A must read for political scientists and thinkers

I commend the author both for the depth of his research and the attention to detail he has shown, the result of which is a book with a very important message for those interested in politics.
I was a young boy growing up in Great Britain during the Reagan Presidency, so I was far too young to absorb and understand his speeches and policies. However, even as a young boy, my reaction towards him when hearing him on the news was one of warmth and assurance. As I grew older and more interested in politics - especially as I then leaned towards the Conservative Party in the UK - I came to understand him as a champion of small government, low taxes and the victor of the Cold War. What this book illustrates well is that the popular caricature of Reagan misses the true essence of his political philosophy; that aspect of his nature that would make a young boy like me enjoy hearing him speak.
Conservatism in recent years in both the US and UK could be seen as successful, but this hides the fact that this success owes much to the electoral inadequacies of their opposition. What this book reveals well is that Reagan was a true ‘Roosevelt Liberal’; his faith was in the common citizen and his vision was for opportunity to be open to everyone - not just the exceptional few - and that this was the key to his extraordinary electoral successes. Bush 41, and Obama 2008 and 2012 came closest to matching Reagan in communication terms and saw the fruits this brought, but those who misunderstood his legacy have faced electoral punishment. Both the political left and right should take time to understand the basic moral of this book - your concern should be what the people actually want, and not want you think the people should want

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