Synopses & Reviews
A groundbreaking reassessment of Ronald Reagan's life and presidency, exploring his lifelong struggle and ultimate victory against the tyranny of Communism
In this dramatic meditation on the life of Ronald Reagan, historian Paul Kengor presents an account of the fortieth president that has never been written one that details Reagan's campaign against the Soviet Union, which lasted for more than forty years. Tracing Reagan's anti-Communist sentiment to his days as president of the Screen Actors Guild, Kengor illuminates how this experience first emboldened the actor to speak out against the oppression of the Soviet Union and describes Reagan's multifaceted efforts to prevent Communism from taking hold in Hollywood. Ultimately his SAG tenure paved the way for his burgeoning political career, which, from its inception, had but one purpose: the end of Communism.
Utilizing reams of recently declassified documents, Kengor assembles a striking mosaic of Reagan's words and actions that toppled the Soviet Union. From Reagan's covert support of the rebels who defeated the Soviets in Afghanistan to his secret oil collusion with Saudi Arabia that devastated the Soviet economy, Kengor reveals how Reagan's eight years in office did more to bring down the Soviet Union than any single administration in the history of the Cold War. With painstaking detail, he also explains Reagan's crucial move to escalate the arms race with the Kremlin, a decision that, though politically un-popular, proved vital to the Soviets' eventual downfall.
Revisiting many of the administration's principal characters, Kengor speaks with the individuals who helped shape foreign policy under Reagan.These testi-monies give unfettered access into the hearts and minds of those closest to Reagan, revealing how this group translated Reagan's ideas into a comprehensive strategy to destroy the Soviet Union. In addition, Kengor delves into never-before-studied Soviet documents and propaganda, uncovering how the other side perceived Reagan's advances and attempted to counter his progress with its unique brand of disinformation. Also told here is an incendiary revelation of the liberal American politician who reportedly reached out to the Soviets to derail Reagan's 1984 bid for reelection.
With unparalleled research, this fascinating book tells the story of a man who believed that it was his responsibility to save the world from Soviet oppression. It's a story that demonstrates how one American's fight ended the twentieth-century's longest war. It's a story of one man who changed history. It's the story of a crusader.
Review
Praise for God and Ronald Reagan:“God and Ronald Reagan captures the real Ronald Reagan.” Michael ReaganMichael Reagan
Review
Praise for God and Ronald Reagan:“A profound character study, and engrossing work of history…” Peter Robinson, author of How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life
Review
Praise for God and Ronald Reagan:“Fascinating… This is a must-read piece of political history.” Donald M. Goldstein, coauthor of At Dawn We Slept
Review
Praise for God and George W. Bush:“A wealth of material.” National Catholic Reporter
Review
“Combining great story-telling with his commitment to scholarly detail, Paul Kengor has written an important and fascinating book.” Peter Schweizer, author of Do As I Say Not As I Do and Reagan's War
Review
“While many have tried, few have succeeded in telling such a complete history of my dads greatest triumph.” Michael Reagan
Review
“Paul Kengors latest book illuminates a side of the man evident only to those closest to him.” Bill Clark, National Security Advisor 1982-1983
Synopsis
A groundbreaking reassessment of Ronald Reagan's life and presidency, exploring his lifelong struggleand ultimate victoryagainst the tyranny of Communism
In this dramatic meditation on the life of Ronald Reagan, historian Paul Kengor presents an account of the fortieth president that has never been writtenone that details Reagan's campaign against the Soviet Union, which lasted for more than forty years. Tracing Reagan's anti-Communist sentiment to his days as president of the Screen Actors Guild, Kengor illuminates how this experience first emboldened the actor to speak out against the oppression of the Soviet Union and describes Reagan's multifaceted efforts to prevent Communism from taking hold in Hollywood. Ultimately his SAG tenure paved the way for his burgeoning political career, which, from its inception, had but one purpose: the end of Communism.
Utilizing reams of recently declassified documents, Kengor assembles a striking mosaic of Reagan's words and actions that toppled the Soviet Union. From Reagan's covert support of the rebels who defeated the Soviets in Afghanistan to his secret oil collusion with Saudi Arabia that devastated the Soviet economy, Kengor reveals how Reagan's eight years in office did more to bring down the Soviet Union than any single administration in the history of the Cold War. With painstaking detail, he also explains Reagan's crucial move to escalate the arms race with the Kremlin, a decision that, though politically un-popular, proved vital to the Soviets' eventual downfall.
Revisiting many of the administration's principal characters, Kengor speaks with the individuals who helped shape foreign policy under Reagan. These testi-monies give unfettered access into the hearts and minds of those closest to Reagan, revealing how this group translated Reagan's ideas into a comprehensive strategy to destroy the Soviet Union. In addition, Kengor delves into never-before-studied Soviet documents and propaganda, uncovering how the other side perceived Reagan's advances and attempted to counter his progress with its unique brand of disinformation. Also told here is an incendiary revelation of the liberal American politician who reportedly reached out to the Soviets to derail Reagan's 1984 bid for reelection.
With unparalleled research, this fascinating book tells the story of a man who believed that it was his responsibility to save the world from Soviet oppression. It's a story that demonstrates how one American's fight ended the twentieth-century's longest war. It's a story of one man who changed history. It's the story of a crusader.
Synopsis
"God and Ronald Reagan" made historian Paul Kengor one of the premier chroniclers of the life and career of the 40th president. Now, with "The Crusader," Kengor returns with the one book about Reagan that has not been written: The story of his lifelong crusade against communism, and of his dogged--and ultimately triumphant--effort to overthrow the Soviet Union.
Synopsis
Based on extraordinary research: a major reassessment of Ronald Reagan's lifelong crusade to dismantle the Soviet Empire–including shocking revelations about the liberal American politician who tried to collude with USSR to counter Reagan's efforts
Paul Kengor's God and Ronald Reagan made presidential historian Paul Kengor's name as one of the premier chroniclers of the life and career of the 40th president. Now, with The Crusader, Kengor returns with the one book about Reagan that has not been written: The story of his lifelong crusade against communism, and of his dogged–and ultimately triumphant–effort to overthrow the Soviet Union.
Drawing upon reams of newly declassified presidential papers, as well as untapped Soviet media archives and new interviews with key players, Kengor traces Reagan's efforts to target the Soviet Union from his days as governor of California to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of what he famously dubbed the "Evil Empire." The result is a major revision and enhancement of what historians are only beginning to realize: That Reagan not only wished for the collapse of communism, but had a deep and specific understanding of what it would take––and effected dozens of policy shifts that brought the USSR to its heels within a decade of his presidency.
The Crusader makes use of key sources from behind the Iron Curtain, including one key memo that implicates a major American liberal politician–still in office today–in a scheme to enlist Soviet premier Yuri Andropov to help defeat Reagan's 1984 reelection bid. Such new finds make The Crusader not just a work of extraordinary history, but a work of explosive revelation that will be debated as hotly in 2006 as Reagan's policies were in the 1980s.
About the Author
Paul Kengor, Ph.D., is a professor of political science at Grove City College. The author of the bestselling God and Ronald Reagan, he is nationally known for his work on presidential history, which has been featured in the Washington Post, Dallas Morning News, National Review, Philadelphia Inquirer, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. A fellow at the Hoover Institute on War, Revolution, and Peace at Stanford University and a member of the editorial board of Presidential Studies Quarterly, Kengor lives with his wife and children in Grove City, Pennsylvania.