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Title: A Different Drummer: My Thirty Years with Ronald Reagan by Michael K. Deaver, Nancy Reagan ISBN: 0-06-019784-6 Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: 20 April, 2001 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.11 (38 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Profile of a Patriot
Comment: Michael Deaver worked for Ronald Reagan for more than thirty years and got to know him perhaps as well as anyone outside the president's immediate family. According to his own account, he once asked Reagan if the president considered Deaver like a son. To which Reagan replied, "not as a son, maybe more like a brother." This, then, is not an unbiased portrait of President Reagan; nevertheless, it is one which rings true.
Written in a comfortable almost conversational and informal style, Deaver tells the story of a man he considers to be a true American patriot. Deaver's thesis may be best understood by quoting briefly from the book concerning Reagan's impact on America.
"Americans rightly were beginning to doubt themselves, but a man came along who knew the true score. He knew that better times were ahead because 'after all we're Americans.' The nation cried out, and a guy named Ron answered the call. He resuscitated not only the diminished office of the president, but the national pride that had laid dormant since the early 1960's. Clearly, Reagan was the right man at the right time, and history will bear his name triumphantly." (p. 123)
Reagan certainly did dance to the beat of a different drummer in many significant ways. Even if you are one who does not admire his policies, I think you will put the book down having gained a new admiration for the man. For those to whom Reagan is a hero, this is a must read book.
Rating: 3
Summary: Working with the Gipper
Comment: Michael Deaver served as the White House Chief of Staff during most of the Reagan White House years. During that time, and during the previous decade, he came to know and love the man who served first as California governor and later as U.S. President during the 1980's, Mr. Ronald Reagan. In this book, he talks about his relationship with the former president, including how they first met, how they formed a friendship, and how their bond remained strong through Reagan's presidency and beyond.
Deaver first met Ronald Reagan in 1966 when he was about to run for the governorship of California. It was here that Deaver first got to know Reagan from a political standpoint. Before long, however, the friendship grew beyond politics and Deaver and Reagan became friends for life. They didn't always agree on everything, but they were still able to separate the disputes from the fact that they were still friends. Deaver points out that the Reagan he got to know personally was very different from the image that the public was used to. Reagan was popular with the people and was known for his good looks and sense of humor. He was also perceived as very outgoing, but Deaver indicates that this was not really the case at all. Ronald Reagan was actually rather shy and would prefer to talk with only one or two people at a party rather than work the crowd, like a more gregarious type of personality would do. These facts might surprise some readers who always assumed that Ronald Reagan was the life of the party in any social situation.
One thing about this book that makes it a little different from other political books is the fact that it keeps a positive attitude from beginning to end. Unlike other politically influenced books that devote a large number of pages to negative criticism and outright bashing of opponents, "A Different Drummer" remains optimistic. There is really nothing negative in this book, so don't read it if you are expecting to hear Deaver lash out at Reagan's many enemies or talk openly about Iran Contra or other scandals. It isn't that type of book at all. Deaver focuses on Ronald Reagan as a person, and he remains upbeat and optimistic throughout.
Deaver speaks very affectionately about Ronald Reagan, and this fact will turn some people off right away, particularly those who are liberal in their thinking and cannot handle hearing anything positive about Reagan or any other Republican. I admit that Deaver's words can go a little overboard, and they often overflow with excessive admiration. But before a potential reader writes this book off for political reasons, he or she should reconsider. It's true that the book is written about an important political figure, but it isn't really a political book, in the purest sense. It is really a personal book about one man's relationship with a man he admired to the extreme.
I didn't necessarily learn a lot more about Ronald Reagan when I read this book. What I learned instead was the power of friendship. Micheal Deaver has known Reagan for more than 30 years. He has been with the president during his highest achievements (like winning the governor's race and the two election victories for the White House) and during his lowest and most difficult personal crises (like his battle with Alzheimer's disease- a very touching part of the book). And through it all, Deaver has remained a friend. "A Different Drummer" is a nice tribute from Deaver to Reagan, showing how two men can remain loyal and steadfast to the very end. It's not the best book about Ronald Reagan as a whole, since it doesn't cover very much about the president's early life or achievements. But it's a good book about the relationship that formed between these two political allies and how the friendship blossomed and grew over the 30- year period that they worked together. It's full of charm and sincerity, and it makes for a good read regardless of your political affiliation.
Rating: 5
Summary: Very charming book!
Comment: I enjoyed this book so much, I read it in two days! Mike Deaver's intimate perspective on the Reagans shines through in this book. He really captures the essence of their personalities. Through this book I was able to go back in time and experience a relationship with Ronald Reagan through the eyes and actions of Mike Deaver.
Although not a comprehensive insight into the complexities of Ronald Reagan, it is a delightful read and is an excellent addition to my growing collection of books on the Reagans.
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Title: Nancy : A Portrait of My Years with Nancy Reagan by Michael K. Deaver ISBN: 0060087390 Publisher: William Morrow Pub. Date: 03 February, 2004 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime by Lou Cannon ISBN: 1891620916 Publisher: PublicAffairs Pub. Date: 04 April, 2000 List Price(USD): $18.00 |
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Title: Behind the Scenes by Michael K. Deaver, Mickey Herskowitz ISBN: 0688064043 Publisher: William Morrow Pub. Date: February, 1988 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan by Peggy Noonan ISBN: 0142001686 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 01 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life by Peter Robinson ISBN: 0060523999 Publisher: Regan Books Pub. Date: 05 August, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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