The Reagan Administration
(June 22, 2004)
America recently said its final goodbyes to its fortieth president. Ronald Reagan was eulogized as a leader of conviction, humility, faith, humor and optimism during dark moments of the Cold War. "His politics had a freshness and optimism that won converts from every class and every nation, and ultimately from the very heart of the evil empire," said former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. To explore Reagan's accomplishments and gaffes, Reader Advisor Susan Higgins has compiled this bibliography of the books available from Wolfner Library about the Reagan administration.
To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through our OPAC. Happy Reading!
The Acting President by Bob Schieffer.
RC 30976.
Two CBS newsmen, twenty year veterans of the Washington scene, depict the Reagan years. Whether Ronald Reagan was "lazy," or "uninterested in details," or "good at delegating," he allowed
others to have unprecedented power in foreign and domestic policy. This book tells who those people were and how the country was really run.
All the Presidents' Wits: The Power of Presidential Humor by Gerald C. Gardner.
RC 24987.
From John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan, this book celebrates presidential humor in its various guises. Offers plenty of chuckles but also illustrates the varied personalities and approaches to power of recent United
States presidents. Some strong language.
America Inside Out by David Schoenbrun.
RC 22041.
The author reminisces about his years in journalism. Two-thirds of the book focuses on his experiences during World War 2 and in postwar France . The other third examines the Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and
Reagan administrations.
At War in Nicaragua : The Reagan Doctrine by E. Bradford Burns.
RC 27673.
A professor of Latin American history at UCLA traces relations between the United States and Nicaragua over the years. The author charts the American obsession with Nicaragua and in particular castigates the policies
and goals of the Reagan administration. Burns also examines how the United States role is viewed by other Latin American countries and by the Third World .
Bankruptcy 1995: The Coming Collapse of America by Harry E. Figgie.
RC 36143.
Businessman Figgie first became alarmed by the national deficit when he served on President Reagan's Private Sector Survey on Price Control. He and economist Swanson point to defense spending and entitlement
programs beginning with the Johnson administration as the root of the problem.
Battling for the National Parks by George B. Deaver.
RC 29234.
A former director of the National Park Service discusses many of the actions of the Carter and Reagan administrations regarding our national parks and natural resources and recommends some changes in park
policy.
Behind the Scenes by Michael K. Deaver.
RC 27590.
Twenty years of loyal service to Ronald and Nancy Reagan have supplied this confidant with a plentiful store of chatty anecdotes about power politics and home life with the president and first lady. These firsthand
impressions accord closely with the familiar Reagan public personae; no dark secrets are revealed. Michael Deaver's departure from the White House and his subsequent legal problems are also part of this memoir.
Big Blue: IBM's Use and Abuse of Power by Richard Thomas DeLamarter.
RC 25390.
Chronicles the history and operations of IBM, drawing on the author's eight years' service as a Justice Department senior economist in the government's case against IBM. Revealing IBM's alleged
secrets, DeLamarter deplores the Reagan administration's 1982 dismissal of its antitrust suit against IBM. He believes that if the suit had been won, it would have broken the IBM corporation's stranglehold on
the computer industry.
Campaign Journal: The Political Events of 1983-1984 by Elizabeth Drew.
RC 23175.
The political correspondent offers her observations and conversations from the diary she kept during the presidential campaign of 1984. To campaigners the reelection of President Reagan seemed far from certain because
his image was that of a non-leading chief executive.
Caveat: Realism, Reagan, and Foreign Policy by Alexander Meigs Haig.
RC 20918.
President Reagan's former Secretary of State gives his views of international events in the Middle East, the Falklands, Poland , and Lebanon and spells out his differences with the Reagan strategists as well as
his own.
The Citizen's Presidency by Bruce Buchanan.
RC 27397, BR 7290.
Proposes the means by which the American citizenry can inform itself to better select and evaluate presidents. Public support is seen as critical for an effective presidency. The role of the media, the contrast
between perceptions of the Carter and Reagan presidencies, and the notion of a single, six year presidency are among the topics discussed.
Dark Victory: Ronald Reagan, MCA, and the Mob by Dan E. Moldea.
RC 25609.
