Reagan audiobook cover - The Life

Reagan

The Life

H. W. Brands

★ 4.3 / 5(188 ratings)
Start ListeningDownload App
Categories:
HistoryBiography & MemoirPolitics

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

Listen to Reagan — Free Audiobook

Loading player...

Key Takeaways from Reagan

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Reagan

Mind Map

Reagan
Early Life & Hollywood+
Political Ascent+
The Presidency (First Term)+
Second Term & Scandals+
Legacy & Final Years+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 10
Which prominent political figure served as an early inspiration for Ronald Reagan during his time as a radio sportscaster?
  • A. Theodore Roosevelt
  • B. Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • C. Winston Churchill
  • D. Barry Goldwater
Question 2 of 10
How did Reagan's time working for General Electric (GE) influence his political career?
  • A. It gave him the executive management experience needed to run for governor.
  • B. It introduced him to powerful union bosses who would later fund his campaigns.
  • C. It transformed him from a Hollywood actor into a spokesman for conservative America.
  • D. It provided him with the technical knowledge to later propose the Strategic Defense Initiative.
Question 3 of 10
What was a major contradiction during Reagan's time as Governor of California?
  • A. He supported the Berkeley student protests despite having a conservative voter base.
  • B. He implemented massive tax hikes despite campaigning on a platform of cutting taxes and government spending.
  • C. He expanded environmental regulations while claiming to be strictly pro-business.
  • D. He refused to use state troopers to quell riots, contradicting his 'law and order' rhetoric.
Question 4 of 10
Why did Reagan secretly hope that Gerald Ford would lose the 1976 presidential election to Jimmy Carter?
  • A. He believed Carter would be a weak president who would be easy to defeat in 1980.
  • B. He had a secret alliance with Carter to secure a cabinet position in the new administration.
  • C. He wanted to retire from politics and return to his radio career full-time.
  • D. He believed a loss by Ford would finally discredit the moderate wing of the Republican Party.
Question 5 of 10
What event prompted Nancy Reagan to begin consulting an astrologer regarding the president's schedule?
  • A. The failure of the Reykjavík summit with Mikhail Gorbachev.
  • B. The stress and fallout from the Iran-Contra scandal.
  • C. The 1981 assassination attempt on President Reagan.
  • D. Reagan's early signs of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease.
Question 6 of 10
What was Reagan's counterintuitive strategy for achieving arms reduction with the Soviet Union?
  • A. He reduced the US nuclear arsenal first to show good faith and encourage reciprocation.
  • B. He cut off all diplomatic ties until the Soviets agreed to dismantle their weapons.
  • C. He offered to share US missile defense technology with the Soviet Union.
  • D. He funded massive increases in US defense spending and arms production to force the Soviets to the negotiating table.
Question 7 of 10
Why did the 1986 Reykjavík summit between Reagan and Gorbachev ultimately end in failure?
  • A. Gorbachev refused to concede any ground on intermediate-range missiles in Europe.
  • B. Reagan refused to abandon or limit the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) to lab testing.
  • C. The Iran-Contra scandal broke during the summit, forcing Reagan to return to Washington.
  • D. Gorbachev demanded that the US immediately stop funding the contras in Nicaragua.
Question 8 of 10
What was the core illegal action at the center of the Iran-Contra affair?
  • A. The CIA assassinated left-wing political leaders in Nicaragua using funds from Iranian oil sales.
  • B. The administration sold weapons to Iran and secretly funneled the proceeds to anti-communist rebels in Nicaragua.
  • C. Oliver North authorized a secret military invasion of Lebanon to rescue American hostages.
  • D. Reagan personally ordered the mining of Nicaraguan harbors despite a direct UN mandate.
Question 9 of 10
Which of the following best describes Ronald Reagan's leadership and working style as a politician?
  • A. A micromanager who obsessed over the intricate details of policy papers.
  • B. A policy wonk who preferred reading legislation over giving public speeches.
  • C. A 'big-picture' leader who focused on broad principles and relied on his charisma, leaving details to staff.
  • D. A moderate compromiser who frequently changed his core beliefs to appease the political opposition.
Question 10 of 10
How did Reagan first enter the political arena before running for public office?
  • A. By serving as the president of the Screen Actors Guild and testifying before HUAC about communism in Hollywood.
  • B. By organizing massive labor strikes against the major Hollywood studios for better wages.
  • C. By working as a campaign manager for Richard Nixon's gubernatorial race in California.
  • D. By writing a best-selling conservative manifesto that caught the attention of the Republican party.

Reagan — Full Chapter Overview

Reagan Summary & Overview

Reagan (2015) is the definitive account of the life of a towering figure in American history. Starting with his childhood in Illinois, the narrative follows the course of Ronald Reagan’s life, from his charmed days in Hollywood to his time as governor of California and, finally, from the White House to the world stage of the Cold War.

Who Should Listen to Reagan?

  • All those who think they know what Reagan was all about
  • History buffs
  • People looking to understand modern American conservatism

About the Author: H. W. Brands

H. W. Brands is the author of more than 30 books on American history. He is currently the chair of the History Department at the University of Texas, Austin, and has twice been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. 

🎧
Listen in the AppOffline playback & background play
Get App