Ronald Reagan and the General Electric Theater, 1954-1955

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 140 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (9 download)

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Book Synopsis Ronald Reagan and the General Electric Theater, 1954-1955 by : Earl B. Dunckel

Download or read book Ronald Reagan and the General Electric Theater, 1954-1955 written by Earl B. Dunckel and published by . This book was released on 1982 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dunckel commenting on the establishment of the General Electric Theater program and Reagan's role in tours promoting the program. Copy of photograph inserted and copies of documentary material appended.

Ronald Reagan and the General Electric Theater, 1954-1955

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Author :
Publisher : Andesite Press
ISBN 13 : 9781297771583
Total Pages : 136 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (715 download)

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Book Synopsis Ronald Reagan and the General Electric Theater, 1954-1955 by : Earl B Ive Dunckel

Download or read book Ronald Reagan and the General Electric Theater, 1954-1955 written by Earl B Ive Dunckel and published by Andesite Press. This book was released on 2015-08-12 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Ronald Reagan and The General Electric Theater, 1954-1955: Oral History Transcript / and Related Material, 1982

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Author :
Publisher : Legare Street Press
ISBN 13 : 9781017213669
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (136 download)

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Book Synopsis Ronald Reagan and The General Electric Theater, 1954-1955: Oral History Transcript / and Related Material, 1982 by : Earl B. Ive Dunckel

Download or read book Ronald Reagan and The General Electric Theater, 1954-1955: Oral History Transcript / and Related Material, 1982 written by Earl B. Ive Dunckel and published by Legare Street Press. This book was released on 2022-10-27 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Ronald Reagan and the General Electric Theater, 1954-1955

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Author :
Publisher : Nabu Press
ISBN 13 : 9781293457139
Total Pages : 136 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (571 download)

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Book Synopsis Ronald Reagan and the General Electric Theater, 1954-1955 by : Earl B. Ive Dunckel

Download or read book Ronald Reagan and the General Electric Theater, 1954-1955 written by Earl B. Ive Dunckel and published by Nabu Press. This book was released on 2014-01 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

The President Electric

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Publisher : University of Michigan Press
ISBN 13 : 0472026631
Total Pages : 286 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (72 download)

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Book Synopsis The President Electric by : Timothy Raphael

Download or read book The President Electric written by Timothy Raphael and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 2011-03-15 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In this illuminating, multi-pronged cultural and performance history of such phenomena as Chautauqua and radio, movies, and electrical technology, Timothy Raphael puts together a compelling and sometimes revelatory narrative of how commandingly Reagan mastered the matrix of performance, technology, media, celebrity, and the 'republic of consumption' he came of age in." ---Dana Nelson, Vanderbilt University "Garry Wills and others have written well on the phenomenon of Ronald Reagan, the actor-president, but this is the first book by a real authority---trained in performance and fully reflective about it from the inside . . . unquestionably an important contribution to the disciplinary fields of American studies and performance studies, and an important contribution to public affairs." ---Joseph Roach, Yale University When Ronald Reagan first entered politics in 1965, his public profile as a performer in radio, film, television, and advertising and his experience in public relations proved invaluable political assets. By the time he left office in 1989, the media in which he trained had become the primary source for generating and wielding political power. The President Electric: Ronald Reagan and the Politics of Performance reveals how the systematic employment of the techniques and technologies of mass-media performance contributed to Reagan’s rise to power and defined his style of governance. The President Electric stands out among books on Reagan as the first to bring the rich insights of the field of performance studies to an understanding of the Reagan phenomenon, connecting Reagan's training in electronic media to the nineteenth-century notion of the "fiat of electricity"---the emerging sociopolitical power of three entities (mechanical science, corporate capitalism, and mass culture) that electric technology made possible. The book describes how this new regime of cultural and political representation shaped the development of the electronic mass media that transformed American culture and politics and educated Ronald Reagan for his future role as president. Timothy Raphael is Assistant Professor of Visual and Performing Arts and Director of the Center for Immigration at Rutgers University, Newark. Photo: © David H. Wells/Corbis

Becoming Ronald Reagan

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Publisher : U of Nebraska Press
ISBN 13 : 1640122559
Total Pages : 321 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (41 download)

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Book Synopsis Becoming Ronald Reagan by : Robert Mann

