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My Turn: The Memoirs of Nancy Reagan
The former First Lady discusses her life, the Reagan administration, her shaky relationship with her children and key White House personnel, her husband’s involvement in the Iran-Contra affair, and her bout with cancer.
“During our White House years I said almost nothing about how I really felt regarding the controversies that swirled around me. . . . But now those years are over, and it’s my turn to describe what happened. . . .”
About Ronald “Although Ronnie loves people, he often seems remote, and he doesn’t let anybody get too close. There’s a wall around him. He lets me come closer than anyone else, but there are times when even I feel that barrier.”
About being a “What I wanted most in all the world was to be a good wife and mother. As things turned out, I guess I’ve been more successful at the first than at the second.”
About her “I make no apologies for telling Ronnie what I thought. Just because you’re married doesn’t mean you have no right to express your opinions. For eight years I was sleeping with the president, and if that doesn’t give you special access, I don’t know what does.”
About “What it boils down to is that each person has his or her own ways of coping with trauma and grief, with the pain of life, and astrology was one of mine. Don’t criticize me, I wanted to say, until you have stood in my place. This helped me. Nobody was hurt by it —except, possibly, me.”
About Don “His very first day on the job, Don said that he saw himself as the ‘chief operating officer’ of the country. But he was hired to be chief of staff . . . . Although I believed for a long time that Donald Regan was in the wrong job, my ‘power’ in getting him to leave has been greatly exaggerated. Believe me, if I really were the dragon lady that he described in his book, he would have been out the door many months earlier.”
“During our White House years I said almost nothing about how I really felt regarding the controversies that swirled around me. . . . But now those years are over, and it’s my turn to describe what happened. . . .”
About Ronald “Although Ronnie loves people, he often seems remote, and he doesn’t let anybody get too close. There’s a wall around him. He lets me come closer than anyone else, but there are times when even I feel that barrier.”
About being a “What I wanted most in all the world was to be a good wife and mother. As things turned out, I guess I’ve been more successful at the first than at the second.”
About her “I make no apologies for telling Ronnie what I thought. Just because you’re married doesn’t mean you have no right to express your opinions. For eight years I was sleeping with the president, and if that doesn’t give you special access, I don’t know what does.”
About “What it boils down to is that each person has his or her own ways of coping with trauma and grief, with the pain of life, and astrology was one of mine. Don’t criticize me, I wanted to say, until you have stood in my place. This helped me. Nobody was hurt by it —except, possibly, me.”
About Don “His very first day on the job, Don said that he saw himself as the ‘chief operating officer’ of the country. But he was hired to be chief of staff . . . . Although I believed for a long time that Donald Regan was in the wrong job, my ‘power’ in getting him to leave has been greatly exaggerated. Believe me, if I really were the dragon lady that he described in his book, he would have been out the door many months earlier.”
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
73 people are currently reading
641 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Reagan
26 books18 followersNancy Davis Reagan was born Anne Frances Robbins. She was an American actress and the wife of the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. She was the First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
August 19, 2020
It was a quick read and fairly interesting,too.
A doting wife's memoir,whose "Ronnie" could do no wrong.Nancy is out to settle the score with some members of Reagan's staff,and does so with a vengeance.
There is an account of the attempt on Reagan's life,before he had been inaugurated.Her troubled relationship with their children,including those from Reagan's earlier marriage,takes up a fair bit of space.
Although one of Reagan's son has stated that his battle with Alzheimer's had started when he was still president,Nancy conveniently skips the subject.
Her account of how they spent their days at the White House is fairly lively.The Reagans had quite a few meetings with the Gorbachevs and Nancy is full of her own praise about how she dealt with Raisa Gorbachev.
Although devoid of any great insights,this was entertaining and much better than some other memoirs by former US first ladies.
A doting wife's memoir,whose "Ronnie" could do no wrong.Nancy is out to settle the score with some members of Reagan's staff,and does so with a vengeance.