Traces the swift, ruthless rise to virtual dominance of the film and television industry by MCA, the gigantic entertainment conglomerate referred to as "the Octopus." Reveals the Mafia's role in MCA and
the Hollywood power structure, as well as allegations about Ronald Reagan's ties to both MCA and associates of organized crime.
Day of Reckoning by Benjamin M. Friedman.
RC 29368.
The author, a Harvard economist, discusses the United States economic outlook after the Reagan administration, and recommends canceling Reagan's tax decreases in order to reduce the federal debt.
Deadly Gambits: The Reagan Administration and the Stalemate in Nuclear Arms Control by Strobe Talbott.
RC 21217.
Revealing inside account of the Reagan administration's handling of nuclear arms control. Relates the personality clashes and power struggles that shaped American policy and aided what Talbott sees as the
breakdown in United States-Soviet relations.
Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan by Edmund Morris.
RC 48814.
Biographer Morris interjects himself as a fictional contemporary of Ronald Reagan in this authorized account of the fortieth president of the United States . He covers Reagan's life from his birth in Tampico ,
Illinois , through his college days, his movie career, his governorship of California , his presidency, and final public appearance.
Early Reagan by Anne Edwards.
RC 26536.
An account of President Reagan and his lifelong interest in politics, including his abiding conservatism. Edwards shows that, while he was raised a Democrat and admired Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Reagan always called
conservatives and even reactionaries his best friends. She depicts him as somewhat lacking in intellectual or emotional depth, and includes sketches of both his wives and of stars, politicians, and union figures who
have crossed his path.
Empty Promise: The Growing Case against Star Wars
RC 25395
A collection of essays exploring the potentials for danger in President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). Some 100,000 American scientists have banded together against SDI, and nine of them here explain
their reasons.
Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership by David R. Gergen.
RC 51775.
An advisor to United States presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton assesses their leadership styles and their triumphs and failures. Outlines seven qualities he deems essential for a
successful commander-in-chief.
For the Record: From Wall Street to Washington by Donald T. Regan.
RC 30978.
Regan's book perhaps could be subtitled Regan on Reagan, as he offers some very revealing information on the Reagan presidency. The former secretary of the treasury and presidential chief of staff describes the
president he served, as well as the people he encountered in the course of that service.
Freedom Bound: A History of America's Civil Rights Movement by Robert Weisbrot.
RC 33539.
A detailed, yet concise account of the civil rights movement from the student protests in the 1960s to the Reagan administration changes in civil rights legislation and enforcement in the 1980s. Rich with
minibiographies of ordinary people who led and participated in the struggle, and with dramatic portrayals of key events.
God in the White House by Richard G. Hutcheson.
RC 29395.
After a look at the historical relationship of religion to the presidency, the author focuses on the place of religion in post-Watergate presidencies. Hutcheson explains how the Ford, Carter and Reagan
administrations have each in its own way brought God into the White House and yet maintained the separation of church and state.
The Great Depression of 1990 by Raveendra N. Batra.
RC 26008.
Economist Batra argues that concentrations of wealth, which undermine the banking system and encourage speculation, are the primary cause of depressions, and he argues that the Reagan administration's tax policies
promote these unhealthy conditions. He predicts that these policies will lead to a calamitous slump lasting at least through 1996.
Greed Is Not Enough: Reaganomics by Robert Lekachman.
RC 18052.
As viewed by the author, a professor of economics at City University of New York, President Reagan's economic policies enhance the affluent at the expense of the working poor, unions, and the nonwhite population.
This caustic, witty critique concludes with alternative approaches for the future.
His Holiness by Carl Bernstein.
RC 43129.
Investigative journalists argue that Pope John Paul II and President Ronald Reagan conspired to hasten the collapse of Soviet Communism. Evidence they cite includes the CIA's support of the Polish Solidarity
Movement and the sharing of American military intelligence with the Pope.
Inside Job: The Looting of America's Savings and Loans by Stephen Pizzo.
RC 31216.
On October 15, 1982, President Reagan signed the Garn-St. Germain Act, which deregulated savings and loans institutions, and set the stage for a national scandal. The authors chronicle some of the more serious cases
and explain why few offenders will spend a day in jail or even be required to repay what they took.
Inside Nicaragua by Rita Golden Gelman.
