Reagan Forever

It’s a great period to be a Reagan historian for myself and my colleagues, especially scholars such as Steve Hayward, Kiron Skinner and Paul Kengor. Between us, we've published almost twenty books on Reagan with more to come.

My friend Paul Kengor has a forthcoming book on Reagan and race. His narrative settles the false charges once and for all made by the ill-famed Washington Post--- they of dwindling readership and advertisers---as well as the badly reputed New York Times--which recently published a tissue thin and fact less smear about Reagan and the Iranian hostages in 1980. The baseless article was written by the intellectual lightweight Peter Baker, a discredited scribe of bad character. If the Post and the Times were prostitutes, they would be old crones infected with many disgusting diseases.

I just recently published The Search for Reagan, which sold out numerous times on Amazon according to my publisher. The Foreword was written by the Great One, Mark Levin, himself a former high official in the Reagan Administration.

John Bachman of Newsmax is writing a book about Reagan and the Cold War.

A long-time pal, Ambassador Frank Lavin, who worked in the Reagan White House, has a warm, funny, and tender book coming out about his Reagan years.

And Ken Khachigian, one of Reagan early speechwriters ( another being the recently deceased Peter Hannaford, who wrote several Reagan books himself) is writing a new book about Reagan.

Reagan's personal aide in his post presidency, Peggy Grande, is now working on a book about Reagan's mother, just as I wrote a book about George Washington's mother several years ago. The hand that rocks the cradle...

Professor William Imboden of the University of Texas recently penned The Peacemaker, a brilliant book about Reagan’s efforts to bring harmony to the world. A must read. So too is a recent book by Dr. Henry Nau, who was on Reagan’s National Security Council senior staff entitled Conservative Internationalism.

Newt Gingrich, a child of the Reagan Revolution who knew and worked with Reagan often while in Congress has written books and produced documentaries on Reagan along with his wife, Callista, our former ambassador to the Holy See, who Reagan recognized with the first ambassadorial posting.

Another addition Reagan iconography is the new feature length movie about the Gipper simply entitled Reagan. This movie has been the work and the dream of Mark Joseph for a long time..

Ironically, the director of the movie is Sean McNamara, who as a nineteen-year-old worked on the sound at a inaugural Reagan ball in 1985.

I've seen a sneak preview of the Reagan movie. It's good. It stars Dennis Quaid as the adult Reagan and Penelope Ann Miller as Mrs. Reagan. Both deliver good performances as does Jon Voight. The movie comes out in late August in theatres across the nation.

Let's face it; many are nostalgic for one of the most successful of presidents, because we are living through the regime of the worst president in American history. In sports metaphors, Biden couldn't hold Reagan's jockstrap. If Reagan was a champion swimmer (which he was) Biden would be the towel boy.

A recent proposed book by Simon and Schuster about the Biden presidency was canned—thrown on the ash heap of history so to speak---for lack of interest,

Reagan also had the best speechwriting staff in American history because he was a good writer himself. Mari Maseng (Will), Ben Elliot, Peter Robinson, Clark Judge. Aram Bakshian, Landon Parvin. Tony Dolan, and others.

As far as First Ladies go, is there any comparison? In class and style Mrs. Reagan had and has it all over the one-dimensional wallflower, Jill Biden.

Mrs. Reagan was also my friend. She helped me with research at the Reagan Library. She wrote me many letters.

My wife Zorine and I were two of the last few people to see the Reagans alive. At Century City we separately met with President Reagan, and then at the Reagan Library, where we saw Mrs. Reagan before they each went into seclusion.

She was frail and in a wheelchair, but when a dear pal, Reagan Library Director John Heubusch announced me to Mrs. Reagan; she brightened and said, "Keep writing those wonderful books about Ronnie.” Even as I write this, my eyes brim with tears.

What is it about this man who stirs so many emotions and thoughts; laughter, joy, convictions, principles, loyalty, patriotism?

A wag in 1980 said it best about Reagan. He was "nostalgic for the future."

Even twenty years after his death and thirty-five years after his presidency, the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California remains the most visited of all the presidential libraries, by far.

College students still flock in droves to the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara. Reagan owned several ranches but this one, Rancho del Cielo, captured his heart and devotion. During his presidency, he and Mrs. Reagan spent a full year, all told, at the ranch. He loved it so much that it earned the last entry into his presidential private diary. And the young people who go to the ranch, come out knowledgeable having listen to the best intellects of American conservatism.

What is it about this man who stirs so much love, admiration and devotion so many years later? I don't think there is one simple answer. I think there are many answers.

Intellectuals see him as a fellow intellect, quoting Jefferson, Paine, Locke, and Thoreau. American conservatives see him as a fellow conservative quoting William F. Buckley and George F. Will. Patriots see him as a fellow patriot. Ethical and honest people see him as ethical and honest. Strong Americans see him as a strong American. Jews see him as one who was deeply touched by the Jewish faith. Christians see him as a profoundly religious man. Principled people see him as honest and forthright. Happy people saw him as a Happy Warrior. Freedom lovers see him as an individual who cherished his own freedom, dignity and privacy.

Reagan made mistakes like all men, but he had no flaws. Not a weakness for other women once he met Nancy. Not a weakness for booze like so many men. Not an obsession for money, which consumes so many of us.

Reagan has gone down in history as one of our four greatest presidents. He won a Cold War, defeating Soviet communism, a wall came down and millions were freed. The gulags were shuttered as were so called mental hospitals.

He made America a better, freer, and safer place to live. He also made it a happier place to live as he knew a happy people are a productive people. He created a booming economy with millions of new jobs, low inflation and low interest rates. He left office with an unheard of 73 percent approval rating.

Every place I visit and speak, the words spoken by others about Ronald Reagan are nothing but good. They are pleasant things to hear

Invariably though, they ask, "Where is the next Reagan?" and I reply, "I don't know. Men like Reagan don't grow on trees.

But weren't we lucky to have this Ronald Reagan?"

Historian Craig Shirley is the author of eleven best-selling books including six on Ronald Reagan and two on World War II as well as the definitive biography of Mary Bell Washington, George Washington’s mother. His latest book is, The Search for Reagan.

• Ronald Reagan

• Craig Shirley

• Paul Kengor

• Reagan and Race

• Iranian hostages 1980

• The Search for Reagan

• Newt Gingrich

• Reagan the movie

• Joe Biden

• Nancy Reagan

• Reagan Ranch