There is an account of the attempt on Reagan's life,before he had been inaugurated.Her troubled relationship with their children,including those from Reagan's earlier marriage,takes up a fair bit of space.
Although one of Reagan's son has stated that his battle with Alzheimer's had started when he was still president,Nancy conveniently skips the subject.
Her account of how they spent their days at the White House is fairly lively.The Reagans had quite a few meetings with the Gorbachevs and Nancy is full of her own praise about how she dealt with Raisa Gorbachev.
Although devoid of any great insights,this was entertaining and much better than some other memoirs by former US first ladies.
January 18, 2016
This is a very fast read, and worth it particularly for the perspective it provides on nancy reagan's white house years. There are some novel revelations about the people and the guiding principles that shaped domestic and international policy in the 80s. Largely, however, mrs reagan uses the device of "memoirs" to rebut all the erroneous information reported about her during her 8 years in washington. It is also used to alternately praise and admonish her children with whom it seems she is not on close enough terms to address directly. perhaps oddly, what i found most compelling about the book were the author's early years, before she met and married Ronald reagan. It's a well-known quote of hers that her "life began when she met Ronald reagan," but i found the characters in the first part of her life fascinating: her beautiful, vivacious actress mother, her neurosurgeon step father, her kind-hearted, loving aunt and uncle who raised her for several years, and the glittering parade of movie stars that moved through her life before she began her acting career.
As memoirs go, this is not a book that imparts profound insights or shares deep self-reflection. Rather, it is nancy reagan's attempt to set the record straight about the criticisms levied against her, and to a certain extent her husband, that she found especially objectionable. What emerges is a portrait of woman, not too different from the rest of us, trying her best to conform to (her own) very high standards in spite of some persistent, herculean challenges. You may not like her any better after the reading the book, but you sure as hell have to admire her.
As memoirs go, this is not a book that imparts profound insights or shares deep self-reflection. Rather, it is nancy reagan's attempt to set the record straight about the criticisms levied against her, and to a certain extent her husband, that she found especially objectionable. What emerges is a portrait of woman, not too different from the rest of us, trying her best to conform to (her own) very high standards in spite of some persistent, herculean challenges. You may not like her any better after the reading the book, but you sure as hell have to admire her.
October 22, 2008
The media was not fair to this remarkable woman.
March 11, 2021
I have admired Nancy and Ron forever. This book gave me insight to her years as First Lady. It was never boring and very informative. I am so glad I picked it up and read it and gained some knowledge of what went on behind doors.
July 6, 2014
Wow did not think it was possible for an autobiography to make me like someone less.
May 12, 2014
Yes, it was terrible and filled with lies. What I do realize from reading this book was Ronnie was a pretty much a white knight, staring down evil and vanquishing foes. He never played any political game, and always acted and responded honorably when someone was playing unfair. She literally talked about how on the cloudy inauguration day, the skies parted and the sun shone upon Reagan for the duration of his swearing in, then went back to being cloudy! For both his Governorship and 1st Presidency!!!
The worst part for me was her whitewashing the despicable situation revolving around the Iranian hostage situation and the 1980 presidential election. For Nancy Reagan to openly talk like fate had handed the Carter administration a raw deal, when it was her husband's campaign that engineered it, is beyond despicable to me. But I guess that's just the nature of a whitewash, which this garbage most certainly is.
So yes, My Turn: The Lies of Nancy Reagan and the Whitewashing of the Reagan Administration only received one star from me. If I could give it zero stars without it looking like I didn't rate it, I would.
The worst part for me was her whitewashing the despicable situation revolving around the Iranian hostage situation and the 1980 presidential election. For Nancy Reagan to openly talk like fate had handed the Carter administration a raw deal, when it was her husband's campaign that engineered it, is beyond despicable to me. But I guess that's just the nature of a whitewash, which this garbage most certainly is.
