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Becoming Ronald Reagan: The Rise of a Conservative Icon
In the 1960s transitioning from acting to politics was rare. Ronald Reagan was not the first to do it, but he was the first to jump from the screen to the stump and on to credibility as a presidential contender. Reagan’s transformation from struggling liberal actor to influential conservative spokesman in five years—and then to the California governorship six years later—is a remarkable and compelling story.
In Becoming Ronald Reagan Robert Mann explores Reagan’s early life and his career during the 1950s and early 1960 his growing desire for acclaim in high school and college, his political awakening as a young Hollywood actor, his ideological evolution in the 1950s as he traveled the country for General Electric, the refining of his political skills during this period, his growing aversion to big government, and his disdain for the totalitarian leaders in the Soviet Union and elsewhere. All these experiences and more shaped Reagan’s politics and influenced his career as an elected official.
Mann not only demonstrates how Reagan the actor became Reagan the political leader and how the liberal became a conservative, he also shows how the skills Reagan learned and the lessons he absorbed from 1954 to 1964 made him the inspiring leader so many Americans remember and revere to this day. Becoming Ronald Reagan is an indelible portrait of a true American icon and a politician like none other.
In Becoming Ronald Reagan Robert Mann explores Reagan’s early life and his career during the 1950s and early 1960 his growing desire for acclaim in high school and college, his political awakening as a young Hollywood actor, his ideological evolution in the 1950s as he traveled the country for General Electric, the refining of his political skills during this period, his growing aversion to big government, and his disdain for the totalitarian leaders in the Soviet Union and elsewhere. All these experiences and more shaped Reagan’s politics and influenced his career as an elected official.
Mann not only demonstrates how Reagan the actor became Reagan the political leader and how the liberal became a conservative, he also shows how the skills Reagan learned and the lessons he absorbed from 1954 to 1964 made him the inspiring leader so many Americans remember and revere to this day. Becoming Ronald Reagan is an indelible portrait of a true American icon and a politician like none other.
- GenresHistory
328 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 4, 2019
Robert Mann's book is about Ronald Reagan's political evolution from his early days as a New Deal liberal to his famous 1964 speech on behalf of Barry Goldwater's doomed presidential campaign. Though no acolyte of Reagan's, Mann treats his subject seriously as he charts his emergence as an orator and political activist while flagging Reagan's frequent exaggerations and fictions in his statements. The result is a clearly-written and well-argued account of the emergence of one of the key political figures of postwar American politics, one that can be read profitably by anyone seeking to understand how an earnest young actor began a career that would end in the highest office in the land.
January 26, 2022
Llevaba tiempo con ganas de leer algo sobre presidentes estadounidenses y tras sopesar por cuál empezar, finalmente me decidí por Ronald Reagan porque es el primero del que tengo recuerdos.
Barajé varias biografías pero hubo algo en la sinopsis de este libro que me llamó la atención. El texto de Robert Mann no se centra tanto en la vida de Reagan como en su evolución desde un actor de Hollywood hacia un auténtico icono político.
En este ensayo nos encontramos con un joven Reagan que sueña con convertirse en una gran estrella de cine, pero que siempre está leyendo sobre temas políticos. Tiempos en los que se declara demócrata convencido —partidario del Partido Demócrata—, aunque yo diría más bien ferviente defensor de Franklin D. Roosevelt. A partir de aquí, vemos una evolución en el pensamiento político de Reagan, motivada sobre todo por su preocupación por la amenaza que entiende que suponen el comunismo y el socialismo para el futuro del mundo, no solo de Estados Unidos. Esto hace que Reagan adopte posturas más conservadoras hasta convertirse en el líder indiscutible del movimiento conservador dentro del Partido Republicano.
En el libro Mann nos muestra una gran cantidad de fragmentos de discursos de Reagan, los cuales dio a lo largo de varias décadas —antes de dedicarse de manera oficial a la política—, que le sirvieron para forjar su imagen de icono conservador.
Sin embargo, le encuentro dos grandes fallos a este libro: por un lado, el empeño del autor en evidenciar la falta de exactitud de Reagan a la hora de apoyar sus discursos sobre datos contrastados. Está bien que lo haga ver una vez, dos, incluso tres, pero cuando se pasa todo el libro volviendo a lo mismo, el lector no sabe si es que el autor piensa que los lectores no lo pillan a la primera o es que simplemente tiene una clara intención de desprestigio. Creo que es el gran fallo del autor: si por algo llama la atención la figura de Reagan es por su carisma y su capacidad como orador, que estaba por encima de su precisión.
Por otro lado, el último capítulo me resulta demasiado corto, como si pasara por encima por la época en la que se convierte en gobernador de California; y, por supuesto, la ausencia de todos los años en los que Reagan se postula como candidato a la presidencia de los Estados Unidos. Hubiese estado bien conocer el desempeño del personaje durante esos años.
Me ha gustado mucho y, seguramente, volveré a leer algo sobre Reagan. Pero ahora, el siguiente, JFK.
Barajé varias biografías pero hubo algo en la sinopsis de este libro que me llamó la atención. El texto de Robert Mann no se centra tanto en la vida de Reagan como en su evolución desde un actor de Hollywood hacia un auténtico icono político.
