Reagan: A Life In Letters (U)

Ronald Reagan was a prolific letter writer his entire life and his letters reveal a hidden life as a writer of power, grace, and astonishing productivity. They also reveal a man who treasured his friends, took his critics head-on, and loved his family deeply. Now, in what may be the most important collection of Reagan's writings yet, the editors draw from exclusive access to Reagan's complete collection of letters, numbering in the tens of thousands, to show that he was one of the last century's greatest correspondents as well. From his youthful days of financial struggle, through the Hollywood years, his two terms as California governor, and to the extraordinary two-term presidency, Reagan never stopped writing friends, family, supporters, and even opponents. Readers will be astonished to learn that he kept up running correspondences for many years with several very ordinary Americans; he exchanged many letters with some of Hollywood's greatest legends; and he revealed his innermost thoughts and made political history in many of them. This definitive collection is skillfully edited and annotated by Kiron K. Skinner, Annelise Anderson, and Martin Anderson, and it will be must reading for anyone interested in America's 40th president and the times in which he lived.