So yes, My Turn: The Lies of Nancy Reagan and the Whitewashing of the Reagan Administration only received one star from me. If I could give it zero stars without it looking like I didn't rate it, I would.
May 2, 2012
I have read and re-read this book. Im certain I love the historical reference as much, if not more than I love her account of life with the President.
March 3, 2013
I think this would have been better if I was older to appreciate what President Reagan did for our country. I was born in the late 70s, so a lot of his presidency I wasn't very old. :) But even so, Nancy's book paints a beautiful picture of what happened.
June 21, 2013
I have always been a huge fan of President Reagan. I would rate this book 3.5 stars. I admire Nancy Reagan, but at times the book was a bit "defensive". The sections on the Election/Asassination Attempt and the Gorbachevs were by far my favorite. Very enlightening.
February 6, 2015
Read this book many years ago. Love Nancy Reagans candor in this memoir.
December 19, 2024
This was a good book. Having not been born during the 1980s when Nancy Reagan was First Lady. I didn’t know much about her time in that job. I did know her bum rap from the press she got with the White House China because I enjoy history. So having her book be titled My Turn is a good title for it. She talks about her years growing up and in Hollywood along with her time as First Lady in California. Her experience with campaign with Ronnie in 1976 and 1980. She talks about the assassination of her husband. What a typical day in the White House would be along with going to the ranch in California and Camp David. And her experience with the Gorbachevs during the summits they held. She talks about her children and her experiences with them.
May 23, 2014
this was a little like reading Stephen King's book on the JFK assasination (nov '63 but the date?) it looks at personalities and how they mesh to create the big events of the times. She rightfully sees herself as a minor player, but her observations are keen, and her loyalties are genuine. I would like living next door to Nancy Reagan.
June 11, 2022
Reads like a 007 spy novel . So much death , cloak and dagger and travel .
Her quiet white middle class upbringing nor her Hollywood starlet days adequately prepared her
for the cold splash of water of living in
The White House , the hub of the American political
machine .
Her quiet white middle class upbringing nor her Hollywood starlet days adequately prepared her
for the cold splash of water of living in
The White House , the hub of the American political
machine .
June 29, 2013
After reading Kitty Kelly's terrible book full of unfounded gossip as she always does to increase sales. I was happy to read the other side and I think Nancy did a good job of explaining some of the misconceptions. easy read
April 8, 2015
Most interesting .
Fascinating details of the presidency, life in and out of the white house and all the political personalities. Quite a remarkable history of President Ronald and Nancy Reagan.
Fascinating details of the presidency, life in and out of the white house and all the political personalities. Quite a remarkable history of President Ronald and Nancy Reagan.
March 11, 2008
Nancy is a great study. She always was in support of children learning to read. Gotta love a women who cares about children :)
March 21, 2009
love this book. Read it when it first came out.
July 9, 2012
Too self promoting.
June 28, 2022
In the interest of transparency, I’m not a Nancy or Ronald Reagan fan. His policies and decisions while in office are questionable, and both of them blithely ignored the impacts of their economic and social programs. That said, they are a charming couple. I find their lives fascinating, and RR’s rise to power is a prime example of the power and long lasting effect of populism politics.
I can only imagine how hard it is to be in the public light where everything you say or do is scrutinized. From the beginning, this book set a very defensive tone in an attempt to “correct the record.” At times, NR does a good job at keeping her cool while also telling her side of the story, other times she comes across as whiny or makes endless excuses for situations she knows she might not have the moral high ground on. There are also times where she’s flippant about relationships (especially with children who, mind you, also took some shots at their parents through print and the media), and other times where she tells the sweetest stories that really do melt your heart. To sum it up, the book has a tone issue. It can’t decide what it wants to be. It reminds me a lot of Hillary Clinton’s post 2016 election book, “What Happened,” which swapped between a pity party and an analysis and left me unsure how to feel at the end. “My Turn” follows a similar style, which is, ultimately, why I only gave it three stars.