RC 31149.
Gelman presents a personal narrative of the daily life of the Nicaraguan people and their feelings on the Sandinista-Contra conflict. She shows that the Sandinistas have done both good and bad things for the country.
However, she states categorically that nearly everyone opposes the Contras. Gelman's sentiment is openly against the Reagan administration.
Landslide: The Unmaking of the President, 1984-1988 by Jane Mayer.
RC 29381.
This account of Reagan's second term summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of the Reagan presidency. The authors portray Reagan as an uninvolved figure with little interest in the business of government.
Mandate for Leadership by Charles Heatherly.
RC 15852, Volume 1.
RC 15853, Volume 2.
Sets forth the Heritage Foundation's proposals aimed at assisting the Reagan Administration to revitalize the economy, strengthen the national security, and halt centralization of power in federal government.
Volume one outlines the proposals as they apply to the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State,
Transportation, and Treasury.
The Master of the Game: Paul Nitze and the Nuclear Peace by Strobe Talbott.
RC 29507.
The author, chief of Time magazine's Washington bureau, chronicles four decades of arms control diplomacy, focusing on Paul Nitze, President Reagan's chief arms negotiator. The author portrays
Nitze's beliefs, aims, and achievements as he served the United States government in various positions since World War 2, and details post-Cold War international relations.
The Money Culture by Michael Lewis.
RC 34403.
Essays by a former investment banker, economist, and financial journalist. He chronicles the rise and fall of worldwide financial markets in the 1980s. Leading characters include the likes of Donald Trump and Leona
Helmsley. Lewis claims that the Reagan/Bush era fostered an entire culture based on entitlement but stops short of blaming politicians.
My Turn to Speak: Iran , the Revolution and Secret Deals with the United States by Abol Hassan Bani-Sadr.
RC 33922.
The author, former president of Iran , presents his views on the Iranian Revolution. Bani-Sadr charges that Carter made deals to control oil prices, and that Reagan and Bush made arrangements to have the American
hostages released only after the 1980 election. He also describes the duplicity of Khomeini and provides an insider's view of the Iran-Iraq War.
Nancy Reagan: The Unauthorized Biography by Kitty Kelley.
RC 32011.
Kelley begins her account of Nancy Reagan with the statement that only two entries on her birth certificate are accurate: her sex and her color. Almost every other item has been invented. Kelley looks at Nancy
Reagan's heritage and the effect it had in shaping her furture, one that would take her to Hollywood, to the California governor's mansion, and finally to the White House.
The National Debt by Lawrence Malkin.
RC 27149.
A look at the 1980s national debt, two trillion dollars owed by the federal government. Under the Reagan administration, this federal debt has doubled, becoming a Frankenstein monster. The causes,
ramifications, parallels with the Coolidge-Hoover era, and possible remedies are discussed.
The Nightingale's Song by Robert Timberg.
RC 42316.
Presents disparate portraits of five United States Naval Academy graduates, Vietnam veterans, and public figures under President Reagan. As young plebes, all heard the "nightingale's song" extolling the
honor of military service. Timberg avers that Reagan later revived that song in the men, with results that included the Iran-Contra scandal. Strong language.
October Surprise: America's Hostages in Iran by Gary Sick.
RC 34425.
Sick was the principal White House aide for Iran during the Carter administration and has served on the National Security Council staff under Presidents Ford, Carter, and Reagan. After a lengthy investigation, Sick
has come to believe that Reagan's team negotiated a deal with Iran to delay the release of the American hostages until Reagan's inauguration.
The Power to Lead by James MacGregor Burns.
RC 22412.
The Pulitzer Prize winning political scientist and historian points out the growing shortcomings in the American presidency, as illustrated by case studies of Kennedy, Carter, and Reagan. He traces the problems to an
outmoded Constitution, a ramshackle party system, and media trivialization of news all of which, he says, encourage opportunism and sacrifice of principled leadership.
President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime by Lou Cannon.
RC 33025.
Cannon, who had his first encounter with Ronald Reagan in 1965, has written several books on the former president. This time he focuses on Reagan's performance in the presidency, in an effort to penetrate the
illusion of the Reagan presidency. Cannon considers Reagan among the most personable of presidents and examines aspects of his private life.