Download or read book Becoming Ronald Reagan written by Robert Mann and published by U of Nebraska Press. This book was released on 2019-10-01 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the 1960s transitioning from acting to politics was rare. Ronald Reagan was not the first to do it, but he was the first to jump from the screen to the stump and on to credibility as a presidential contender. Reagan’s transformation from struggling liberal actor to influential conservative spokesman in five years—and then to the California governorship six years later—is a remarkable and compelling story. In Becoming Ronald Reagan Robert Mann explores Reagan’s early life and his career during the 1950s and early 1960s: his growing desire for acclaim in high school and college, his political awakening as a young Hollywood actor, his ideological evolution in the 1950s as he traveled the country for General Electric, the refining of his political skills during this period, his growing aversion to big government, and his disdain for the totalitarian leaders in the Soviet Union and elsewhere. All these experiences and more shaped Reagan’s politics and influenced his career as an elected official. Mann not only demonstrates how Reagan the actor became Reagan the political leader and how the liberal became a conservative, he also shows how the skills Reagan learned and the lessons he absorbed from 1954 to 1964 made him the inspiring leader so many Americans remember and revere to this day. Becoming Ronald Reagan is an indelible portrait of a true American icon and a politician like none other. Purchase the audio edition.

Ronald Reagan

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1136174524
Total Pages : 317 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (361 download)

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Book Synopsis Ronald Reagan by : James H. Broussard

Download or read book Ronald Reagan written by James H. Broussard and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-08-27 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Few politicians in recent American history are as well-known as Ronald Reagan, the 40th U.S. president. An iconic leader, Reagan shifted the direction of American politics toward a newly vigorous conservatism. Though he began his career as a New Deal liberal, by the end of the 1950s, Reagan had embraced conservative views. His presidency saw the longest peacetime prosperity in American history, as well as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, but also skyrocketing deficits and the Iran-Contra scandal. In the twenty-first century, Reagan’s legacy is both pervasive and contested, with supporters and detractors often divided along partisan lines. Yet Reagan’s own actions did not always fit into partisan boxes. In a clear-eyed and insightful narrative, James H. Broussard cuts through the mythology of both sides to produce a nuanced portrait of Reagan in his historical context. Supported by primary sources and a robust companion website, this concise biography is an ideal intoduction to this fascinating president and the issues that shaped America in the late 20th century. Routledge Historical Americans is a series of short, vibrant biographies that illuminate the lives of Americans who have had an impact on the world. Each book includes a short overview of the person’s life and puts that person into historical context through essential primary documents, written both by the subjects and about them. A series website supports the books, containing extra images and documents, links to further research, and where possible, multi-media sources on the subjects. Perfect for including in any course on American History, the books in the Routledge Historical Americans series show the impact everyday people can have on the course of history.

Ronald Reagan in Hollywood

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Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780521440806
Total Pages : 406 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (48 download)

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Book Synopsis Ronald Reagan in Hollywood by : Stephen Vaughn

Download or read book Ronald Reagan in Hollywood written by Stephen Vaughn and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1994-01-28 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the relationship between the motion picture industry and American politics.

Ronald Reagan's Journey

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Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 9780742544215
Total Pages : 138 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (442 download)

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Book Synopsis Ronald Reagan's Journey by : Edward M. Yager

Download or read book Ronald Reagan's Journey written by Edward M. Yager and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2006 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this new work, Edward Yager examines Ronald Reagan's political development from New Deal liberal to conservative Republican. Yager argues that Reagan's presidency cannot be fully understood and evaluated without significant attribution to the spiritual, political, and economic beliefs that he formed during his journey from Democrat to Republican.

Reagan's Journey

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Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1451620861
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (516 download)

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Book Synopsis Reagan's Journey by : Margot Morrell