En este ensayo nos encontramos con un joven Reagan que sueña con convertirse en una gran estrella de cine, pero que siempre está leyendo sobre temas políticos. Tiempos en los que se declara demócrata convencido —partidario del Partido Demócrata—, aunque yo diría más bien ferviente defensor de Franklin D. Roosevelt. A partir de aquí, vemos una evolución en el pensamiento político de Reagan, motivada sobre todo por su preocupación por la amenaza que entiende que suponen el comunismo y el socialismo para el futuro del mundo, no solo de Estados Unidos. Esto hace que Reagan adopte posturas más conservadoras hasta convertirse en el líder indiscutible del movimiento conservador dentro del Partido Republicano.
En el libro Mann nos muestra una gran cantidad de fragmentos de discursos de Reagan, los cuales dio a lo largo de varias décadas —antes de dedicarse de manera oficial a la política—, que le sirvieron para forjar su imagen de icono conservador.
Sin embargo, le encuentro dos grandes fallos a este libro: por un lado, el empeño del autor en evidenciar la falta de exactitud de Reagan a la hora de apoyar sus discursos sobre datos contrastados. Está bien que lo haga ver una vez, dos, incluso tres, pero cuando se pasa todo el libro volviendo a lo mismo, el lector no sabe si es que el autor piensa que los lectores no lo pillan a la primera o es que simplemente tiene una clara intención de desprestigio. Creo que es el gran fallo del autor: si por algo llama la atención la figura de Reagan es por su carisma y su capacidad como orador, que estaba por encima de su precisión.
Por otro lado, el último capítulo me resulta demasiado corto, como si pasara por encima por la época en la que se convierte en gobernador de California; y, por supuesto, la ausencia de todos los años en los que Reagan se postula como candidato a la presidencia de los Estados Unidos. Hubiese estado bien conocer el desempeño del personaje durante esos años.
Me ha gustado mucho y, seguramente, volveré a leer algo sobre Reagan. Pero ahora, el siguiente, JFK.
January 24, 2022
A fascinating read, well worth the time. The writer researches Reagan's disillusionment as a Democrat in late 1940/1950s to a conservative icon. The book focuses on his life from the late 1940s to 197o. His years as the Screen Actor's Guild president, the transition from film to tv and traveling as the face and name of GE, and then as mouthpiece for Goldwater's campaign which eventually launched him into the national spotlight and ultimately the governorship of California. What makes this particularly a. good read is that the author is not of the same political persuasion as Reagan, so I feel his viewpoint takes a more balanced look at what made Ronald Reagan a conservative and such a polished communicator of the conservative ideals.
November 19, 2020
I'm really not sure why this book was written. First, the author had felt the need to interject his opinions on President Trump in the forward. Next, he spent the whole book bashing Reagan and his intellectual background before elected politics. Without Evidence (see I can play this game too), he said many times Reagan had no facts behind his speeches. Given that Reagan was a politician am I shocked some of his rhetoric was hyperbole, no! Do I think Reagan had more substance and facts behind his speeches than the author gives him credit, yes! I'm sure the author already has his books in process on all the false statements uttered by former President Obama?
Don't waste your time here. I have ready many Reagan books over the years and this was probably the worst one.
Not to be totally negative, on the positive side, I thought the author did bring in new data to the time period he wrote. I didn't come to the same conclusion as the author but I felt he did uncover some new information I hadn't read before.
Don't waste your time here. I have ready many Reagan books over the years and this was probably the worst one.
Not to be totally negative, on the positive side, I thought the author did bring in new data to the time period he wrote. I didn't come to the same conclusion as the author but I felt he did uncover some new information I hadn't read before.
June 26, 2020
ennesimo, nella mia libreria, neppure li conto più, libro sul grande comunicatore.
qui il focus è sugli anni 50/60 in cui Reagan passo da liberal a bastione del conservatorismo.
L'autore non ne fa un santino, anzi smonta molti dei falsi miti reaganiani (tasse alte, si ma per lui che era ricco, non per gli operai su cui erano al 2 %), e sulla scuola che per Reagan fuorno i confronti in azienda, gli incontri nei club, rotary, assemblee studentesche etc....
Dopo 15 anni di quella scuola (oltretutto doveva anche far comprare marchio e prodotti General Elettric ) per Ronnie la campagna elettorale sarebbe stata sempre in discesa....
qui il focus è sugli anni 50/60 in cui Reagan passo da liberal a bastione del conservatorismo.
L'autore non ne fa un santino, anzi smonta molti dei falsi miti reaganiani (tasse alte, si ma per lui che era ricco, non per gli operai su cui erano al 2 %), e sulla scuola che per Reagan fuorno i confronti in azienda, gli incontri nei club, rotary, assemblee studentesche etc....
Dopo 15 anni di quella scuola (oltretutto doveva anche far comprare marchio e prodotti General Elettric ) per Ronnie la campagna elettorale sarebbe stata sempre in discesa....
January 17, 2024
Overview of Ronald Reagan's early years, with a particular look at the GE years, concluding with his October 1964 speech on behalf of Barry Goldwater.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews