Excellent Book on Reagan

So I have been working on a few books while I am recovering from back surgery. I have been slowly reading Suffering and the Sovereignty of God by John Piper, The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas and The Crusader by Paul Kengor. And I have finished the Crusader and I am sorry I did. I could never have guessed how much I would love this book.

"Why?" you ask.

Well, it was one of those books that was so much more than I expected. I expected a fairly simple work of praise for the Gipper. But it was oh so much more. Actually the book was a veritable education on cold war policy. I learned an amzing amount of things I would have never heard in my political science classes in college. Granted so much of the NSDDs were not released as declassified till recently but still there was much i would have liked to have known in college that I never heard.

Like what?

1. Did you know that Nancy reagan was often at odds on Ronnie's decisions, especially those he new would procure him more enemies? Usually, if what he decided to do was directed on by the morality of the issue, he was very lonely in the process. This included when Nancy disagreed.

2. Did you know there is evidence from KGB files Ted Kennedy wanted to work with the Soviets to derail Reagan's landslide election in 84?

3. Did you know that Reagan's "Evil Empire" speech was full of recognitions of America's past and present sins?

4. Did you know one of the things reagan detested the most about Communism was its Atheistic character?

5. Did you know Reagan hated nuclear weaponry? He never romaticized them or assumed they were a given part of reality. He saw that the only hope was one of America's buidup so as to bankrupt the USSR and then end the making of nuclear weapons.

6. Did you know Pope John Paul was an integral part of not only Solidarity but the whole fight against atheistic communism?

And there is so much more. The caricatures of Reagan will never stand up to history. He was not only a man of character informed by his faith but was a compassionate president who was willing to be maligned if it meant the fall of communism.