Reckoning with Reagan: America and Its President in the 1980s

This book by Michael Schaller is an excellent work taking a look at Reagan the man and Reagan as President. I was assigned this book and used it in a major term paper for one of my classes in college. Schaller's book was instrumental in my paper and helped me argue the fact that Reagan was responsible for ending the Cold War. Aside from my paper, Schaller provides little known facts and an excellent background section on Reagan. Although hampered by the fact that many sources and documents were not public at the time this book was written, Schaller does a fine job looking at the Reagan Presidency. Definitely recommended for anyone researching about Reagan or just wanting to read about him.

I would say ignore the reviews that cast this book in a less than outstanding light. This book is not an abstract novel, but rather a historical account of Reagan's time in office. Michael Schaller is an award winning History Professor that does a wonderful job teaching the Mystique of what was Reagan's Presidency.

"Reckoning with Reagan" makes some nice attempts at getting a grip on Reagan's presidency. Taking into account the good as well as the bad, it provides a more balanced account that the fawning hero worship pieces written by Noonan and D'Souza. An easy read, though it leaves the reader wanting a little more detail in spots.

Schaller gives us a well-researched, straightforward, and highly readable book on what went right and wrong in the 1980's. Highlighting such bright spots as the sucess of detente while at the same time addressing some of the darker aspects of the '80s (e.g. the rise in income inequality, S & L Crisis, the US as a debtor nation) Schaller's book is probably the best starting point in understanding the causes of Reagan's ascension and the consequences of his polices. His obserbvation that the 80's were an era when Americans "suspended disbelief" is well taken. Schaller makes clear that Reagan did have some solid achievements while at the the same time his "Teflon" quality left him unjustifiably untainted by a number of scandals. Reagan emerges "tall in the saddle" as the Cold War nears its end, but not nearly as tall as some Reagan apologists would lead you to believe. The overall picture on of Reagan's foreign policy is favorable. In the area of domestic policy Schaller is much more negative towards Reagan. Not surprsingly, Schaller saves his hatchet work not for his evaluation of Reagan the man, but his evaluation of those who benefited most from the Reagan years: Yuppies, moneylenders, and investment bankers. Reckoning with Reagan is especially effective for those whose formative and/or adolescent years were during Reagan's Presidency. A wonderful detour through the 80's and its President.