Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Ronald Reagan in Private - A Memoir of My Years in the White House

By Jim Kuhn, Executive Assistant to the President
Publisher: Sentinel 2004

What is it like to be the personal assistant to one of the United States', arguably the world's, most popular presidents? This book opens your eyes to the logistics involved in a presidential campaign as well as daily life at the White House. Written from the perspective of the Executive Assistant to the President, who in this case also worked on two Reagan presidential campaigns as an advance man, is really quite amazing revealing all that goes into "an appointment" or an "appearance" by the President.

There are certainly insights into the personality and demeanor of President Reagan and Mrs. Reagan in the book as well as personal anecdotes, but this is by no means a "tell-all" or biography of the man. Jim Kuhn is a die-hard fan of the Reagans' and you will not find one negative word about them in the book. The author spent day and night with or very near the president for four years and still has only praise for his boss.

I found the section about the negotiations with Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985 and 1986 especially interesting coming from the perspective of the personal assistant. There were a number of details in the meetings that appeared to contribute greatly to the outcome. It was also revealing to hear about President Reagan's response when talks broke down and success seemed to escape him. If you enjoy reading about history or real people and real events, this is a nice "light read".

Terri Marks is a baby boomer wife, mother and grandmother in Madison, Wisconsin. She has a life full of colorful events and observations. Her hobbies are bird-watching, gardening and serving at her church. She publishes her own ezine at http://www.calicowoman.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terri_Marks

http://www.pippoproducts.com


No comments:

Post a Comment