Download or read book Reagan's Journey written by Margot Morrell and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-05-03 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A RENOWNED LEADERSHIP EXPERT EXAMINES THE LIFE OF R ONALD REAGAN, EXTRACTING THE KEY C OMPONENTS OF HIS IMMENSE S UCCESS—PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL—AND OFFERS AN ILLUMINATING MODEL F OR LEADERS AND MANAGERS IN EVERY WALK OF LIFE. Since leaving office, Ronald Reagan has emerged as among America’s greatest— and best-loved—leaders. Today he is known as “the Great Communicator,” but in the course of his sixty-year career, Reagan faced obstacles and hardships that could have stalled him at any point along the way. After every disaster, he picked himself up and kept moving forward. How did he manage his career and handle the hurdles involved in transitioning from actor and union official into a public speaker in high demand and from there into an extraordinarily successful politician? What can we learn from the way the perennial “new kid in town” muscled through adversities, maintained his focus, stayed true to his principles, and achieved his goals? In a compelling narrative that is both a motivational leadership teaching tool and a fascinating biography, bestselling author Margot Morrell sheds light on the challenges and heartbreaks that shaped Ronald Reagan. Four times his life slammed into a brick wall: his 1948 divorce from actress Jane Wyman; the termination of his long-standing contract with Warner Bros.; the end of his eight-year association with General Electric; and a hard-fought loss to President Gerald Ford in the 1976 primary campaign. Setting politics and policies largely aside, Morrell highlights the strategies and tactics Ronald Reagan used to transform himself from shy introvert to confident communicator; the methods and tools he employed to keep his career on track; and the skills he developed that led to his many accomplishments. Each chapter of Reagan’s Journey is followed by summary bullet points and an essential overview titled “Working It In,” to facilitate these lessons into your formation as a leader. Anyone interested in strengthening their leadership and communications skills, becoming more resilient in the face of setbacks, or taking their careers to the next level will find practical and useful lessons in the life of Ronald Reagan.

Reagan, American Icon

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Publisher : University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN 13 : 9780916279059
Total Pages : 446 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (79 download)

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Book Synopsis Reagan, American Icon by : Robert Paul Metzger

Download or read book Reagan, American Icon written by Robert Paul Metzger and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 1989 with total page 446 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Selling Ronald Reagan

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Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 0857727265
Total Pages : 321 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (577 download)

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Book Synopsis Selling Ronald Reagan by : Gerard DeGroot

Download or read book Selling Ronald Reagan written by Gerard DeGroot and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2015-09-23 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Before 1966, the idea of Reagan in politics provoked widespread scorn. To most people, he seemed a has-been actor, a right-wing extremist and a 'dunce'. Journalists therefore ridiculed his aspirations to be governor of California. No one, however, doubted his incredible ability to communicate with a crowd. In order to succeed in his campaign, Reagan had to be packaged as an outsider - an antidote to politics as usual. A highly sophisticated team of marketers and ad-men turned the scary right-winger into a harmless moderate who could attract supporters from across the political spectrum. Researchers meanwhile provided the coaching that allowed Reagan to seem well-informed - all of which led to Reagan winning the California governorship by a landslide. Gerard DeGroot here explores how, in the decade of consumerism, Reagan was marketed as a product. While there is no doubting his natural abilities as a campaigner, Reagan won in 1966 because his team of advisers understood how to sell their candidate, and he, wisely, allowed himself to be sold. Selling Ronald Reagan tells the story of Reagan's first election, when the nature of campaigning was forever altered and a titan of modern American history emerged.

TV in the USA [3 volumes]

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Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 1785 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (161 download)

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Book Synopsis TV in the USA [3 volumes] by : Vincent LoBrutto

Download or read book TV in the USA [3 volumes] written by Vincent LoBrutto and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2018-01-04 with total page 1785 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This three-volume set is a valuable resource for researching the history of American television. An encyclopedic range of information documents how television forever changed the face of media and continues to be a powerful influence on society. What are the reasons behind enduring popularity of television genres such as police crime dramas, soap operas, sitcoms, and "reality TV"? What impact has television had on the culture and morality of American life? Does television largely emulate and reflect real life and society, or vice versa? How does television's influence differ from that of other media such as newspapers and magazines, radio, movies, and the Internet? These are just a few of the questions explored in the three-volume encyclopedia TV in the USA: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas. This expansive set covers television from 1950 to the present day, addressing shows of all genres, well-known programs and short-lived series alike, broadcast on the traditional and cable networks. All three volumes lead off with a keynote essay regarding the technical and historical features of the decade(s) covered. Each entry on a specific show investigates the narrative, themes, and history of the program; provides comprehensive information about when the show started and ended, and why; and identifies the star players, directors, producers, and other key members of the crew of each television production. The set also features essays that explore how a particular program or type of show has influenced or reflected American society, and it includes numerous sidebars packed with interesting data, related information, and additional insights into the subject matter.