The Price of Peace: Living with the Nuclear Dilemma by Lawrence Freedman.
RC 25561.
Collection of essays examining the political aspects of the nuclear issue. Freedman discusses the anti-nuclear movement, reform of strategic doctrine, arms control, disarmament, and President Reagan's Strategic
Defense Initiative. He argues that the Star Wars program is imbued with a contrived sense of scientific adventure and offers a false sense of invulnerability.
Protecting the President by Dennis V. N. McCarthy.
RC 24860.
The secret service agent describes how he wrestled John Hinckley to the ground after Hinckley shot President Reagan. Includes a short history of the agency, whose primary task is not protecting presidents,
but apprehending counterfeiters.
Reagan by Lou Cannon.
RC 17750.
"I like and respect Ronald Reagan while remaining skeptical that his actions will achieve the results he intends." Expressing these sentiments in the foreword, Cannon, the veteran White House correspondent
for the Washington Post, offers a critical though sympathetic assessment of the life and career of our fortieth president.
Reagan's America : Innocents at Home by Garry Wills.
RC 25962.
Critic, observer, and commentator Wills weaves two narratives into this interpretive biography of Ronald Reagan. In addition to tracing the president's career, Wills investigates American society as it has
developed over Reagan's life span. How the character and spirit of our fortieth president embody these changes is at the core of this social and political analysis.
Reaganomics: Supply Side Economics in Action by Bruce R. Bartlett.
RC 17423.
An economic policy specialist who helped draft the Kemp-Roth tax bill explains the economic policies of the Reagan administration, with its emphasis on production rather than the consumer aspects of classical
economics.
The Reagan Revolution by Rowland Evans.
RC 18759.
Two syndicated columnists offer an insider's road map to Reagan country. Their optimistic analysis covers Reagan's intentions for economics, foreign affairs, government regulation, and social policy. An
exclusive interview with the President concludes the account.
Rendezvous with Reality by Murray L. Weidenbaum.
RC 28960.
The original chairman of Reagan's Council of Economic Advisors offers an agenda to meet America's economic problems. His guide to choices critical to national policy focuses on patterns of borrowing
to finance everything from imported products to defense. Analyses and proposals range from individual solutions to corporate takeovers and bailouts.
The Search for the Real Nancy Reagan by Frances Spatz Leighton.
RC 26661.
Writing without the First Lady's authorization or cooperation, the author nevertheless probes behind Mrs. Reagan's guarded privacy and steely reserve with the help of old newspapers and anecdotes. Leighton
profiles Mrs. Reagan's childhood, her romance with Ronald Reagan, her children, her celebrity relationships, and her influential years in the White House. Some strong language.
Shootdown: Flight 007 and the American Connection by R.W. Johnson.
RC 24891.
An assessment of all available information on the 1983 Soviet shootdown of Korean Airlines flight 007, this controversial study challenges the Reagan administration's version of the event.
Sincerely, Ronald Reagan by Helene Von Damm.
RC 15799, BR 4614.
Selections from the personal correspondence of President Reagan to 1979 by his personal secretary. Written to prominent persons as well as to ordinary citizens, these letters reflect his views on taxes, religion,
welfare, family, foreign affairs, education, energy, and many other issues.
Sleepwalking through History: America in the Reagan Years by Haynes Bonner Johnson.
RC 32046.
A Pulitzer winning journalist examines the 1980s, when America's debt and reduced productivity threatened the country's power. He reviews Reagan's background and the people who promoted him,
reports on the roles of key players in the Reagan administration, assesses responsibility for the country's loss of its competitive edge, and indicts the leaders who created a record number of scandals.
Speaking Out: The Reagan Presidency from Inside the White House by Larry Speakes.
RC 28007.
An episodic recap of the press secretary's six year tour as chief spokesman for the Reagan White House. Speakes fronted for the administration in such crises as the Soviet destruction of Korean Airlines flight
007, the Grenada invasion, Reagan's bout with colon cancer, the Achille Lauro hijacking, the Challenger explosion, and the Daniloff affair, among others.
Special Trust by Robert C. McFarlane.
RC 40322.
