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Ronald Reagan
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The Notes: Ronald Reagan's Private Collection of Stories and Wisdom Hardcover – Illustrated, May 10, 2011

by Ronald Reagan (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 494 ratings
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Ronald Reagan left behind a legacy that America willnever forget. Now, in this one-of-a-kind collection of his most intimatethoughts, his favorite quotations by others, and his own most collectiblejokes, all culled from a newly disclosed set of personal notecards he keptthroughout his life and career, fans and admirers of the fortieth presidentwill find a unique window of insight into the soul of an American icon. Editedby Douglas Brinkley, editor of #1 NewYork Times bestseller The ReaganDiaries, this indispensible Reagan retrospective is perfect for fathers,graduates, and anyone looking to find inspiration in the thoughts and musingsof a great American leader.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harper
  4. Publication date
    May 10, 2011
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1.13 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780062065131
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0062065131
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 2010, researchers at the Reagan Library discovered a box of index cards containing jokes, literary quotes, and excerpts from speeches written in Reagan's own hand and arranged under rubrics such as "On Liberty," "On War," and "On the People." Rice University history professor Brinkley, who also edited The Reagan Diaries, suggests Reagan began collecting these as spokesman for General Electric beginning in 1954 and continuing until his death in 2004. Readers uncertain if Reagan hated taxes ("Justice O. W. Holmes: "Keep govt. poor and remain free") and communism (Pravda: the communist program is "all embracing & all bloodsoaked reality"), or if he loved God, liberty, and the Constitution (Daniel Webster: "if the const. shall fail there will be anarchy throughout the world") will find answers here. Even the jokes show a conservative bent. The squibs are from sources as far-ranging as Dale Carnegie, Solzhenitsyn, G.K. Chesterton, and even Chairman Mao (on marriage). Admirers will find plenty to admire in these jottings and nothing to change their view of Reagan, but rather confirmation of the vision they already have. 9 b&w photos. (May)

Review

“Reading these diaries, Americans will find it easier to understand how Reagan did what he did for so long: by steady work, and a steadfast commitment to the job at hand. . . . They paint a portrait of a president who was engaged by his job and had a healthy perspective on power.” — Jon Meacham, Newsweek

“The chief executive who emerges from these pages has a capacious attention to and knowledge of this country and the world. . . . Reagan the diarist is at home with himself, unself-consciously comfortable. . . . Two things run through the diaries like a thread: One is a kind of gee-whiz everyman’s delight in finding himself in such interesting and enjoyable circumstances; the other is his love for and reliance on Nancy.” — Tim Rutten, The Los Angeles Times

“These are amusing and enlightening diaries. . . . I quite simply couldn’t put them down.” — Christopher Hitchens, The Times

“It’s amazing what nuggets of information you can unearth deep within a book as jampacked as The Reagan Diaries.” — Walter Pincus, The Washington Post

“The book offers a window into the mind of the nation’s 40th president and displays the effort he made behind the scenes to hone his performance as a speechmaker and storyteller driving home a conservative political philosophy.” — USA Today

“This volume provides an illuminating glimpse into Reagan’s mind. . . . The entries show the directness of Reagan’s thought and his uncanny ability to make a point.” — The Daily

“These notes are wonderful things. . . . Although a few recent books have proclaimed to have finally uncovered the real Reagan, there’s a chance we’ll never get any closer than in these scribbles, which reveal so much.” — Christopher Buckley, Bloomberg News

“Now with the discovery of his note cards, we can better appreciate just how hard Reagan himself labored to be clear and convincing―and, yes, sometimes funny―to his many audiences.” — The American Spectator

“This is a book to return to often and sample the collected wisdom found there that buttressed a remarkable man’s vision.” — The Washington Times

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0062065130
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper; Illustrated edition (May 10, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780062065131
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062065131
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.11 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.13 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 494 ratings

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Ronald Reagan

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
494 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Laura Freed
5.0 out of 5 stars The Only (other) Book I'd Save In A Fire
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2011
Verified Purchase
Actually, I bought this initially on my Kindle (first generation) - but I will be buying the hard copy also, that's how much I was entertained as well as educated by it.
I am a quote junkie and saw the Editor, Douglas Brinkley, on one of the morning programs who explained that while it's true Reagan was a master communicator, he was also very prepared. A box of full of Reagan's "notes" was discovered in 2010. Reagan collected quotes, poems, and one liners that resonated with him and filed them in a black photo album.
This is a short book, I read it in one afternoon, but it is a book I will turn to again and again for when I need inspiration or a laugh or trying to understand history or politics.
The quotes are divided into these subjects: On Nation, On Liberty, On War, On the People, On Religion, The World, On Character (one of my most highlighted chapters), On Political Theater, Humor (the second most highlighted chapter).
There is a glossary at the conclusion of The Notes that lists more information on the people the quotes are attributed to...some are well known to me: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, but I loved that I was able to learn of authors that I was not so familiar with: Graham Barden, Whittaker Chambers, Gilbert Chesterton.

