The Reagan Diaries
by Ronald Reagan, 784 pages,
HarperCollins Books, $35.00

While President of the United States from 1981 to 1989, Ronald Reagan kept a handwritten daily diary--one of very few U.S. presidents to do so. By the end of his presidency, he had filled five volumes, recording not only his dally activities, but also his personal thoughts on world leaders, political opponents, and his own family. Reagan's diary is now available in a highly readable book. The Reagan Diaries, edited by the noted historian Douglas Brinkley.

"As soon as I started reading the daffy entries the president had written, I could almost hear his voice," Brinkley recalls of his first experience reading the diaries. "It was as if he were talking Just to me. And I found that I was fascinated by what he had to say." Reagan's diaries were not written for posterity, but for his own enjoyment. to be able to look back and recount his experiences as president. But what he created is a document of value both for historians and general readers. What comes through most forcefully in these passages is Reagan's great love for his wife, Nancy; his empathy for those with physical disabilities: and his steadfast belief that his economic and foreign-relations policies would lead America in the right direction. There are surprises and revelations here, but there is no sign of any deep, darker Reagan behind the public persona. The Reagan Diaries confirms Ronald Reagan was all up front--what we saw was what we got.

Excerpts from The Reagan Diaries:

Friday, March 13, 1981
Flew into La Guardia then helicoptered around the lower tip of Manhattan and landed on a heli-pad on the lower west side. The usual lengthy motorcade with police closing off intersections and taking us traffic free through town. One thing was unusual and very humbling; the streets were lined with people as if for a parade all the way to the Waldorf. They cheered & clapped and I wore my arms out waving back to them.

I keep thinking this can't continue and yet their warmth & affection seems so genuine I get a lump in my throat. I pray constantly that I won't let them down.

Monday, March 16, 1981
Paul Laxalt had a letter from an Irishman in Nev. Who complained because he didn't think I knew the R.W. Service poem "The Shooting of Dan McGrew." We put in a call to Nevada and after I convinced him I really was who I said I was I recited the poem to him. He's a Dem. Who I think may now turn Repub.

Monday, March 30, 1981 (entered on Saturday, April 11)
My day to address the Bldg. & Const. Trades Nat. Conf. A.F.L.-C.I.O. at the Hilton Ballroom--2 P.M. Was all dressed to go & for some reason at the last min. took off my really good wrist watch & wore an older one.

Speech not riotously received--still it was successful.

Left the hotel at the usual side entrance and headed for the car--suddenly there was a burst of gun fire from the left. S.S. Agent pushed me onto the floor of the car & jumped on top. I felt a blow in my upper back that was unbelievably painful. I was sure he'd broken a rib. The car took off. I sat up on the edge of the seat almost paralyzed by pain. Then I began coughing up blood which made both of us think--yes I had a broken rib & it had punctured my lung. He switched orders from W.H. to Geo. Wash. U. Hosp.

By the time we arrived I was having great trouble getting enough air.… I walked into the emergency room and was hoisted onto a cart where I was stripped of my clothes. It was then we learned I'd been shot & had a bullet in my lung.

Sunday, April 19, 1981--Easter
Watched some TV in bed and saw Gloria Steinem take me over the coals for being a bigot and against women. Either she is totally ignorant of my positions which I doubt or she is a deliberate liar.

Wednesday, October 27, 1982
Rcv'd, a letter from Mrs. Sharon Gardner out in Hammond, Ind. She had written before. She is 42, divorced, a victim of Spinal [sic.] Bifida--no legs left--in a wheel chair. No complaint--she's on Soc. Security disability. Her 17 yr. old son, Kevin sounds like a great young man. He's working to help out and getting an education at the same time. When I answered in July I enclosed a $100 check made out to him. This latest letter was one of the warmest thanks and all, but some banker had told him I probably didn't intend him to cash the check, so he still has it. I phoned Mrs. Gardner and told her to cash it and I'd send the cancelled check back as a souvenir. It was a lump in throat call for me. She sounds like the nicest kind of person. It's been a nice day.

Wednesday Feb. 1, 1984
S.S. got a tip […] that a terrorist act was pointed at the President's daughter. I'm inclined to believe they might mean Maureen because she is so visible in her pol. Work. She has S.S. protection. On the other hand, Patti screamed & complained so much we took the S.S. detail away at her request. Now S.S. went to her & asked if she would accept it for no more than a week until they could get this informant out of Lebanon & check the story. She said yes. But today's the 4th day & she's screaming again about invasion of her privacy & last night she abused the agents terribly. I said take them away from her so she's again without protection. Insanity is hereditary--you catch it from your kids.

July 28, 1984
An interesting lunch with the Papal Ambas. To the U.S. & of course my Sat. radio tapings. On one of them I gave the press an opening to display their irresponsibility which they did. Doing a voice level with no thought that anyone other than the few people in the room would hear I adlibbed jokingly about the Soviets. The networks had a line open & recorded it and of course made it public--hence an international incident.

Monday, November 24, 1986
Big thing of the day was 2 hour meeting in the Situation Room on the Iran affair. George S. is still stubborn that we shouldn't have sold the arms to Iran--I gave him an argument, All in all we got everything out on the table. After meeting Ed M. & Don R. told me of a smoking gun. On one of the arms shipments the Iranians paid Israel a higher purchase price than we were getting. The Israelis put the difference in a secret bank account. Then our Col. North (NSC) gave the money to the "Contras." This was a violation of the law against giving the Contras money without an authorization by Congress. North didn't tell me about this. Worst of all John Poindexter found out about it & didn't tell me. This may call for resignations.

Saturday, May 23, 1987
Mixed clouds & sunshine.… I took a dip in the pool & it was Saturday night as usual. Ran a movie about Big Foot & to my surprise I was in it--a shot of me & Bonzo on a TV set.

Monday, June 22, 1987
Off on Marine 1 for Andrews & A.F1. There was a little boy on the Lawn Jumping up & down waving a paper pad & a pen. I couldn't resist. I ran over to him & signed the autograph. Found out later he had only recently lost his father.…

Only dark spot of day was a real one--a notice that Fred Astaire had died. He was a truly wonderful man.