& FREE Returns

Or fastest delivery Monday, July 11. Order within 6 hrs 51 mins

Only 1 left in stock (more on the way).

As an alternative, the Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app.

[{"displayPrice":"$27.95","priceAmount":27.95,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"27","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"95","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"0y6443JvUvIDoCrnDPurhXm%2BT9bcg4UfjLkUYdm%2BiGNMELEXBYgS2u07T6SkeZfQWDC8T70OJUTsLVDdFcxoFL8TFiW5D%2Bl03piEPIKvET0XaHaJm%2B2YwudBj%2BfDHeJIvuZYko8PoG4%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW"},{"displayPrice":"$8.47","priceAmount":8.47,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"8","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"47","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"F%2BCm%2FPyHki91iDksDhsUIfiibaljR3UhaDZI%2FEXgOO1uOiHC%2BFDJmj2OwP6W8YABrDBz55W7K57q%2BNqbrDMvF%2BP5QhKRQ5nJoEzbEWAOz4gSvKINZFAB%2B7X506d3LYnJuUW6k5xljkYtmrdf1GUQN%2FsNQvU%2Fa%2BxG0M6fUEKRdcs5k1vM2iL3Lg%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED"}]

$$27.95 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Secure transaction

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Return policy: Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

FREE delivery July 14 - 19. Details

Select delivery location

Used: Very Good | Details

Sold by Better World Books: West

Add to List

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Share <Embed>

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Other Sellers on Amazon

Added

Not added

$27.95
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: Richard Park, Bookseller

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 2 images

Follow the Author

James G. Benze

Nancy Reagan: On the White House Stage (Modern First Ladies) Hardcover – Illustrated, October 11, 2005

by James G. Benze Jr. (Author)

5 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$23.10

—

Hardcover, Illustrated

"Please retry"

$27.95

$4.49

Enhance your purchase

Many thought of her as Queen Nancy. Others as the Dragon Lady. But for millions of Americans, Nancy Reagan was the always-smiling and deeply admiring presidential spouse who stood by her man; that image lingers still in the touching picture of a bereaved widow at her husband's casket.

Nancy Reagan has stirred passionate defenders and acerbic critics in many books and the media. James Benze, however, is the first biographer to discuss the effect of her acting background on her tenure as first lady. Unlike earlier biographers, he focuses on the way she applied her acting skills to meet the demands of her greatest supporting role.

As part of a movie troupe, Nancy Davis often had the job of flattering the lead actor or helping a star create an outstanding performance. As first lady, Nancy Reagan did all of this and more, whether supplying the president with a missing line at Bitburg or steering him away from the abortion controversy. Always outspoken and a target for feminists and others, she remained the consummate supporting actor, always helping the star.

Benze portrays Nancy Reagan as a forceful presence behind the Oval Office's closed doors, unafraid to take on Donald Regan or Oliver North. He documents her clear influence on presidential appointments, links her quirky penchant for astrology to her show-business past, and traces the creation of the "Just Say No" program to her years in Sacramento, showing that it far exceeded the public-relations motivation that her detractors claimed.

Benze reveals how living on a public stage exacerbated the problems in the Reagans' relationship with their children, which went from bad to worse during the White House years. He also covers Nancy Reagan's post-Washington life, including her vigilant care of the president as he struggled with Alzheimer's disease and her subsequent advocacy of stem-cell research that put her at odds with the GOP.

While Ronald Reagan was the star performer of his presidency, his wife glided elegantly at his side as an accomplished co-star. Benze's book strikes a balance between the images of adoring helpmate and manipulative manager, showing us the woman behind the stereotypes and offering a more objective understanding of her place in the history of presidential wives.

Print length

230 pages
Language

English
Publisher

University Press of Kansas
Publication date

October 11, 2005
Dimensions

6.34 x 0.91 x 9.76 inches
ISBN-10

070061401X
ISBN-13

978-0700614011
See all details

Scott Kaufman
5
Hardcover
$30.55 List: $32.50 (6% off)
Get it as soon as Friday, Jul 15
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Only 8 left in stock - order soon.

Products related to this item
Sponsored Hide feedback

Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Offers a useful perspective of the Reagan years from the vantage point of the East Wing of the White House."--Choice

"Alternately described as manipulative and caring, Nancy Reagan was an enigmatic first lady. Benze provides a richly detailed and unvarnished portrait of the former actress, who considered her role as Ronald Reagan's wife her most satisfying and important challenge."--Myra G. Gutin, author of The President's Partner: The First Lady in the Twentieth Century

"Captures the drama and turmoil of the Reagans' public life and tensions in their private lives, both tempered by Nancy Reagan's fierce loyalty and deep love for her husband."--Donald T. Critchlow, author of Phyllis Schlafly and Grassroots Conservatism: A Woman's Crusade

"Anybody who wants to know more about this important and, at times, controversial First Lady should 'just say yes' to this engaging book."--Chester J. Pach, author of The Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower

From the Back Cover

"Alternately described as manipulative and caring, Nancy Reagan was an enigmatic first lady. Benze provides a richly detailed and unvarnished portrait of the former actress, who considered her role as Ronald Reagan's wife her most satisfying and important challenge."--Myra G. Gutin, author of The President's Partner: The First Lady in the Twentieth Century

"Captures the drama and turmoil of the Reagans' public life and tensions in their private lives, both tempered by Nancy Reagan's fierce loyalty and deep love for her husband."--Donald T. Critchlow, author of Phyllis Schlafly and Grassroots Conservatism: A Woman's Crusade

"Anybody who wants to know more about this important and, at times, controversial First Lady should 'just say yes' to this engaging book."--Chester J. Pach, author of The Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower

Start reading Nancy Reagan: On the White House Stage (Modern First Ladies) on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University Press of Kansas; Illustrated edition (October 11, 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 230 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 070061401X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0700614011
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.01 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.34 x 0.91 x 9.76 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #134,031 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #568 in US Presidents
- #1,770 in Women's Studies (Books)
- #5,811 in United States History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
5 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

James G. Benze

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Products related to this item
Sponsored Hide feedback

Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1

Customer reviews

5 star		68%
4 star 0% (0%)		0%
3 star		32%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Gerry Meacham

loved her man

Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2015

Verified Purchase

She truly was on stage....loved her man!!!

Helpful

Sam Lewis

A Top Notch Perfoemance

Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2005

Benze has managed to demonstrate important connections between Mrs. Reagan's experience as actor and her time as first lady. While other biographies of Mrs. Reagan of course mention her action experience, Benze's approach is unique in integrating the two.

He also has used both interviews and primary source material from the Reagan library to supplement his familiarity with other biographies of Mrs. Reagan.

An excellent read.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful