General Assembly of the UN' and one state of the Union address), as opposed to just his best moments.

Starting off with his address to the UN ('Agenda for peace'), it is interesting how much Reagan sought peace, rather than the warmongering allegations people throw at him (in all, he only made 3-4 military interventions).
Second is his Star wars/ SDI speech, which provides an interesting insight into Reagan's thinking on this (e.g. he was aiming for completion by "the end of the century").
Next is his appeal for re-election. Considering he won 49 of the 50 states in 1984, it's amazing to consider that he was contemplating not standing again, but this speech gives a idea as to why he did.
Track 4 is the highlight of the CD as it is Reagan's address about air strikes on Libya. Though hugely controversial, the eloquence with which Reagan explains his case really is up there with his finest speeches (e.g. "When our citizens are abused or attacked anywhere in the world on the direct orders of a hostile regime, we will respond so long as I'm in this Oval Office")
5 is where the CD moves onto controversy, with Reagan's appeal to the nation and to congress to continue funding the Contras. The seeds of the biggest scandal of his time in office are all there as it is clear that Reagan blindly sees the Contras as worthy of help, no matter what Congress say.
6th is his address to the Joint session of Congress in 1986. Containing no jokes and little interesting comment, it is not the best speech on the CD, though there is an interesting line about how Americans should take every risk to expand freedom in the world.
7th is where 'it' really hits the fan, with Reagan responding to the 'Tower Report' on the Iran-Contra controversy. Despite the subject matter and Reagan's obvious shock, it is still a masterpiece of how to deal with a big scandal and, as it turned out, saved his career from potential impeachment.
Second last is an interesting speech to the UN on 'Disarmament'. Many forget Reagan's accomplishment's in the field of disarmament and peace, and it is interesting to hear in this speech that he regarded the two gravest threats to world peace as being 'Thermonuclear weapons and totalitarianism'. He also covers off his accomplishments in nuclear disarmament.
The final track is a surprise as I expected it to be on the first CD. Far better than the rather cheesy ending tracks on Vol 1, this is Reagan's 'Farewell Address to the Nation'. Like track 4 (on Libya), this stands out as being a truly great speech, with many memorable flashes of eloquence (e.g. "My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger. We made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.")

So although this CD, like the last, spans Reagan's whole career, it isn't just a collection of leftovers and includes not just two truly peerless speeches, but also valuable insights into the failures of his presidency and how he overcame them.
Sadly this seems to be the last CD of the series, which means no CD covering 'A Time for Choosing' or any of his speeches before and after taking office.
Still, in his own words (quoted from the Tao Te Ching) "Ruling a big country is like cooking a small fish; don't overdo it".

5.0 out of 5 stars Ronald Reagan CD, July 12, 2009

By 

vinnie (Staten Island, NY) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Ronald Reagan: The Great Speeches, Vol. II (Audio CD)

Excellent CD from the Greatest President of modern times. Highlights his speeches of his last 4 years in office, some of them are not the entire speech, but excerpts from them. One of the best on this CD is the address to the nation on the Lybia air strikes...Its nice to play them especially now (2008-2012) to remember what a real president sounds like and to see how far this country strayed from its conservative roots