The Reagan Diaries
Encyclopedia
The Reagan Diaries is an edited version of diaries written by President
Ronald Reagan
while in the White House
. The book is edited by Douglas Brinkley
, while the full, unedited diaries were published in 2009. For eight years as President, Ronald Reagan, regarded by some at the time as one of the least introspective of American leaders, kept regular, dutiful entries in a diary.
The edited diaries reached #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List.
was one of five American Presidents to have kept a consistent diary as President, and the only one to record accounts of his life every day, never neglecting an entry (except when he was in the hospital recovering from an assassination attempt
). The President's diaries were five volumes of thick, maroon, leather-bound books, which were normally kept in the White House residence. He wrote in a simple prose, with many misspellings.
Former First Lady
Nancy Reagan
made the diaries available to be transcribed in 2005 and the Reagan Library Foundation
partnered with HarperCollins
to print them in 2007. The company paid seven figures for the world rights to publish this book.
The President writes openly about his relationship with his children, once writing that he refused to talk to his son, Ron
, and about his relationship, love, devotion, and adoration for his wife. When Nancy Reagan was away on her frequent "Just Say No
" anti-drug crusades, Reagan wrote in his diary about going "upstairs to a lonely old house," and noted their anniversary as "29 years of more happiness than any man could rightly deserve." Also writing about his wife, he stated "I pray I'll never face a day when she isn't there." When the President was shot
on March 30, 1981, his entry for that day begins: "Getting shot hurts." Although he was not a regular churchgoer, his faith in God is a consistent element in the diaries and does not seem contrived. Reagan took care not to spell out even mild swear words, so hell was written h--l and damn was d--n.
Compared to other Presidential diary recordings innermost thoughts, Reagan did not reflect as deeply as some others did. However, the original intent doesn't exactly suggest that the diaries were supposed to do so. According to Nancy Reagan, “We just wanted a way to capture the moment and our feelings before we were whisked on to the next day". One reviewer wrote, "No one expected Reagan to be introspective or philosophical in his diary, and it is likely that he knew his diaries would someday become public, which is why he elided his mild cursing ("d--n" and "h--l") and was circumspect in other ways".
Those who admire him will find that he did not have much of a dark side; he did not curse and plot against enemies; he did not agonize and fall prey to insecurity; he keeps a couple of key principles—taxation is bad and Communism
is evil—clearly in mind at all times and did not get mired into details. The head archivist at the Reagan Library, Mike Dugan, described Reagan's writings by saying, "I wouldn't call it an introspective diary, but he states his position. What you read confirms that what you saw with Reagan is what you got."
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
while in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. The book is edited by Douglas Brinkley
Douglas Brinkley
Douglas Brinkley is an American author, professor of history at Rice University and a fellow at the James Baker Institute for Public Policy. Brinkley is the history commentator for CBS News and a contributing editor to the magazine Vanity Fair...
, while the full, unedited diaries were published in 2009. For eight years as President, Ronald Reagan, regarded by some at the time as one of the least introspective of American leaders, kept regular, dutiful entries in a diary.
The edited diaries reached #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List.
Reagan's diaries
Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
was one of five American Presidents to have kept a consistent diary as President, and the only one to record accounts of his life every day, never neglecting an entry (except when he was in the hospital recovering from an assassination attempt
Reagan assassination attempt
The Reagan assassination attempt occurred on Monday, March 30, 1981, just 69 days into the presidency of Ronald Reagan. While leaving a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., President Reagan and three others were shot and wounded by John Hinckley, Jr...
). The President's diaries were five volumes of thick, maroon, leather-bound books, which were normally kept in the White House residence. He wrote in a simple prose, with many misspellings.
Former First Lady
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989....
made the diaries available to be transcribed in 2005 and the Reagan Library Foundation
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Center for Public Affairs is the presidential library and final resting place of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. Designed by Hugh Stubbins and Associates, the library is located in Simi Valley, California, about northwest of...
partnered with HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
to print them in 2007. The company paid seven figures for the world rights to publish this book.
The President writes openly about his relationship with his children, once writing that he refused to talk to his son, Ron
Ron Reagan
Ronald Prescott "Ron" Reagan sometimes known as Ronald Reagan, Jr., is a former talk radio host and chief political analyst for KIRO radio in Seattle until his show was canceled on August 8, 2007...
, and about his relationship, love, devotion, and adoration for his wife. When Nancy Reagan was away on her frequent "Just Say No
Just Say No
"Just Say No" was an advertising campaign, part of the U.S. "War on Drugs", prevalent during the 1980s and early 1990s, to discourage children from engaging in recreational drug use by offering various ways of saying no. Eventually, this also expanded the realm of "Just Say No" to violence and...
" anti-drug crusades, Reagan wrote in his diary about going "upstairs to a lonely old house," and noted their anniversary as "29 years of more happiness than any man could rightly deserve." Also writing about his wife, he stated "I pray I'll never face a day when she isn't there." When the President was shot
Reagan assassination attempt
The Reagan assassination attempt occurred on Monday, March 30, 1981, just 69 days into the presidency of Ronald Reagan. While leaving a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., President Reagan and three others were shot and wounded by John Hinckley, Jr...
on March 30, 1981, his entry for that day begins: "Getting shot hurts." Although he was not a regular churchgoer, his faith in God is a consistent element in the diaries and does not seem contrived. Reagan took care not to spell out even mild swear words, so hell was written h--l and damn was d--n.
Compared to other Presidential diary recordings innermost thoughts, Reagan did not reflect as deeply as some others did. However, the original intent doesn't exactly suggest that the diaries were supposed to do so. According to Nancy Reagan, “We just wanted a way to capture the moment and our feelings before we were whisked on to the next day". One reviewer wrote, "No one expected Reagan to be introspective or philosophical in his diary, and it is likely that he knew his diaries would someday become public, which is why he elided his mild cursing ("d--n" and "h--l") and was circumspect in other ways".
Those who admire him will find that he did not have much of a dark side; he did not curse and plot against enemies; he did not agonize and fall prey to insecurity; he keeps a couple of key principles—taxation is bad and Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
is evil—clearly in mind at all times and did not get mired into details. The head archivist at the Reagan Library, Mike Dugan, described Reagan's writings by saying, "I wouldn't call it an introspective diary, but he states his position. What you read confirms that what you saw with Reagan is what you got."