Tuning in

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Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN 13 : 0195340248
Total Pages : 369 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (953 download)

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Book Synopsis Tuning in by : Ronald Wayne Rodman

Download or read book Tuning in written by Ronald Wayne Rodman and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2010 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Television has been called the "boob tube," "goof box," and even a "vast wasteland" of American culture. Yet, for all its banality, television is in many ways a mirror of culture, and communicates messages within culture through the multiple channels of visual images, language, sound, and music. All of these channels contain their own unique coded messages to create the larger meaningful text of television. As one of these sensory channels, music contributes to meaning in television through its artistic language and through television viewers' association of music with certain aspects of culture. Music has always been an integral part of the American television, even from its earliest days. Like its parent medium of radio, television broadcasts music to entertain viewers with live and video taped performances, but music has also come to play a much larger role in television beyond its pleasurable performance aspects. Music is used in narrative programs to evoke moods and identify characters and setting, it is used to sell products through commercial jingles, and most importantly, music generally aids broadcast television in navigating through the continuous "flow" of daily programming. This navigational aspect of television music is a distinctive feature, and functions to transport the viewer through three "spaces" of TV: the flow of the televisual apparatus, with commercials, newbreaks, and promos; the storyworld of each narrative program, and the representational space between narrative and flow. As Heard on TV is an examination and analysis of music in American television during the first fifty years of its history. The book focuses on how music has functioned to serve as a navigator through the flow of television and contributing to structure narrative programs, while also conveying meaning to its viewers by correlating with the images and sounds that it accompanies. Drawing from precedents of the cinema and radio, the book examines music in a number of "classic" television genres by positing a theory of "functional musical spaces" adapted from theories of Charles Morris, Umberto Eco, John Fiske, and others.

Miriam Hopkins

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Publisher : University Press of Kentucky
ISBN 13 : 0813174333
Total Pages : 424 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (131 download)

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Book Synopsis Miriam Hopkins by : Allan R. Ellenberger

Download or read book Miriam Hopkins written by Allan R. Ellenberger and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2018-01-12 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Miriam Hopkins (1902--1972) first captured moviegoers' attention in daring precode films such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), The Story of Temple Drake (1933), and Ernst Lubitsch's Trouble in Paradise (1932). Though she enjoyed popular and critical acclaim in her long career -- receiving an Academy Award nomination for Becky Sharp (1935) and a Golden Globe nomination for The Heiress (1949) -- she is most often remembered for being one of the most difficult actresses of Hollywood's golden age. Whether she was fighting with studio moguls over her roles or feuding with her avowed archrival, Bette Davis, her reputation for temperamental behavior is legendary. In the first comprehensive biography of this colorful performer, Allan R. Ellenberger illuminates Hopkins's fascinating life and legacy. Her freewheeling film career was exceptional in studio-era Hollywood, and she managed to establish herself as a top star at Paramount, RKO, Goldwyn, and Warner Bros. Over the course of five decades, Hopkins appeared in thirty-six films, forty stage plays, and countless radio programs. Later, she emerged as a pioneer of TV drama. Ellenberger also explores Hopkins's private life, including her relationships with such intellectuals as Theodore Dreiser, Dorothy Parker, Gertrude Stein, and Tennessee Williams. Although she was never blacklisted for her suspected Communist leanings, her association with these freethinkers and her involvement with certain political organizations led the FBI to keep a file on her for nearly forty years. This skillful biography treats readers to the intriguing stories and controversies surrounding Hopkins and her career, but also looks beyond her Hollywood persona to explore the star as an uncompromising artist. The result is an entertaining portrait of a brilliant yet underappreciated performer.