I will be gifting to this to many many people for graduations, birthdays, and Christmas.

This is for people who love history, love politics, love quotes, and of course, love Reagan.

Also, after reading it, I thought it would make a great gift to ALL political parties in office - it's a humbling, often humorous reminder of what this country fought for, stands for and yet most of today's politicians seem to have forgot.

If my house caught fire, and I could only save one book - it would be The Notes; that's how much I loved it.
67 people found this helpful
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James Strock
5.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful Compendium of Wisdom, Personally Selected by the 'Great Communicator'
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2011
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What a delightful book! Here we have Ronald Reagan's jottings of thoughts and observations, jokes and quotations, preserved on his ever-present 4 x 6 note cards. Watch a film of the 'Great Communicator' preparing to speak, and you may find him slipping his hand in his suit pocket, deftly withdrawing and then arranging his cards as he waves, smiles, accepts applause and looks across his audience. His ubiquitous note cards were each written to be self-contained, with an eye toward prospective rearrangement for future presentations. This system--a description he might have smilingly dismissed as rather grand--comprised a vital element of his extraordinary effectiveness as a communicator.

Historian Douglas Brinkley has done a masterful job of classifying the cards into topics such as: 'On the Nation,' 'On the People,' 'On Religion,', 'On Character,' and so on. My favorite--and I suspect, the favorite of many--is the final section, 'Humor.' Reagan's voice is remains familiar, even intimate, in his use of humor as a persuasive tool, a management tool, indeed, a way to approach the seriousness of leadership and life and work.

Especially for younger readers, Brinkley adds value with a glossary of the many individuals whose words or actions populate the cards. The index is also invaluable.

Those who--somehow, against all evidence--continue at this late date to underestimate Reagan's discipline and thought process will find much to reflect upon in this book.

So, too, those who have studied or written about or served under Reagan (or done a bit of each, such as myself) will find much to appreciate in this newly discovered trove of work, direct from his pen.

I recommend this book most highly. It's a useful addition to any library: on Reagan, on history, on leadership, on communication.

Most importantly--and, perhaps, most enduringly--as Brinkley declares in the introduction, Reagan's notes 'constitute a love song to America.'
24 people found this helpful
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susan hannah
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2023
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Love this book
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Ronald Oberley
5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing is new
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2023
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This book shows you that nothing in government is new over the last 200 years. Inflation, crooked politicians and division has been with this government since it was created.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Wish I read sooner
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2021
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Maybe the greatest combination of thought promoting literature ever. ( at least for the common man lol) I picked it up and thought I would just read the introduction like I do on most new books I get before they go on the shelf to be read at a later date, but instead I found that I put asside readings I was currently involved in to read this as I could not put it down nor could I stop making my own notations to nearly every passage.
2 people found this helpful
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Neal & Angela
4.0 out of 5 stars Good quotes but needs editing
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2021
Verified Purchase
I loved the material but they printed the hand written note cards word for word. Too many abbreviations to make sense of some of the note cards.
A good book to pick up for 5 minutes at a time and get some quotes.
One person found this helpful
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Angelica
5.0 out of 5 stars My 13 & 16 year old sons loved this book!
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2016
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My 13 & 16 year old sons loved this book! Both of them read it from cover to cover. Just the right amount of wisdom and humor to keep them turning the pages. They liked it so much I bought another copy to give away. Excellent book for your coffee table! Easy read, and thought provoking. Will probably buy it over and over throughout the years for gifts.
4 people found this helpful
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PK
5.0 out of 5 stars He was the greatest we've ever had
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2015
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Gosh, is there anything more to say about President Reagan? He was the greatest we've ever had! If you enjoyed his diaries, you will truly love this gem of collected quotes amassed by Reagan. I visited the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley and this was one book that I regretted not purchasing over there. It's broken into chapters by themes and they span all sorts of issues. The quotes are timeless and chilling, considering what we are currently going through as a country and a planet. If you are a fan of Reagan, this is a must-have for your home's library, or perhaps a gift for that token conservative in your group of friends! Enjoy!
7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Joerg Wetter
5.0 out of 5 stars the best president
Reviewed in Germany on February 18, 2017
Verified Purchase
the best president of the USA. His notes gives the reader a glimpse of his wisdom und humor. Missing people like him in our time
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A really nice read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 18, 2016
Verified Purchase
Delightful book
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cy.
3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected
Reviewed in Canada on May 17, 2014
Verified Purchase
Maybe I didn't read the description well, but this is literary the compilation of his notes, and nothing more. I guess I wish there were more in-depth analysis of his notes because I've had enough of quotes books. However, there are some amazing quotes which I haven't seen anywhere else so it's not entirely a waste of money...
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