Reviews for Ronald Reagan talks to America

The average rating for Ronald Reagan talks to America based on 2 reviews is 2 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-02-19 00:00:00 Jody Bennett The 50th anniversary of Robert Kennedy’s assassination seemed an appropriate occasion to read Arthur Schlesinger’s epic biography, ‘Robert Kennedy and his Times’. Sufficient time has elapsed where one can take a dispassionate look at the man and at the era which he helped to define. Or perhaps not. The Kennedys continue to evoke strong passions, pro and con. Their merits, and flaws, remain the subject of debate to this day. What impressed me most about RFK - perhaps the dominant impression I took away from this biography - was his ability to grow and mature as a person and a man. He was never a static figure, nor one unaware of his own shortcomings. Though born to wealth and privilege, he was able to move beyond this, able to broaden his horizons and deepen his empathy, to the point where he became conversant with the broad spectrum of struggling humanity, able to walk in their shoes and relate to their problems and concerns. Such a thing could never be said of such contemporary politicians as G. W. Bush or John Kerry - men of wealth and privilege who never seemed able to shed their limitations and, perhaps, never even recognized them as such. RFK stood head and shoulders above such figures - and, indeed, above most politicians, of whatsoever background or party affiliation. Schlesinger’s biography, it must be said, is far from being an impartial look at Robert Kennedy. Schlesinger knew, respected and admired RFK and makes a case that the reader should share in these feelings. The book sometimes reads like a presentation offered by defense counsel, though always polished and persuasive. Indeed, Schlesinger’s erudition, the broad expanse of his intellect, his ability to marshal facts and details to buttress some argument, would, were it not so congenial, be more than a little intimidating. The author is a self-professed intellectual, but in the best sense of that term; never dry, didactic or conceited. His portrait of RFK is a memorable one. The book is that rare instance where subject and biographer are perfectly matched. The result is, as it were, worthy of them both.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-08-06 00:00:00 Christian Knoche Everything I've read about the Kennedy's spoke to their compassion. Ambition and politics always came after caring. I started reading this book after Arthur Schlesinger died a couple of years ago (I read A Thousand Days in high school and loved it). I really didn't know much about RFK before starting this book. Well he worked for Joe McCarthy, ran his brothers Presidential campaign, Attorney general overseeing an enormous amount of wiretaps on american citizens, deeply and truly cared about poverty, indians, and african americans, helped facilitate one of the first private-public partnerships to revitalize sections of brooklyn, and was a strong early opponent of the vietnam war. This country would have been lucky to have him longer than it did. Just a great quote from near the end of the book: "The real stake in the American political process involves not the fate of speechwriters and fund-raisers but the lives of millions of people seeking hope out of despair."