The Oxford Companion to Politics of the World

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Publisher : Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0195117395
Total Pages : 1051 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (951 download)

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Book Synopsis The Oxford Companion to Politics of the World by : Joel Krieger

Download or read book The Oxford Companion to Politics of the World written by Joel Krieger and published by Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2001-08-02 with total page 1051 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The world has seen dramatic changes since the publication of the first edition of The Oxford Companion to Politics of the World in 1993. In the post-Cold War world, globalization now offers wealth and opportunities on a broader scale, as well as greater international harmony, but threatens to reinforce the advantage gap between wealthy and poor regions and intensify environmental degradation. Conflict and squalor--expressed in brutal brushfire wars, epidemics, and chronic underdevelopment--vie with equally dramatic accounts of growth and democracy associated with a liberal political order and the global diffusion of trade, investment, and communications.Drawing on the breadth of the first edition, this updated edition reflects the changing world with a reassessment of many of the core themes of the Companion, and new articles on the people, concepts, and events that have shaped the world since 1993. The second edition includes biographies of Kofi Annan, Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, and Gerhard Schroder; articles on events such as the Rwandan Genocide and the war in Kosovo; and coverage of international trade developments such as NAFTA and the World Trade Organization. Eighty-seven of the 672 articles in the Second Edition are completely new; most others are thoroughly revised.This edition also features a substantial new set of articles, a dozen essays on critical issues written by influential figures. Recognizing the importance of including varying viewpoints, the editors have commissioned these essays to provide an informed and often passionate debate on controversial topics. Discussions include Lani Guinier and Glenn Loury on Affirmative Action; Francis Fukuyama and Milton Fisk on the Limits of Liberal Democracy; and Lloyd Axworthy and John Bolton on the United Nations.The contributors discuss nearly every nation in the world, including extensive information on institutions, political parties, leaders, and the sources of political mobilization and conflict. The volume also includes biographies of more than seventy-five political leaders and thinkers who have shaped the contemporary political world. Articles include detailed discussions of critical historical developments and events, concepts, international law, and organizations. The Oxford Companion to Politics of the World, Second Edition is an accessible, timely, thought-provoking, and comprehensive reference that captures the complexity and vitality of contemporary world affairs.

Reagan

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0525560270
Total Pages : 914 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (255 download)

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Book Synopsis Reagan by : Bob Spitz

Download or read book Reagan written by Bob Spitz and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2018-10-02 with total page 914 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From New York Times bestselling biographer Bob Spitz, a full and rich biography of an epic American life, capturing what made Ronald Reagan both so beloved and so transformational. More than five years in the making, based on hundreds of interviews and access to previously unavailable documents, and infused with irresistible storytelling charm, Bob Spitz's REAGAN stands fair to be the first truly post-partisan biography of our 40th President, and thus a balm for our own bitterly divided times. It is the quintessential American triumph, brought to life with cinematic vividness: a young man is born into poverty and raised in a series of flyspeck towns in the Midwest by a pious mother and a reckless, alcoholic, largely absent father. Severely near-sighted, the boy lives in his own world, a world of the popular books of the day, and finds his first brush with popularity, even fame, as a young lifeguard. Thanks to his first great love, he imagines a way out, and makes the extraordinary leap to go to college, a modest school by national standards, but an audacious presumption in the context of his family's station. From there, the path is only very dimly lit, but it leads him, thanks to his great charm and greater luck, to a solid career as a radio sportscaster, and then, astonishingly, fatefully, to Hollywood. And the rest, as they say, is history. Bob Spitz's REAGAN is an absorbing, richly detailed, even revelatory chronicle of the full arc of Ronald Reagan's epic life - giving full weight to the Hollywood years, his transition to politics and rocky but ultimately successful run as California governor, and ultimately, of course, his iconic presidency, filled with storm and stress but climaxing with his peace talks with the Soviet Union that would serve as his greatest legacy. It is filled with fresh assessments and shrewd judgments, and doesn't flinch from a full reckoning with the man's strengths and limitations. This is no hagiography: Reagan was never a brilliant student, of anything, and his disinterest in hard-nosed political scheming, while admirable, meant that this side of things was left to the other people in his orbit, not least his wife Nancy; sometimes this delegation could lead to chaos, and worse. But what emerges as a powerful signal through all the noise is an honest inherent sweetness, a gentleness of nature and willingness to see the good in people and in this country, that proved to be a tonic for America in his time, and still is in ours. It was famously said that FDR had a first-rate disposition and a second-rate intellect. Perhaps it is no accident that only FDR had as high a public approval rating leaving office as Reagan did, or that in the years since Reagan has been closing in on FDR on rankings of Presidential greatness. Written with love and irony, which in a great biography is arguably the same thing, Bob Spitz's masterpiece will give no comfort to partisans at either extreme; for the rest of us, it is cause for celebration.