Editor's note: This is the 40th entry in the writer's project to read one book about each of the U.S. Presidents in the year prior to Election Day 2016. Follow Marcus' progress at the @44in52Twitter account and the44 in 52 Spreadsheet.
I am a child of the 1980s. Therefore, I am a child of the Reagan presidency. Finally, my project has arrived at the leaders I remember in my own lifetime.
H.W. Brands' Reagan: The Lifewas a terrific book -- engaging and breezy, giving substantial background to the events of Reagan's life and administration without getting too in the weeds of policy.
It was also the perfect book to listen to, along with the Carter bio, exclusively on audiobook on the last few legs of my cross-country drive, as my wife and I moved from California to Cleveland -- appropriate enough for Reagan, a California governor who charmed Middle America.
SEE ALSO:Why I'm spending a year reading about every U.S. presidentI already knew most of the beats of Reagan's time in office, but Brands filled in many of the hazy details -- from Reagan's relationship with Gorbachev to the Iran-Contra affair.
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There were plenty of tiny, terrific anecdotes about Reagan's early life, such as the list his second wife Nancy kept, before they met, of men she'd be interested in dating -- a list Reagan the movie star was already on.
Brands tells it in a way that's respectful and not salacious, but it's still rather ... interesting.
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Of course, it's not all anecdotes. The politics begins with Reagan's formative time as president of the Screen Actors Guild, his controversial testimony before the House un-American Activities Committee in 1947, and how this all took him from being a Democrat to a red-hating Republican.
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Seeing the threads through this time of Reagan's life, including his famous 1964 televised speech in favor of Goldwater, his "A Time For Choosing Speech," laid bare a man who used that actor's charm and easy-going attitude to win support as he inched closer to a political career.
Though he could be charming, Reagan was no political pushover. Like many other presidents of both political parties, he disliked confrontations and often delegated his dirty work to others.
But he could be forceful when needed, such as the famous moment in the 1980 New Hampshire primary debate when he feuded with the debate moderator. (John Dickerson has an excellent story on this entire debate for his Whistlestoppodcast.)
Reagan has become a mythic figure in American political history, especially among Republicans, and feels larger than life now. But Brands' book humanizes the man.
Reagan made plenty of mistakes in his presidency; there were many moments he misjudged his abilities and himself.
And sometimes he exposed his own insecurities, too. Reagan thought he had botched his address to the nation after the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986; in fact, it turned out to be one of the most enduring speeches of his presidency.
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Reagan used his grace, charm and communication skills to make an impression on the American people. He spoke in a way that comforted the populace and connected with voters. (Imagine a GOP candidate doing that.) It's easy to understand how he got the nickname "The Great Communicator."
Though Reagan was very much a conservative in policy and ideology, it's hard to envision him in the hyper-partisan environment of present-day politics.
Reagan's relationship with Democratic House leader Tip O'Neil had its heated moments, and was hardly unblemished. But the pair understood when to make concessions, even tiny ones; how to creep closer to resolutions, how to work through the differences.
What a great time to remind ourselves that there was a time in our recent history when these opposing forces, for all of their other motivations, were at least willing to try to work things out.
Days to read Washington: 16Days to read Adams: 11Days to read Jefferson: 10Days to read Madison: 13Days to read Monroe: 6Days to read J. Q. Adams: 10Days to read Jackson: 11Days to read Van Buren: 9Days to read Harrison: 6Days to read Tyler: 3Days to read Polk: 8Days to read Taylor: 8Days to read Fillmore: 14Days to read Pierce: 1Days to read Buchanan: 1Days to read Lincoln: 12Days to read Johnson: 8Days to read Grant: 27Days to read Hayes: 1Days to read Garfield: 3Days to read Arthur: 17Days to hear Cleveland: 3Days to read Harrison: 4Days to read McKinley: 5Days to read T. Roosevelt: 15Days to read Taft: 13Days to read Wilson: 10Days to read Harding: 3Days to read Coolidge: 7Days to read Hoover: 9Days to read FDR: 11Days to read Truman: 14Days to read Eisenhower: 11Days to read JFK: 10Days to read LBJ: 6Days to read Nixon: 6Days to read Ford: 4Days to listen to Carter: 2Days to listen to Reagan: 8
Days behind schedule: 9
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SEE ALSO:Why I'm spending a year reading about every U.S. president