A study in statesmanship: the true story of the heroic, historic Reagan presidency
The Age of Reagan: The Conservative Counterrevolution 1980-1989
by Steven F. Hayward
Ever since Ronald Reagan left office in 1989, liberal
historians have been doing their best to sully his
reputation and smear him as a "failed" President -- but now,
in The Age of Reagan: The Conservative Counterrevolution
1980-1989, historian Steven F. Hayward sets the record
straight. Hayward examines Reagan's well-known foreign
policy and decisive role in the ending of the Cold War –-
easily the most dramatic element of Reagan's tumultuous and
triumphant presidency -- but also sheds much-needed light
on Reagan's domestic policy, showing why these two aspects
of Reagan's presidency should rightly be viewed as a unity.
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Of course, the common Leftist myth that Reagan was an
amiable dunce controlled by shadowy, sinister handlers has
long been exploded -- chiefly by the revelation of his
extensive radio addresses, letters, speeches, and personal
diary, all of which displayed a lively and informed mind
and a much greater depth of character than liberals had
ever been willing to concede. Hayward here draws together
all of that disparate material to create an integrated,
analytical narrative, covering the whole of the Reagan
presidency.
Hayward lingers in absorbing detail on the first year
of Reagan's White House residency, since that was the most
eventful period of his entire tenure -- and the year in
which the baseline was laid down for more than two decades
of subsequent political argument between the loony Left and
the Reagan Right. 1981, says Hayward, provides a "case
study in the difficulty of plotting a genuine change in the
course of the nation’s affairs."
Reagan, of course, emerged victorious, as Hayward
details here -- and by the time he called upon Mr.
Gorbachev to tear down that wall, his place in history was
secure to any unbiased historian. The Age of Reagan: The
Conservative Counterrevolution 1980-1989 presents an
honest, unsparing, admiring but not uncritical look at
Reagan's transformational presidency -- and doing so, helps
secure for Ronald Reagan his rightful place in the pantheon
of American heroes.
How America emerged from Carter's malaise
to Reagan's renewal:
Why the achievements of Reagan's domestic policies
should be regarded as commensurate with his foreign
policy triumphs
One surprising lesson demonstrated by both the FDR and
Reagan presidencies, as diametrically opposed
ideologically as they were
How the Left issued numerous dire (and hysterical)
warnings about fascism coming to America during the
Reagan years -- and ever since, whenever a Republican
was in power
Why the sense of national crisis was more palpable
around the country in 1980 than at any time since 1932
Reagan's rhetorical and philosophical debt to Thomas
Jefferson
Reagan's central insight into the problem of
superpower relations -- and how he kept a steady focus
on his goal of bringing down the Soviet Union
How not only liberals, but conservatives also, missed
the signs of Soviet vulnerability that Reagan saw so
clearly, and exploited so skillfully
Alexander Haig: why Reagan's first Secretary of State
alienated his peers in the Cabinet, and ultimately
Reagan himself
How Reagan got 63 House Democrats to join Republicans
in passing a significant federal budget reduction
measure
Reagan's first months in office: why it was the most
impressive presidential start of FDR
Why Reagan gave in on a tax increase in the summer of
1982 -- and how he stayed the course despite this
momentary setback
Reagan's tough words to Brezhnev (relayed secretly
over the secret Direct Communications Link) over
Soviet meddling in Poland
Clear evidence that Reagan officials believed that aid
to the Contras fell within the limits of restrictions
on such aid concocted by House Democrats
Why Reagan's 1984 reelection campaign contrasted so
sharply in tone with his 1980 effort -- and why the
Democrat Party line on Reagan as a warmonger failed to
gain traction despite increased Cold War tensions
How Reagan's 1984 landslide triggered massive change
within the Democrat Party -- largely cosmetic, but
reflective of how Reagan transformed the landscape of
American politics
Robert Bork and the fight over Supreme Court
appointments: how Democrats set a furiously partisan
course during the Reagan years, from which they have
never yet departed
Hezbollah's barracks attack in Lebanon: how Reagan
hoped to extricate himself from the festering problems
in the Middle East, but ultimately failed to do so
The road to the summit with Gorbachev: how Reagan
overcame obstacles that were surprising in both their
size and their provenance
How the strange events of the "Iran-Contra scandal"
were set in motion
How, despite the abundant documented evidence of
Soviet violations of the SALT II treaty, world
opprobrium was directed only at Reagan when he
declared that the U.S. would no longer abide by it
The Reykjavik summit: how the international media
reports that Gorbachev had caught Reagan by surprise
were (surprise!) biased and wrong
The true story of Reykjavik: how Gorbachev made
concessions that could never be taken back
The ongoing controversy over monetary policy at the
Federal Reserve: how Reagan turned this organization
in a more conservative direction
Afghanistan: how Reagan stood firm and aided the
Afghan resistance until finally the Soviets gave up
and withdrew
How the abrupt fall of the Berlin Wall caught
everybody in the West by surprise -- except Ronald
Reagan
How the intricate and sordid details of the Iran-
Contra affair threw a thick cloud over the deeper
constitutional and political issues at the heart of
the matter
Reagan's harsh criticism of Congress for failing to
obey its own budget laws
The Nicaraguan Sandinistas: how their dishonesty and
bad faith began to change the political landscape in
Washington
How even Barack Obama had to present himself on the
campaign trail as a tax-cutter -- because of the
lingering influence of Ronald Reagan
The Reagan legacy: how his star has risen even among
some fair-minded liberals since he left office
Elizabeth Kantor, the Club's editor-in-chief, comments on conservative issues and conservative books of note.
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