I'll state right off, I'm not a big Ronald Reagan fan, though I am surrounded by many who are. So when I had the opportunity to review a book titled Reagan- What Was he Really Like?, I thought maybe I should read it to get some insight.

Curtis Patrick, who worked with Reagan for many years, wrote the book, so he had access to many people who knew Reagan in all different aspects. I did like how the book was organized, with each person getting a chapter for their remembrance, and their relationship to Reagan listed in the chapter contents.

Much of the book focuses on Reagan's time as governor of California. I found that interesting, as most of the Reagan books deal with his presidency; this gives a good overview of a difficult time in the history of California. Reagan was governor during campus uprisings in the 1960s, and one person recalled Reagan meeting with student demonstrators when he was advised not to do it.

There are anecdotes from a pilot and his wife who flew Reagan around California, his scheduler, and his receptionist; many so-called 'everyday people' shared their impressions and meeting with him. They spoke of how polite he was, always asking about their families, and writing them notes.

They talked of his strong ability to focus, how he held strongly to his beliefs and showed little ego. One person remembered that when Reagan was angry, he would throw his glasses and say "damn it!"

The book has lots of photos, mementos and primary sources, such as newspapers articles; they add an interesting component to the book. There is a reprint of an interview from The Capitol Report with Reagan discussing his first 18 months as governor.

There are some drawbacks to the book. The author uses italics and exclamation points much too frequently in the book. When you emphasize so many things, it tends to take away the impact of the really important things. A good editor would have done wonders for the book.

This book is not for everyone; it is really aimed at the Reagan devotee, of which there are many. They will enjoy this look at Reagan's early political journey, from the everyday people who surrounded him. If you are looking for a balanced, critical look at Ronald Reagan, this is not for you. ( )

Drivers, campaign advance men, research assistants, police bodyguards, and receptionists are not the sorts of people likely to be interviewed for big policy-focused biographies of major American politicians. They are, however, frequently the ones most equipped to answer the title question, “What was he really like?” That’s what makes this collection of interviews by longtime Ronald Reagan team member Curtis Patrick a worthwhile read. It won’t replace any of those big policy-focused biographies or ever angle for Pulitzer contention, but I can see many Reagan fans and researchers alike wanting it on their shelves.

The focus of this “Volume One” is on Reagan’s gubernatorial campaign and his years as governor. While Patrick’s interviewees share many new and often entertaining stories from this period that is so often overshadowed by the White House years, he has more affirmed our understanding of “what he was really like” than broken much new interpretive ground. The interview subjects are pretty unanimous that Reagan was a great guy to work for, caring and friendly to his campaign and political staff, intelligent and thoughtful with a good memory for facts, witty, and, inevitably, “optimistic.” If there is one dark cloud in the book, it’s the bitterness the author evidently feels toward Ronald Prescott Reagan, and things the latter has written and said about growing up the son of Ronald Reagan. Patrick is at pains to show that “Skipper,” the childhood nickname by which Ron Reagan is still called here, was always included in the then-Governor’s events and parties. I’ll let the reader decide whether that answers Ron Reagan’s fundamental argument. On the whole, though, all of what is presented here is so consistent with what so many others have said about working with and for the Gipper, that I tend to be satisfied that Patrick has, at least, answered his title question honestly.

The way these interviews are presented is less satisfying, though. The chapters are largely, though not entirely, transcriptions of conversations the author had with his interview subjects, and Patrick’s use of quotation marks (often several sets within one paragraph) and italics is … idiosyncratic. It was sometimes hard for me to tell who was speaking, or what an interjection like “YEAH!” was in reaction to. Another pass or two by an editor, I think, could have gone a long way to make the text more conventional in its presentation. The photos tend to look like they were reproduced on a Xerox machine, but with an unnecessary drop shadow added for effect.

Presentation issues aside, though, the first-person memories and often (I’d imagine) never-before-told anecdotes collected here make this book something that fans of Reagan and Reagan stories will enjoy dipping into. It won’t displace any of those other biographies, but can be an affirming and entertaining addition to them. ( )