Many who think of President Ronald Reagan with a wistful smile and fond memories may find KILLING REAGAN to be an unexpected reality check. Whether intentionally or inadvertently, authors Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard have succeeded in painting a portrait of our 40th President that shows not only “warts and all” but “warts and all” on steroids. While most of us appreciate candor and a peek behind the scenes, some things are better left unsaid. Not necessarily to avoid reality, but simply because such salacious reports don't serve any purpose except to tarnish an image.

Those who remember Reagan as the man who got the hostages freed by Iran, after they had been held captive for more than a year, don't necessarily care whether or not he had love affairs with starlets when he was a young actor in Hollywood. When we think about the president who stood up to the Communists and implored Gorbachev to “tear down this wall,” we don't necessarily want to be told that he was controlled by his wife, Nancy. Yet these and many other negative assertions and downright snarky comments serve to detract from the book’s overall historical value.

"The writing style is crisp, and an efficient use of words makes it an easy read while providing much information about the state of the world just prior to and during the years of the Reagan presidency."

For example, when writing about Reagan's close friend, Margaret Thatcher, the authors say, “Her greatest success has been in cutting taxes for the rich while trimming services for the poor.” I doubt that she would have been re-elected to three terms as Britain's first female Prime Minister if that was her only accomplishment. Many other unsubstantiated comments about Reagan's “senility” and Nancy's obsession with her astrologer also worked to diminish his character and legacy. Rather than a serious look at Reagan and his accomplishments, we get a constant barrage of his perceived weaknesses and shortcomings.

Still, there are several redeeming qualities about KILLING REAGAN that would make it worth checking out at the library. The writing style is crisp, and an efficient use of words makes it an easy read while providing much information about the state of the world just prior to and during the years of the Reagan presidency. It brings to mind many of the events that were so vivid to us at the time but have been dulled by the intervening years...and our own memory lapses.

One of these, as mentioned earlier, includes the taking of American hostages by Iran. There was also the Falkland Islands crisis, the Iran/Contra scandal, the suicide bomber who rammed a truck full of explosives into the American embassy in Beruit, and the CIA station chief William Buckley, who was kidnapped by Muslim extremists and tortured into revealing our whole intelligence network. Looming over it all was the threat by Communist leader Nikita Khrushchev: “We will bury you.” With nuclear weapons pointed at us, it was a threat to be taken seriously.

Despite the assassination attempt and the constant barrage of anti-Reagan rants that filled the media on a daily basis, Ronald Reagan stands out as one of America's greatest presidents. His accomplishments in turning around a failing economy and standing fast against the “evil empire” left our country as strong and as healthy as it ever would be in the 20th century. Thatcher said it well in her eulogy: “In his lifetime, Ronald Reagan was such a cheerful and invigorating presence that it was easy to forget what daunting historic tasks he set himself.”

KILLING REAGAN is not the best book to read if you want to know the 40th President of the United States. On the other hand, if you wish to add to your anti-Reagan arsenal, you will find a cache of ammunition here.