Reagan Rising: The Decisive Years, 1976-1980
432Reagan Rising: The Decisive Years, 1976-1980
432Hardcover
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Overview
New York Times bestselling biographer Craig Shirley charts Ronald Reagan’s astonishing rise from the ashes of his lost 1976 presidential bid to overwhelming victory in 1980. American conservatism—and the nation itself—would never be the same.
In 1976, when Ronald Reagan lost his second bid for the GOP presidential nomination (the first was in 1968), most observers believed his political career was over. Yet one year later, at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, Reagan sounded like a new man. He introduced conservatives to a "New Republican Party"—one that looked beyond the traditional country club and corporate boardroom base to embrace "the man and woman in the factories . . . the farmer . . . the cop on the beat. Our party," Reagan said, "must be the party of the individual. It must not sell out the individual to cater to the group."
Reagan’s movement quickly spread, championed by emerging conservative leaders and influential think tanks. Meanwhile, for the first time in modern history, Reagan also began drawing young people to American conservatism.
But it was not only the former governor's political philosophy that was changing. A new man was emerging as well: The angry anticommunist was evolving into a more reflective, thoughtful, hopeful, and more spiritual leader. Championing the individual at home, rejecting containment and détente abroad, and advocating for the defeat of Soviet communism, his appeal crossed party lines.
At a time when conservatives are seeking to redefine their identity in light of the Donald Trump phenomenon, Reagan Rising offers insight into the development of Reagan’s optimistic and unifying philosophy, and offers lessons for both established Republican leaders as well as emerging hopefuls.
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9780062456557 |
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Publisher: | HarperCollins |
Publication date: | 03/21/2017 |
Pages: | 432 |
Sales rank: | 695,600 |
Product dimensions: | 6.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.40(d) |
About the Author
JON MEACHAM received the Pulitzer Prize for his 2008 biography of Andrew Jackson, American Lion. He is also the author of the New York Times bestsellers Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George H.W. Bush, American Gospel, and Franklin and Winston. Meacham, who teaches at Vanderbilt University, is a fellow of the Society of American Historians. He lives in Nashville with his wife and children.
Table of Contents
Foreword Jon Meacham xi
Preface xv
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 All by Himself 5
Chapter 2 While We Were Marching Through Georgetown 21
Chapter 3 Into the Wilderness 33
Chapter 4 The Bear in the Room 52
Chapter 5 Canal Zone Defense 77
Chapter 6 Drinking the Kool-Aid 102
Chapter 7 Reagan on Ice 141
Chapter 8 Bread and Circuses 167
Chapter 9 Up from Carterism 194
Chapter 10 "Big John" Versus 'Poppy" 232
Chapter 11 Georgia Versus Georgetown 251
Chapter 12 Adrift 272
Chapter 13 Iowa Agonistes 287
Chapter 14 Reagan's Dunkirk 300
Chapter 15 Sunshine Reaganites 308
Chapter 16 The Politics of Politics 313
Chapter 17 Island of Freedom 325
Author's Note 330
Acknowledgments 333
Notes 335
Bibliography 381
Index 391