Riding with Reagan: From the White House to the Ranch

I loved this book! It's such an interesting and different book about Ronald Reagan. Instead of politics, it's the recollections from his friend and secret service agent. I learned so much about horses and the secret service that I could not put this book down. It was nice to read about Reagan the man instead of Reagan the president. And it's always nice to read the insights from someone who was really there. I can picture Reagan riding his horse on his ranch thanks to the vivid descriptions in this book. I also learned a lot about the character of John Barletta. It's easy to see why Ronald and Nancy liked him so much. He's quite a guy. The story gets very sad at the end but I'm so proud to have this book in my collection. Also, I was glad that John was blunt and honest about Ron, Jr. and Patti. Those two have been speaking up a lot lately, but as is said in the book, they rarely visited their father when he was in good health. I wish I could have met Ronald Reagan. Thanks to this book, I feel like I know him.

I got this book from my wife for Christmas, due to my admiration for President Reagan, and wiped it out in about 8 hours. I could not put it down. Most of the material I have on Ronald Wilson Reagan, while giving some insight into his personal feelings, doesn't compare with this in its details about what things were important to him personally. Mr. Barletta, his Secret Service agent (who luckily happened also to be an expert horseman and got the job of Riding With Reagan) shows his feelings for Reagan the human being over and above his job of protecting the President of the United States. Additionally, it shows that President Reagan truly cared about those around him. Reagan admired character above everything, I believe, and Mr. Barletta obviously supplied that in abundant amounts. His details of how Reagan thought and reacted to various events, of Reagan's loving relationship with his wife Nancy, and about how he obviously cared about those who served him are written in a touching and unforgettable way. I am only sorry that it was such a fast read; I wish it had been twice as long. I know it will be a book I will pick up again, and if I have only one thing to say to Mr. Barletta, it would be "Thank you, Mr. Barletta, for taking care of President Reagan, and for caring about him as a person, rather than as an assignment. You're a lucky man to have had the opportunity, and the world is lucky for such men as you who do their jobs to the best of their ability." In short: If you are a fan of President Reagan, this is an indispensable addition to your library. Even if you have just a passing interest in this man, the book will touch your heart.

This is the the best book I have read about both the Reagan Ranch and how the Secret Service operates to protect our presidents. If you are a Reagan admirer, you will love this book.

I bought this book because of its connection with horses. I enjoyed it thoroughly. The book itself is well written. The insights into a very famous man are unexpected, and reveal facets of the man that were a big surprise to me. I think this book would be interesting to almost everyone.

John Barletta does a wonderful job (with the help of co-author Rochelle Schweizer--my wife!) of giving us a look at the REAL Reagan. He's funny, wise, and very insightful! Some of the stories were so good I literally laughed out loud (something I rarely do with a book). Read the story "Do you always dismount that way?" and try to keep a straight face.