For Reagan aficionados, I’m sure it’s a vindicating work that further cements their love of The Gipper and shows how unfairly the media sometime treated his family. For me, it’s just an excuse parade for a woman that struggled with the fact she couldn’t hit back at her critics while her husband was still in office. Regardless, it’s another account of the Reagan years, and her perspective helps shape a lot of my views of his administration and how it directly inspired today’s modern Tea Party movement.
I can only imagine how hard it is to be in the public light where everything you say or do is scrutinized. From the beginning, this book set a very defensive tone in an attempt to “correct the record.” At times, NR does a good job at keeping her cool while also telling her side of the story, other times she comes across as whiny or makes endless excuses for situations she knows she might not have the moral high ground on. There are also times where she’s flippant about relationships (especially with children who, mind you, also took some shots at their parents through print and the media), and other times where she tells the sweetest stories that really do melt your heart. To sum it up, the book has a tone issue. It can’t decide what it wants to be. It reminds me a lot of Hillary Clinton’s post 2016 election book, “What Happened,” which swapped between a pity party and an analysis and left me unsure how to feel at the end. “My Turn” follows a similar style, which is, ultimately, why I only gave it three stars.
For Reagan aficionados, I’m sure it’s a vindicating work that further cements their love of The Gipper and shows how unfairly the media sometime treated his family. For me, it’s just an excuse parade for a woman that struggled with the fact she couldn’t hit back at her critics while her husband was still in office. Regardless, it’s another account of the Reagan years, and her perspective helps shape a lot of my views of his administration and how it directly inspired today’s modern Tea Party movement.
August 20, 2020
Nancy Reagan loved being first lady: “my eight years with that title were the most difficult years of my life. Both of my parents died while Ronnie was president, and my husband and I were both operated on for cancer. Before we had even settled in, Ronnie was shot and almost killed.” While president Reagan felt compassion John Hinkley, Nancy never did. The book is more about people than politics, but I found them mix interesting. She recounts countless scandals—from the White House redecoration, the China, her clothing, her relationship with Raisa Gorbachev, consulting with an astrologer (happened after the shooting because she was nervous about her husband’s fate, David Stockman’s betrayal, Bitburg cemetery visit controversy, etc. There’s some biographical details of her mother’s divorce, being adopted by her new stepfather, her time in Hollywood, dating Clark Gable, and other interesting facts about her life, including her sometimes strained relationship with her birth children, and her step children. And sure, she’s settling some scores with people, such as Don Regan, members of the press, and so on. There’s interesting tidbits from her time as First Lady of California during Reagan Governorship, the 1976, 1980, and 1984 campaigns for president, along with their medical issues, and the various pressures on a First Lady. You’ll learn some things about the workings of the Reagan years from one of the president’s closest advisors. If you’ve read other biographies of Reagan a lot of the stories and events will be familiar, but you will get to view them from a different angle. I came away with more respect for her, and just how difficult the position of famous people is in terms of attempting to have a normal life.
July 26, 2019
The kind of political memoir no one could get away with now: revealing of almost nothing, it is a soporific series or sweetly scented press releases. Back in the day, a boldfaced name like a First Lady could get away with revealing nothing and reap a big advance into the bargain. Now—well! Can you just imagine Melania’s MY TURN? How about Ivanka’s? Hasn’t the Mooch already written a “remembrance”?
The spirits of emotion are infrequent. Describing falling in love with Ronnie and the cosiness of life at home—ghostwriter Novak did a good job with this; these sequences are Capraesque lovable. The other emotion divulged is hate: at haughty chief of staff Donald Regan and—of course—at her daughter. Here is where we are the narcissism that is so cleverly hidden away in the rest of the text: She could not let a daughter live the life she wanted to lead—fucking a guy in the Eagles before getting married, sassily attacking Dutch’s nuclear policy on nationwide TV. That kid has some nerve, and Mrs. Reagan really envies it...but then she pulls a sick burn and notes the little girl wanted to be an actress and in that department never came up to Nancy’s ankles.
