Reagan: What Was He Really Like?

Intimate stories by real hard-working, unpretentious, selfless people, all thrown into a milieu; a simmering stewpot of diverse young men & women, all working for a common goal-to help Ronald Reagan succeed, from the start! People have asked, "What was Reagan like privately?" "How did he treat his children?" "How did he handle pressure?" "How did he handle danger?" "How did he treat his staff?" "How did he handle difficult, almost impossible to deal with, legislators?" Watch it unfold in intimate detail. See how Reagan used humor to disarm his most ardent critics and tenacious opponents. Rex Hime said, "He was the Sequoia, and we were the branches!" Former SFO-KPIX-CBS-TV Anchor & Governor Reagan's Assistant Press Director, Nancy Clark Reynolds reveals fascinating stories: "Reagan was absolutely Numero Uno in Nancy's life. All the time. And she was with him! They were totally wound into each other, to the exclusion of everybody else!" "Reagan was gracious and funny! He had people in 'stitches' all the time--and he was a total gentleman. You always knew where Reagan stood. He never equated disagreement with disloyalty. Even after working fourteen and eighteen hour days, I could hardly wait to get to work the next morning!" Edwin Meese III said with that understated smile, "Ronald Reagan thrived on being underestimated." Also, the untold story behind the secret plan hatched by former Air Force Secretary Thomas C. Reed and a handful of dedicated insiders to launch Reagan's unequivocal, arguably first campaign for President of the United States in 1968.

Behind-the-scenes anecdotes and first-person recollections from forty-nine diverse people illuminate their personal relationships with Ronald Reagan. What was Ronald Reagan like in private? How did he treat his children? How did he handle pressure? This collection of intimate remembrances of the late President's staffers, colleagues, and friends sheds new light on the life and career of the immortal "Gipper." See how Reagan used humor to disarm his most ardent critics and tenacious opponents. Marvel at his gift for persuading difficult, almost impossible to deal with legislators. Learn the untold story behind the secret plan hatched by former Air Force Secretary Thomas C. Reed and a handful of dedicated insiders to launch Reagan's first campaign for president of the United States in 1968. Many of author Curtis Patrick's interview subjects were members of Reagan's original 1966 campaign for governor of California. Some came aboard soon after the election and were appointed to fill key positions in the governor's cabinet and to head up state agencies and departments. For the most part, except in a few cases, these interviewees had never been recorded or published before.