Bibliograph

Type

Label

Ronald Reagan, an intellectual biography, David T. Byrne

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 203-212) and index

resource.biographical

individual biography

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Ronald Reagan

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

1031913753

Responsibility statement

David T. Byrne

Sub title

an intellectual biography

Summary

"In this ambitious work, David Byrne analyzes the ideas that informed Ronald Reagan's political philosophy and policies. Rather than appraising his personal and emotional life, Byrne's intellectual biography goes one step further; it establishes a rationale for the former president's motives, discussing how thinkers such as Plato and Adam Smith influenced him. Byrne points to three historical forces that shaped Reagan's political philosophy: Christian values, particularly the concept of a universal kingdom of God; America's firm belief in freedom as the greatest political value and its aversion to strong centralized governments; and the appeasement era of World War II, which stimulated Reagan's aggressive and confrontational foreign policy. Byrne's account of the fortieth president augments previous work on Reagan with a new model for understanding him. Byrne shows how Reagan took conservatism and the Republican Party in a new direction, departing from the traditional conservatism of Edmund Burke and Russell Kirk. His desire to spread a "Kingdom of Freedom" both at home and abroad changed America's political landscape forever and inspired a new conservatism that persists to this day."--, Provided by publisher

Table Of Contents

Introduction -- Religious roots -- From liberal to conservative -- Fostering freedom at home -- Understanding Reagan -- A moral view of the Cold War -- Promoting freedom abroad -- Did Reagan's ideas matter? -- The Reagan intellectual legacy -- Conclusion -- Appendix: "A time for choosing"

Creator