GOVERNOR REAGAN His Rise To Power LOU CANNON

"A lucid account…For all it's familiarity Governor Reagan is a welcome achievement, correcting not just this important politician's knee-jerk critics but also his beatifiers."
New York Times Book Review, November 19, 2003

"Lou Cannon's insightful knowledge of his subject, his entertaining writing style, and his excellent research make Governor Reagan an invaluable book about a remarkable man... a remarkable chronicle of the events leading up to the Reagan presidency. It provides fascinating reading and a rich account of an important man."
Ed Meese, National Review, November 10, 2003

"a welcome contribution to the political bookshelf."
Boston Globe, October 26, 2003

"Cannon's book could not be timelier, now that another actor has conquered Sacramento. The new governor stands to learn a good deal from this careful portrait of Reagan, which does double duty as a textbook in practical politics. Politics buffs of whatever stripe will find much of value in Cannon's pages, too."
Hollywood Reporter, October 23, 2003

"The campaign scenes in Cannon's smart, savvy book play like the original production of a farce whose modern-dress revival we've all, willingly or not, just sat through…it's amazing how much fresh detail he breathes into a story that many Californians probably think they know by heart…What lifts Cannon's work on Reagan leagues above Edmund Morris' semi-authorized Dutch is Cannon's authoritative grasp of the material--the likelihood that, when he narrates what went on in a meeting, he's talked about it more than once to almost all the people in the room…Ultimately, and with all the precincts reporting in, Governor Reagan stands above all others as the book that Gov.-elect Schwarzenegger needs to read right now."
San Francisco Chronicle, October 21, 2003

"In Governor Reagan, Mr. Cannon Demonstrates yet again why he's so consistently lauded--and why his subject is so consistently underestimated…Mr. Cannon records a diverse plentitude, on topics ranging from viewing redwoods to taming Berkley. Most portrayals of Mr. Reagan leave it at that; Mr. Cannon doesn't. Instead, he peels back the rhetoric to examine the reality. What he uncovers will discomfort believers in stereotypes…There are a number of lessons to be drawn from this fine book – about statecraft, about being a good guy and behaving well. Arnold ought to read it."
New York Observer, October 15, 2003

"Mr. Cannon's book will no doubt become the definitive history of the Reagan governorship, and it should…Governor Reagan is not only a thorough work of political history; it is also a wonderful read."
The Wall Street Journal, October 7, 2003

"Cannon, who began covering Reagan before he became California's governor in 1966, manages to unwarp the riddle-cum-enigma as well as anybody ever has....this book, Cannon's fifth on his riddle, is also his most serious and searching, not just about Reagan but also about a watershed era in California and national politics....The Reagan riddle may never permit anything like a definitive biography, but this is likely to be the one that, for the crucial period it covers, is authoritative and thoughtful enough to be worth the argument."
Los Angeles Times Book Review, September 28, 2003

"[Cannon] offers a fresh look at Reagan's years as governor of California, having gained access to previously unavailable minutes of Reagan's cabinet meetings and to the diary of his first appointment secretary, Thomas Reed. The result is an illuminating portrayal of what Cannon calls Reagan's pragmatic conservative record…This excellent investigation also includes lengthy descriptions of Reagan's pre-political years and his quest for the presidency in 1976 and 1980."
Library Journal, September 15, 2003

"[F]or anyone wishing to understand the Reagan phenomenon, Governor Reagan is factual, objective, and ultimately, indispensable."
The Baltimore Sun, September 14, 2003

"Mr. Cannon--arguably Reagan's most thorough biographer--paints a many dimensional picture of the ex-actor's Sacramento years."
Christian Science Monitor, September 26, 2003

"This is a well-written book. It tells a fascinating story, and, most of all, it goes a long way to explain the secrets of Reagan's success."
Washington Post Book World

"Cannon is considered by many to be the leading contemporary Reagan biographer. Here he does a stellar job of recounting Reagan's first two terms in higher office as governor of California. Cannon recounts all this. . .with skill and grace, painting a vivid portrait of a formidable politician in the process of becoming."
Publishers Weekly starred review, July 28, 2003

"The story of Reagan's years as governor is well told in a book titled Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power due out in September. It's written by Lou Cannon, a reporter who covered him for more than 40 years and is widely acclaimed as his greatest biographer."
Norfolk Virginian Pilot

"The book does not compare Reagan or the GOP legislators of his era with the present bunch of wannabe governors and intransigent lawmakers. But the contrast is clear to any observer of California politics."
George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, September 9, 2003

"Ronald Reagan was not born to be president. He trained for the job, and in this volume, Lou Cannon, his most eminent biographer, looks back on a critical part of that preparation—the years Reagan spent in Sacramento. The story is full of surprises and is told, as always, with the balance and scrupulous fairness Cannon brings to his work. It's another major contribution to his definitive portrait of the Gipper."
David S. Broder, The Washington Post

"As a person and as a political figure, Ronald Reagan was far more complex than most of his fellow citizens understood. But Lou Cannon, a brilliant reporter who has known and covered Reagan for nearly forty years, understood. He has been Reagan's best biographer. And now, drawing upon a wealth of new material, Cannon illuminates Reagan's Sacramento years--his apprenticeship for the presidency."
George F. Will

"Lou Cannon has followed Ronald Reagan's political career since his campaign for governor of California in 1966 and has written the definitive Reagan biography. Now this brilliant reporter has gone back and examined previously sealed documents and interviewed former Reagan staffers. In Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power, Cannon shows how Governor Reagan developed the political skills that enabled him to be a successful president. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand Ronald Reagan--and Cannon writes like an angel."
Michael Barone, U.S. News & World Report and co-author, The Almanac of American Politics

PAPERBACK
ISBN 978-1-58648-284-8
Pub date: 03/16/05
Price: $18.00/25.50 Canada
6 1/8 X 9 1/4
592 pages
Carton Quantity: 20
Biography
Selling Territory: WxUK, CW
Pub history: