Rating: 
Summary: Impressed by the depth of research
Review: Usually books of this genre tend to be the author's opinion of the subject, with a few selected quotes to back it up.This book, however, spans a wide variety of sources from administration officials to communist archive material. It is illuminating to see the "other side" react to Reagan's policy decisions, including the fear that he instilled in the Soviet hierarchy. Reagan was able to effectively deal with the Soviet Union because they took his "or else" seriously. Many of us in Europe tended to see Reagan as a one-dimensional figure. To the delight of some and dismay of others he turned out to be much more than that. I used to let my opinion of Reagan be coloured by what I heard about him instead of what I actually knew about him. This book further expands the knowledge of the "real" Ronald Reagan.
Rating: 
Summary: Tales of a Terrorist Sponsor
Review: Without a doubt, good riddance to the Soviet Union. It certainly was an empire and its rulers certainly were evil. But do we really need to be calling Ronald Reagan a hero?
Reagan referred to Nicaragua as a "Communist tyranny," when the Nicaraguan people's only crime was being under a government that cared about them for the first time since Columbus arrived. This provided the justification for a massively funded terrorist campaign (waged by the Contras) against Nicaragua, which eventually brought the nation back under a government acceptable to American businesses. The Sandinistas were not communists (the capitalists kept their capital, for one thing.)
In El Salvador, Reagan's government provided aid to a brutal regime that tortured and killed thousands upon thousands of people involved in basic charity work, much of it faith-based. Once again, the justification was anti-communism.
Reagan referred to the daily doses of napalm inflicted upon Vietnamese civilians, and the pointless throwing away of thousands of young Americans as "that noble cause." He claimed that my heroes, the anti-fascists of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, fought on the wrong side in the Spanish Civil War!
He opposed sex education, claiming that those who have the knowledge will use it. Never mind how The Netherlands has the lowest rates of teen pregnancy and STD's in the First World. The list goes on and on. This man is no hero.
Rating:
Summary: Reagan's War: a must read for all Reagan fans!
Review: Using recently declassified information from former Soviet client states Schweizer details Reagan's fight against Communism from the "other side" as well as Reagan's point of view. New information includes the five attempts on Reagan's life by leftist organizations and the shocking (if not treasonous) action of former Presidet Jimmy Carter (and other Democrats) trying to enlist the aid of the Soviet Union against Reagan and his policies. This book answers the question "was Reagan responsible for the downfall of the Soviet Union?" No can anyone doubt that the answer is a resounding "yes!" Without Reagan's tireless efforts to expose the weaknesses of the Soviet Union and face them squarely with the choice of surrender or defeat the former Soviet Union would still be around today.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding research: confirms what many already knew!
Review: Peter Schweizer follows up his great book _Victory_ with another hit. Schweizer goes into great detail to describe Reagan's decades-long battle against Communism and uses recently declassified archives from former Communist countries to paint a vivid picture. We now understand why the left was so earnest in its objections to Reagan's policies towards Communism. If the Soviet Union ever fell the left would lose one of its greatest allies and the world would learn the truth about their treasonous alliance against Reagan and the right. A timely release, and puts Carter's Nobel prize in yet another unflattering scene. Carter going hat-in-hand to the Soviets for help against Reagan is one of the worst acts of treason this country has evern witnessed, surpassed only by the original American traitor, Benedict Arnold. A must read!
Rating:
Summary: Leadership Illustrated
Review: This book, part biography, part history of the Cold War, puts to rest the myth that Reagan was just an empty suit who succeeded due to his mastery of communication. It begins with Reagan in his 30s shortly after WWII and his part in preventing a Soviet-friendly union from taking over the Screen Actors Guild and using it to push Marxist ideology through Hollywood.
Schweizer shows how Reagan, a life-long, pro-New Deal Democrat, educated himself in political theory and came to formulate a srategy in the 1950s that he would use 30 years later to push the USSR into its grave. I found it genuinely amazing that back during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations Reagan was saying that if only we pushed them militarily their economic and policy system would come "unhinged." That is what happened in the 1980s.
Reagan's physical courage is also underappreciated. Repeatedly in the 1940s and the 1960s (when he was governor of California) he put his life in danger in order to take a public stand. There were so many threats on his life, in his Hollywood days his wife would sometimes wake up in the morning and see him sitting at a desk with gun in his hand because he had heard something outside. Reagan probably felt he had something to prove, since he didn't get a chance to see combat in WWII, but he got his chance later.
This book should also be recognized for what it is not: it is not a comprehensive history of the Cold War, nor is it an objective look at Reagan. Schweizer is a Reagan booster, and in my view he deals a little too harshly with some other Cold War leaders who favored different policies. Hindsight is always 20/20.
Nevertheless, this book contains so much little known information on this great leader that I must recommend it strongly. Reagan didn't win the Cold War single-handedly, but his vision and leadership played a crucial role in bringing about the final victory.
Rating:
Summary: Hard to Refute Facts
Review: This book was incredible. I'll let any objective readers take apart the poor reviews of the Reagan bashers elsewhere in this list. The context of their comments speaks to itself. Schweizer did extensive research in assembling this material, and even though it may not be totally "objective", it's pretty damned close. If you have an interest in Reagan, Nixon, Carter and the success/failures of Cold War Policy, this is undeniably the tome you should be reading.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: This is an excellent history book. It is well written and adds greatly to the understanding of the Cold War and how it was brought to an end.
A great and exciting book from start to finish. The history of the Cold War and Reagan's role in toppling the Soviet Union will never be looked at the same way again. Especially, since this book proves without a doubt that Reagan had developed his formula on how to do it back in the 1950's.
Rating:
Summary: Highest recommendation
Review: This is an important book for anyone interested in the side of the Cold War that you didn't read about in the contemporary popular press. The book is about Ronald Reagan and his obsession with communism, from it's beginnings in his Hollywood days to his ultimate triumph over the Soviet Union. Part biography and part history, this is a detailed and well-documented study of the man and his mission. Whether one liked his politics or not, even his most vehement enemies always knew where he stood. Words and deeds were the same with Reagan, as described by an important Soviet official in this book. A very interesting and inspiring read.
Rating:
Summary: Very Persuasive Book!
Review: This book was excellent. It was extremely engaging and Schweizer's arguments were very clear and persuasive. I highly reccomend this book to those interested in Reagan and/or the cold war.
Rating:
Summary: The Truth about Reagan
Review: This book is very easy to read and at the same time documents how Ronald Reagan helped to defeat communism and end the cold war. Using documents from the former Soviet Block as well as sources here, the author shows how Reagan defeated communism.
The book clearly shows that Reagan was concerned about communism and developed a plan of action from the time he was an actor and that he was far more than the empty suit the liberals will want you to believe. This was a great book that tells the truth about Reagan, a truth many of us already knew but many on the far left will never admit. This book should be required reading for anyone interested in recent history. Reagan was a great president and this book shows just one reason why. Complement this book with the recent collections of Reagan's letters for an accurate portrait of this great leader.
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