McFarlane provides a look at his decades of government service from his years as a Marine through his appointment as national security adviser to President Reagan. Hoping to vindicate the special trust given him,
McFarlane looks not only at his successes, such as the Strategic Defense Initiative, but also at his failures, particularly the Iran-Contra Affair.
The Tower Commission Report: The Full Text by John G. Tower.
RC 26081.
The Special Review Board consisting of John Tower, Edmund Muskie, and Brent Scowcroft was appointed by President Reagan on December 1, 1986. Its mandate was to study the National Security Council's handling of the
Iran-Contra affair, which involved the selling of United States arms to Iran and the diversion of funds from the sales to the Nicaraguan Contras.
The Triumph of Politics: How the Reagan Revolution Failed by David Alan Stockman.
RC 23050.
A detailed scenario of Stockman's substantial role in the economic Reagan revolution. Stockman offers provocative insights into the characters of such important political figures as Weinberger, Deaver, Meese, and
Baker. Some strong language.
Turmoil and Triumph: My Years As Secretary of State by George Pratt Shultz.
RC 35917, BR 9392.
Memoirs of a secretary of state under President Reagan. Shultz presents his viewpoint on United States foreign policy, with emphasis on the American-Soviet relationship. And he paints an insider's picture of the
White House, the president, and dealings with world leaders and other administration officials, most pointedly with the Central Intelligence Agency, with whom he was often at odds.
Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA, 1981-1987 by Bob Woodward.
RC 26031, BR 7087.
Based upon interviews with over 250 unidentified sources, various documents, and more than four dozen discussions with then Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William J. Casey, the book presents a
controversial history of the CIA and its influence on the foreign policy of the Reagan Administration. Also explores CIA inspired covert wars, clandestine relationships, bribery, and assassinations during this
period.
Visions and Nightmares: America after Reagan by Robert Lekachman.
RC 26641.
An economics professor known for his trenchant wit launches into a venomous audit of the Reagan era with dour reflections on its aftermath.
War and Peace in Central America by Frank McNeil.
RC 30248.
The former United States ambassador to Costa Rica begins his analysis by identifying the characters in the Central American drama, from the colonial period to the present. He disputes the propaganda he feels
has been spread by proponents of both the right and the left. He is also critical of both the Carter and the Reagan Administrations' inability to listen to Latin America .
Way Out There in the Blue: Reagan, Star Wars, and the End of the Cold War by Frances Fitzgerald.
RC 52547.
Examines President Reagan's world view and the origins of his "Star Wars" missile defense initiative. Documents the clashes between Secretary of State George Shultz and Secretary of Defense Caspar
Weinberger concerning the program. Concludes with a report on missile defense research after the Reagan years.
What Does Joan Say? by Joan Quigley.
RC 31424.
Writing in response to Nancy Reagan's My Turn (RC 30623), Quigley reveals how she controlled President Reagan's schedule and reshaped Nancy's image. Quigley claims to have talked
daily with Nancy, sometimes for several hours, offering advice on such things as travel plans, the change in Reagan's perception of Gorbachev, and the Bitburg crisis.
What I Saw at the Revolution by Peggy Noonan.
RC 30709.
A personal account by a political speechwriter. Noonan writes about being the first in her family to be a Republican; about working at CBS and the media's relationship with politics; about being a woman in a field
dominated by men; and most of all, about Ronald Reagan and what his presidency meant.
When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan by Peggy Noonan.
RC 53364.
Former special assistant to president Ronald Reagan asserts that his greatness lay in his character. Includes anecdotes from those who knew the president well; analyzes his career as a film star, a union
representative, and a politician; and discusses the factors that influenced him. Some strong language.
While Reagan Slept by Art Buchwald.
RC 20117.
Collection of short syndicated columns that appeared in the Washington Post, 1981-83, from a leading Ronald Reagan watcher. Includes whimsical pieces on Reaganomics, OPEC, hi-tech, the CIA, tofu, and
doctors.
RC 23679, BR 6404.
The humorist pokes fun at politics, politicians and society in general. He exposes the secrets of the Great Loophole Industry for tax evaders, suggests how to sidestep EPA regulations that forbid dumping toxic wastes on a Boy Scout campground, describes a spare parts garage sale at the Pentagon, and continues his irreverent jibes at the Reagan administration.