Stories in His Own Hand: The Everyday Wisdom of Ronald Reagan

by Kiron K. Skinner (Editor), George P. Shultz (Foreword), Annelise Anderson (Editor)

Ronald Reagan loved to tell stories. Sometimes he used them to break the ice, or to prove a point, but very often he used them to inspire, to uplift, and to remind his listeners of what matters most in life. Recently, in the archives of the Reagan Library, researcher Kiron Skinner unearthed a trove of handwritten Reagan manuscripts from the late 1970s, over 650 in all, which included some priceless examples of Reagan's storytelling abilities. Stories in His Own Hand reproduces the best of these deeply personal anecdotes.

Skinner, along with longtime Reagan aides and scholars Annelise and Martin Anderson, has carefully documented the extent of Reagan's manuscripts, which originated as radio transcripts. Earlier, in the bestselling Reagan, In His Own Hand , the editors compiled a broad range of Reagan's policy-oriented essays from this collection, showing an astonishing breadth of vision concerning nearly every issue he would face as president. Here they reveal a different Ronald not the political but the personal man, not the executive but the teacher.

Here is Reagan on men and women, life and death, family and friends. Here is a man who loved to tell a story to make us all stop, listen, and think about what it means to be human.

Genres: History, Biography, Politics, Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published October 9, 2001

About the author

Kiron Kanina Skinner is an American political scientist. She was Director of Policy Planning at the United States Department of State in the first Trump administration. Skinner is presently the Taube Professor of International Relations and Politics at the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy, where she teaches graduate courses in national security and public leadership. Prior to that, she was the Taube Professor of International Relations and Politics at Carnegie Mellon University, and the founding director of the Institute for Politics and Strategy and associated centers at the university. She is also the W. Glenn Campbell Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University. After leaving the Department of State, she returned to her position at Carnegie Mellon University until stepping down in 2021.
She co-authored two books on Ronald Reagan: In His Own Hand (2001) and Reagan, a Life in Letters (2003), which were New York Times bestsellers. In 2005, Skinner was appointed by President George W. Bush to a term on the National Security Education Board.

Reviews

[Carrie Daws · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though I was still somewhat young when Ronald Reagan first became president, I remember being mesmerized when he spoke. He had a tremendous ability to tell a story that kept my attention even when he spoke of things my young mind couldn't yet comprehend. While this journal, of sorts, of his stories is interesting, I quickly realized that writing was not his strength. I suspect that if I found audio recordings of these same writings, I'd listen to the end, yet in written form, I found myself skimming bits and pieces.

[Adam Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful opportunity to look back at President Reagan and see why he was called "The Great Communicator". It's neat to see his insights on America prior to him becoming president. He loved to tell stories and had a great sense of humor, it's certainly evident in these short radio messages. I could hear his voice as I read them. You should also check out In his own words,which has an accompanying cd of radio broadcasts.

[Jim Castine · Rating 3 out of 5]

"wisdom"

Praising Calvin Coolidge without mentioning how his policies caused the great depression or railing against socialism by saying if someone wants guaranteed food, clothes and shelter, they could just go to jail.

Maddening

[Austin Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

96/100

5 stars - 90/100
4 stars - 80/100
3 stars - 70/100
2 stars - 60/100
1 star - 50/10

[Brian Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

What comes out of STORIES IN HIS OWN HAND is Reagan’s simplistic – sometimes excessively simplistic views on life. Coolidge read Plato. Reagan read Sports Illustrated. Nixon read Cicero. Reagan read the funny pages.

One should not sell Reagan short, claiming he lacked intellectual curiosity. Reagan was an avid reader of newspapers and contemporary political thought. He was an intelligent man gifted with incredible insight into the American character. Just like Kennedy (who was no Rhodes Scholar), Reagan proved a man need not be an intellectual giant to be a great leader.

He was called the Great Communicator. His detractors would say he was great at reading a script. Even a cursory examination of Reagan reveals that there was much more depth to Reagan’s skill. Like Kennedy, Reagan was a gifted writer. Kennedy’s detractors will point to Ted Sorensen as the genius behind Kennedy’s eloquent prose and verbiage. Sorensen was a great speechwriter, but it was Kennedy who put the flourish and the style into Sorensen’s rough drafts. Kennedy almost always knew what he wanted to say and just how to say it.

Reagan was very similar. Reagan employed speechwriters, but he saved the writing of the most important speeches for his own hand. As one can see in the marked up rough drafts of the essays, Reagan put a great deal of thought into what he wrote and usually exercised good judgment in his editing. Like Kennedy, Reagan understood words. He knew how to deploy the English language for maximum benefit.

I would point to this book when I hear Reagan’s intellect derided. Yes, Reagan had a simplistic view of America and the world. Sometimes, those views were old fashioned. Sometimes he mixed folksy anecdote with fact. But he was a smart, intelligent man gifted with the ability to write and speak. I would challenge any Reagan detractor to read these essays. They may not change their views of Reagan’s politics or principles, but they would dispel any notion of Reagan as an intellectual lightweight.

[Johnvano · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of mostly pre-presidential radio commentaries with photographs of President Reagan's scripts in his own hand. I found some of the most interesting an insightful essays to be "Women", "History", President Coolidge", "Lawrence Welk", "Socialism" and "Pollution #1. Particularly the one on pollution, which is a reaction to a conversation he was having in 1975 with his children - they were convinced of the "bad" in the world of that day as he conveyed to them how much less-polluted the world was -- and yet far more convenient -- to the one in which he had grown up.


But my favorite essay here is "Christmas" wherein he lays out the case for Christ - "...This uneducated, propertyless young man who preached on street corners for only three years who left no written word has for 2000 years had a greater effect on the entire world than all the rulers, kings and emperors, all the conquerors, the generals and admirals, all the scholars, scientists and philosophers who ever lived--all put together. How do we explain that?--Unless he really was what he said he was."

When I read Reagan I am never disappointed. I long for the day when we can again have a statesman like that in our White House - a champion for liberty, who at all times acknowledges the deceptiveness of power and the limitations of government.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Ronald Reagan continues to amaze me. I have always admired the man since he became govenor of California, but I had no idea how much more he was. After having read this book I learned that Ronald Reagan was Witty and insightful. the stories he told were told with a purpose in mind, and he was a great story teller.
This is not a hard book to read and in fact I read it cover to cover on an airplane flight from LA to Houston. I also had to put it down a couple of times because it hit a couple of soft spots. I recommend it to everyone. if you are a Reagan fan you will love it, if you are not you will learn a little something of the measure of the man.
the more I read about him the more I believe he was one of the best presidents we had during the 20th century.
Boy do we need him now.

[Cws]

877.2Rea

[Charley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good look into the mind of the president!