Early Reagan: The Rise to Power

by Anne Edwards

Interviews with more than two hundred friends, family members, and colleagues and extensive research that included access to the minutes of the Screen Actors Guild meetings and to the Warner Bros. archives provide the basis for this profile

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

617 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1987

Reviews

[Henry Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne Edwards’s Early Reagan is frequently cited in other scholarly works on the 40th President. Certainly few authors have written with as much insight into Ronald Reagan’s childhood, young adulthood, and early years in Hollywood with as much insight and detail as Anne Edwards. Especially impressive is her focus on Reagan’s parents Nelle and Jack, as well as their older son Neil. Reagan’s rural Illinois youth and ties to Dixon are carefully explored, as are his time at Eureka College, his rise to regional fame as a sports announcer, and his path to Hollywood. Edwards becomes more critical as Reagan transitions from B to A pictures. But the tone really changes after World War II. Edwards herself was blacklisted and she seemingly downplays the threat of Communism in Hollywood because of her own experiences. Edwards also becomes more skeptical of Reagan as he marries Nancy, his second marriage. Reagan goes to work for GE and eventually into politics, where the book ends. Despite the shift in Edwards’s tone and the loss of impartiality, her research overall is very good and she weaves together a fascinating look at Ronald Reagan’s pre-political life. Rating: 4.25/5

[Mick Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book about the life of Reagan up till his nomination for governor.covers his early life and his Hollywood years.if you can get by the frequent use of acronyms,not a bad read.as an actor I never really took to him probably not given the best material to work with.as a politician a very Wiley character which he played to better aplomb than in any of his movies.

[Kevin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book, but there was one thing I wasn't fond of... The ending seemed abrupt when starting to discuss him running for governor. Especially in light of the ad nauseum coverage of his leadership at SAG... Other than that, it was well written with lots of research.

[J Layne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes too much detail when talking about SAG meetings and such. Other than that, I always enjoy reading about my favorite president.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good man in politics

Very Interesting about his early life I am sorry that it did not take us through the campaign that will Ensure that I read the next chapter in his career

[Hal · Rating 3 out of 5]

he first thing that surprised me about this biography on the early life of Ronald Reagan when I was chosen as a reviewer was that it was a republished work from 1987. When I read a biography I am always tuned in to see how the author is biased toward or against their subject. Anne Edwards, for the most part balanced in her work, seemed favorable toward Reagan. Not crossing the line to hagiography but showing him in a positive light throughout the book. I personally come down neutral on the man. I don’t believe he was the great iconic President that many want to portray. Yet to me he always came across as a good and decent man who cared deeply for his country and the American ideals.

The book as the title indicates focuses on Reagan’s life from his humble beginnings in Illinois to his ascension formally into the world politics concluding on the commencement of his campaign for Governor of California in 1964.

Starting from the hard scrabble life in the prairie town of Dixon, IL Reagan never had it easy, always facing the harsh economic conditions of the time. This coupled with an alcoholic father and a religionist mother never seemed to faze him all that much as he molded himself with a positive, can do attitude that carried on throughout his life. Much I was aware of in his past but from time to time Edwards would add something that revealed a unknown that made up that man. Her research and detail was impressive, as there was a lot to cover.

His well documented youth as a lifeguard with many acts of heroism were there along with his breaking into radio broadcasting through sheer determination were detailed in a smooth flowing enjoyable read. She showed how he took chances as when he almost by sheer chance and luck got the break to screen test and secure a contract with Warner’s. She takes us through his plodding career as a not quite A-material actor that was not all that glamorous. And gradually we see as he shows his natural tendency to soap box on the politics of the day.

Quite a political conversion it was too, as he is shown as the die-hard Roosevelt New Deal man. He argued and defended his hero FDR as vociferously as he espoused the right leaning Republican politics of his own tenure. His first marriage to Jane Wyman was worm away by this political bent that he just could not balance enough for her liking.

The later segments relating to his involvement with the Screen Actors Guild and eventual presidency of the union I found a bit tedious as she delves into his many and complex battles and intense negotiations with the powerful studios. Yet it does give us a lot on how he was to built his strength in sitting across the table for many of the political and international issues he would eventually take on.

The wind up of the book deals with his meeting Nancy and the final foundation that would launch his political career and showed how she was the right woman for that job. It was interesting to see how she set her sights on him and he kind of held back in the early courtship. Yet he came to realize soon enough the asset she was to him and her admiring supportiveness. All that Jane could not do for him.

His well-known love of horses and riding are there that most of us would know. What I didn’t know was that he was a wine connoisseur, had to deal with a fear of flying, and resisted for some time the initial attempts to steer him in to a political career.

This is a good early biography on Ronald Reagan and Anne Edwards put together a thorough and very readable work on this remarkable man. The book flows well and gives a good account of the complexities and values that went into his focused and concerted efforts to become the leader he truly aspired to be

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an excruciatingly detailed amount of every life event, major or minor, in the life of someone I greatly admire. While there were fascinating parts to the story, overall it dragged through the depths of naming every film done or considered by Reagan, quoting lengthy segments of testimony before the HUAC, and other methods of giving way too much detail to the story. I would have much preferred more of an overview idea than this version.

[Charles]

This is a good biography covering Reagan from his childhood up through his run for Governor against Pat Brown. Thoroughly researched with extensive footnotes, there was a lot of information that I had not read before. Considering that Reagan did not run for political office until he was in his fifties, this biography provides a great background into the years most people aren't familiar with.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was looking for an explanation for the love of so many for Reagan's presidency. I did not find it in this book. It is a long book about the history of Hollywood during Reagan's time. The book should have been one-third as long if it was about Just Reagan.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

this just had too much information about things that are of no interest to me. i think the author wrote of every movie Reagan ever appeared in. I did find his time with the screen actors guild to be a bit interesting. overall the book was a waste of reading time.

[Linda Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good look at Ronald Reagan's younger years. Covered the bases & showed readers that Ronald Reagan wasn't a Johnny-Come-Lately in relation to his political aspirations.