Greatness: Reagan, Churchill, and the Making of Extraordinary Leaders

This is a short, fascinating, and thought-provoking read -- something that's always hard to find! Fascinating, even eerie parallels between Churchill and Reagan: well, everyone will have his own favorites. Here are mine. First, public speaking. They both wrote their own speeches and slaved over them. Churchill wrote on 4" x 8" paper, Reagan on 4" x 6" cards. They both practiced their speeches almost to the point of memorization, with the same result: they sounded spontaneous and convincing to their audiences. They both made speeches which changed men's minds. Carter, Johnson, and Nixon were incapable of such a thing. Second, their marriages. Churchill's first marriage, Reagan's second -- both were Total Love Relationships, with absolute loyalty on both sides, the kind of love Walt Disney teaches us to dream about. There are many other fascinating parallels (and non-parallels) between these two great leaders, but I'll leave them for you to discover as you read this VERY stimulating book!

In between writing what will be a multi-book series Steven Hayward took a break and dashed of this delightful little book. At first it may seem that Reagan and Churchill had nothing in common but Hayward shows that this idea is wrong. Amazingly, Reagan and Churchill had remarkably parralel lives. Churchill was born in a palace but his childhood wasn't a fairy tale. His relationship with his adored father was a painful one that ended abruptly in what many whispered was a shameful death. Reagan was born in modest circumstances and his relationship with his adored father was also painful due to his father's drunkeness. This relationship also ended abruptly by a death that was probably brought on by alcoholism. Both men were devoted to their mothers and both men didn't bloom until they got away from home. Both men botched their early romances but ended up with devoted wives who they were intensely attached too. Both men seemed to be mystified and somewhat distant by their offspring. Both men were seriously underestimated by enemies and their own party colleagues. Both men despite living such hugely public lives were ciphers in private. This book isn't trying to be an exhaustive treatise. It's a quick compare/contrast and is both amusing and eye opening.

I've been saying for many years now that the only two men of the Twentieth Century who qualify as "eternal heroes" are Ronald Reagan and Sir Winston Churchill. Imagine my glee upon discovering that Steven Hayward has taken the time to compare these two epic figures in his new book, Greatness. What is offered here is a lengthy essay considering just how similar these seemingly dissimilar leaders were. Via the examination of their overlapping attributes, the author is able to illustrate a recipe for what prodigiousness in man is. On the surface, the juxtaposition of Reagan and Churchill does not seem apt, yet the narrator undertakes substantial effort to illustrate just how much they had in common. When we think of Churchill, we immediately think of his monstrous wit and intellect, but, in reality, we should also think the same about the 40th President of the United States. Certainly, he was not a scholar, but Reagan wrote thousands and thousands of pages for radio addresses and columns which kept his name alive during the wilderness years of the late and middle seventies. Reagan's wit and humor was every bit the equal to Churchill's. Both men were mavericks who never allowed their political parties to predetermine their views or actions. These were conservatives occasionally distrusted by their fellow conservatives, but, regardless, they managed to outshine all of their peers. Greatness, albeit it short, manages to convey the spirit of two titans who will be referenced well into the next millennium. It reads very quickly, but what will be best remembered are the quotations detailed within. The words of Reagan and the words of Churchill flower over every page, and, by letting his subjects speak, Hayward has fulfilled his mission. By vanquishing Nazism and communism, the two vanquished the paramount evils of history. Their backgrounds could not have differed more, yet the results could not have been more grand for the people they led and saved. I'd say God Bless Churchill and Reagan, but we know that He already has.

I am a Democrat who voted against Reagan in 1980, but for him in 1984. I'm still a Democrat but I've never seen a leader like him in my lifetime. The comparisons to Churchill are apt. I place FDR in the same light as a leader, even though he and Reagan had very different philosophies as to the role of the government as nanny. As I see it now, Churchill and FDR won WWII. Reagan, with help from the Pope and others, won WWIII - the Cold War. I know that many in my party cannot accept that the GOP holds claim to a man of greatness, but it cannot be denied.

This is a great examination of two superb leaders. Hayward has the ability to combine scholarly depth with a light wit that makes for great reading. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in understand what makes a great leader.