For knuckleheads who think the Eighties were, per the godawful STRANGER THINGS, “a simpler time,” this is a sweet corrective.
Oh, I forgot. She also deeply hates Joan Didion.
The spirits of emotion are infrequent. Describing falling in love with Ronnie and the cosiness of life at home—ghostwriter Novak did a good job with this; these sequences are Capraesque lovable. The other emotion divulged is hate: at haughty chief of staff Donald Regan and—of course—at her daughter. Here is where we are the narcissism that is so cleverly hidden away in the rest of the text: She could not let a daughter live the life she wanted to lead—fucking a guy in the Eagles before getting married, sassily attacking Dutch’s nuclear policy on nationwide TV. That kid has some nerve, and Mrs. Reagan really envies it...but then she pulls a sick burn and notes the little girl wanted to be an actress and in that department never came up to Nancy’s ankles.
For knuckleheads who think the Eighties were, per the godawful STRANGER THINGS, “a simpler time,” this is a sweet corrective.
Oh, I forgot. She also deeply hates Joan Didion.
November 25, 2020
I've been meaning to read Nancy Reagan's memoirs for years, but am often hesitant when it comes to memoirs as it's a safe bet they are written in a more complimentary light that doesn't always allow for a complete picture. Still, it is my goal to read as many memoirs and biographies centered around White House history as possible, especially as pertains to the First Ladies.
While I disagree with the policies and conservative views of the Reagans, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed these memoirs. In fact, I couldn't put the book down. It was vastly interesting from an historical view point. Reading about how often Nancy Reagan was oblivious and out of touch with the average American was revealing. Oddly, it helped me understand a little more why she behaved as she did. As divisive as she sometimes was, and continues to be, I must admit, Nancy Reagan is a fascinating study. She was a First Lady with her own personal style and respect for the preservation of The White House. Her devotion to her husband is her ultimate legacy.
While I disagree with the policies and conservative views of the Reagans, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed these memoirs. In fact, I couldn't put the book down. It was vastly interesting from an historical view point. Reading about how often Nancy Reagan was oblivious and out of touch with the average American was revealing. Oddly, it helped me understand a little more why she behaved as she did. As divisive as she sometimes was, and continues to be, I must admit, Nancy Reagan is a fascinating study. She was a First Lady with her own personal style and respect for the preservation of The White House. Her devotion to her husband is her ultimate legacy.
April 15, 2020
Considering how terribly she and her husband depicted by the news media, it is refreshing to hear how things really were. And no, it is not a self-serving puff piece; she tells her side of the story but doesn't make herself or her husband sound like Mrs. Perfect.
She debunks many myths about herself and her husband. For one, Ronnie (her name) didn't enter politics until long after Wyman divorced him, and she had no influence on his political views. For another, she ended up raising both Wyman's children and hers-unusual (and stressful) in that era. Also, the Reagans were not such bad parents; Patti herself was self-centered and also feuded with her other relatives. And while in the White House, she was hardly the power behind the throne. Donald Regan was in fact made to leave because he made himself a pariah with practically everyone in Washington D. C.
Does she tell the whole story? I'll take her word over that of gossipmongers like Kitty Kelly.
She debunks many myths about herself and her husband. For one, Ronnie (her name) didn't enter politics until long after Wyman divorced him, and she had no influence on his political views. For another, she ended up raising both Wyman's children and hers-unusual (and stressful) in that era. Also, the Reagans were not such bad parents; Patti herself was self-centered and also feuded with her other relatives. And while in the White House, she was hardly the power behind the throne. Donald Regan was in fact made to leave because he made himself a pariah with practically everyone in Washington D. C.
