The Reagan Revolution and the Rise of the New Right

In this look at Ronald Reagan’s presidency, Heineman (history, global security studies, Angelo State Univ., TX; The Rise of Contemporary Conservatism in the United States) follows ABC-CLIO’s “Guides to Historic Events in America” series format. After a chronology (1911–2016) and an overview of the evolution of the U.S. presidency, chapters cover Reagan’s political reorientation, foreign policy, economics, social policy, and popular image, with an important epilogue devoted to his legacies. Brief biographical sketches of 22 contemporaries, excerpts of Reagan’s speeches, and an annotated bibliography follow. Heineman avoids blatant partisanship but seldom criticizes his subject outright. In a brief section on AIDS, Heineman defends Reagan from accusations of homophobia and doesn’t condemn his silence and inaction. He perhaps overpraises his subject (e.g., for the fall of the USSR), distances him from the Iran-Contra scandal, and fails to acknowledge his support of Saddam Hussein. Reagan the union leader, who admired the New Deal and as governor and president increased taxes and grew government, is acknowledged if not foregrounded; Reagan the populist rhetorician is celebrated.