So I've begun reading The Reagan Diaries, Ronald Reagan's near-daily diary of his life and times in the White House (edited by the historian Douglas Brinkley). It's fascinating; partly because, as an historian, I love to read and deconstruct these behind-the-scenes accounts from the powerful; and because I was in college and grad school during Reagan's presidency, followed politics and current events closely, and remember a lot of this stuff very well. So as i go through it, I'll give occasional updates on my findings and impressions...
So far I'm through 1981. Impressions: 1] The diary has the smack of authenticity. It sounds like the Reagan I remember from the '80s--now speaking to us through his diary. I remember, for example, that occasionally during his presidency Reagan received criticism on religious grounds. After all, complained the critics, he claims to believe in God, but he almost never attends church! It was reported in response that Reagan wanted to attend church, but believed that the tremendous security he required (especially after Hinckley's assassination attempt on him), his motorcade, etc was too much of a distraction. And so he reports in his diary. Several times he wrote during 1981 that he "felt bad" about not going to church, but hated the trouble he believed his security, entourage, etc caused. He did say that he believed that spending time at Camp David, riding, walking in the woods, was a way to show reverence for and think about "God's world", as he put it. And after he recovered from the assassination attempt, he wrote that he believed God had a special mission for him and that was why he was spared. 2] Reagan worked harder than his critics at the time believed. I well remember his political opponents and others arguing in the '80s that Reagan was a know-nothing who didn't work hard. But in his diary, he repeatedly notes spending many hours--on Saturdays and Sundays especially--"at the desk" as he put it, reading reports, papers, doing other paperwork. 3] He knew who our enemies were. He intended to be tough with them. Examples---entry for Feb. 11, 1981: "Intelligence reports say Castro is very worried about me. I'm very worried that wwe can't come up with something to justify his worrying." May 28, 1981, concerning the Soviet Union's human rights policies, especially their refusal to allow noted political dissident Anatoly Scharansky to leave the country: "Damn those inhuman monsters. [Scharansky] is said to be down to 100 lbs and very ill. I promised I'd do everything I could to obtain his release & I will." On Saddam Hussein, June 11th, 1981: "Saddam Hussein is a 'no good nut' and I think he was trying to build a nuclear weapon. He has called for the destruction of Israel & he wants to be the leader of the Arab world--that's why he invaded Iran." `October 6, 1981---Anwar Sadat, the leader of Egypt, had been assassinated, and Muammar Khadafy was celebrating the event publicly...Reagan's response? "I'm trying not to feel hatred for those who did this foul deed but I can't make it. Khadafy gloating on TV, his people jubilantly celebrating in the streets. He is beneath contempt." More on the Diaries soon.