Does she tell the whole story? I'll take her word over that of gossipmongers like Kitty Kelly.
August 31, 2022
Former First Lady Nancy Reagan delivers an incredibly candid and focused narrative with this memoir. You get the real sense that she wants to draw back a curtain and allow people to see what she experienced in her life. I find it extremely refreshing that she does not sugarcoat or pretend to like a particular person when the situation did not warrant it. As hard as she is on other people, I found her to be equally open about her own shortcomings. I am a lifelong Democrat and I have never agree with most of President Reagan’s policies. But I have always greatly admired them as human beings. I highly recommend this book.
October 27, 2024
This was a great book. In her book she gave me the impression that she was just a normal person. She borrowed dresses instead of spending tax payers money for outfits. She did get her feeling hurt quite often from the press and their fake articles. She admits her mistakes with allowing her children to have their way when raising her kids and she came from a broken home.
She does devote a whole chapter to the Iran-contra mess. Which explains it in a different light for me. And she did devote a whole chapter to Gorbachev. I found that chapter very interesting!
I highly recommend this book. It is a long book but well worth the read!
She does devote a whole chapter to the Iran-contra mess. Which explains it in a different light for me. And she did devote a whole chapter to Gorbachev. I found that chapter very interesting!
I highly recommend this book. It is a long book but well worth the read!
April 25, 2024
Some who reviewed this book apparently had a dislike for Nancy before reading the book, and were unable to read it with an open mind, seemingly looking for reasons to bash her the way the press always did, making me wonder if that's the reason they chose to read it in the first place. They must not have read the same book I did. She was a remarkable woman and treated unfairly by the press. She was devoted to her husband with the type of love that reminded me of my parents. After reading the book, I admire her and President Reagan, the best president in my lifetime, even more.
May 30, 2020
The true story of 1980s America's first family of monsters. Nancy prattles on about what a jerk Ron's chief of staff was and how she had nothing in common with Risa Gorbachev. I think the allure is that this book is like if Ted Bundy wrote an autobiography and didn't mention anything about crime or sexual deviancy. Several times I had to pause and yell "honey, get a load of this shit!".
What a whopper! Just say NO to reading it. Unless you're really bored.
What a whopper! Just say NO to reading it. Unless you're really bored.
October 16, 2022
I did not like Nancy Reagan, the First Lady, at all.
Then I read this book and my attitude changed completely.
She admits that it was always her 'thing' to be the best wife that she could be; being the best mother she could be was not a priority. It's honest.
She tells the story about the infamous replacement of the chipped White House china. All paid for by private citizens (her friends).
Definitely worth reading.
Then I read this book and my attitude changed completely.
She admits that it was always her 'thing' to be the best wife that she could be; being the best mother she could be was not a priority. It's honest.
She tells the story about the infamous replacement of the chipped White House china. All paid for by private citizens (her friends).
Definitely worth reading.
December 23, 2024
A perspective earned.
As is obvious, mass media pushes perspectives that sells, even when that perspective can be quite disingenuous and unfair. This was the case with Nancy Reagan, and I greatly appreciate her efforts to offer her perspective. If you’re an admirer of the Reagan presidency, or just interested in his history, the point of view of his beloved spouse should be considered.
As is obvious, mass media pushes perspectives that sells, even when that perspective can be quite disingenuous and unfair. This was the case with Nancy Reagan, and I greatly appreciate her efforts to offer her perspective. If you’re an admirer of the Reagan presidency, or just interested in his history, the point of view of his beloved spouse should be considered.
March 16, 2025
Interesting account of Nancy Reagan's life. As one of history's most maligned and misunderstood first ladies, she definitely has a right to a "Turn" to speak. Nancy tells it as it happened. It's so sad how the press misinterpreted nearly every single thing she said and did. Nancy talks about her relationships with her children, her husband, some of her husband's staff, and world leaders. It's very readable and in more of a conversational tone. Good reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews