Ronald Reagan: The Wisdom and Humour of the Great Communicator

This book is a collection of quotations from Ronald Reagan, most of which consist of one or two paragraphs lifted from speeches given during his political career. The quotations are interspersed with pictures of the Reagan we know. The quotations are organized by topic into 8 sections.Although containing a few memorable phrases such as "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!", the true substance of this book is to be found in the enduring values reiterated repeatedly by Ronald Reagan over his political career. From his earliest days as Governor, Reagan warned us that freedom is never more than a generation from extinction and that it must be fought for and defended by each generation. His faith in the creative powers of individual people shines through on these pages. Again and again we are reminded that America is the last, best hope of mankind, the shining city on the hill and that its best days lie ahead. One haunting irony is a jest from his 83rd Birthday party in 1994, only months before the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: "I'm not one for looking back. I figure there will be plenty of time for that when I get old!"This book contains three speeches substantially in their entirety. The first to be presented is the stirring address to the nation the night of the Challenger tragedy. We are reminded that our President pledged that: "We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them." The book concludes with a beginning and an ending of a public career. The career begins with the rousing 1964 speech for Barry Goldwater which propelled Reagan to national prominence and is completed by the heart touching 1992 farewell to the Republican party.While reading these pages, the reader learns to appreciate the deeply held beliefs which formed Ronald Reign's vision of the world. This vision can serve as a guide for our own lives and helps us to recognize that the speaker truly was the Last Lion of the Twentieth Century.