The Reagans: Portrait of a MarriageThe Reagans is a penetrating portrayal of one of the most powerful couples of the twentieth century. Distinguished biographer Anne Edwards paints the first in-depth, intimate portrait of the man who became our fortieth president and the woman without whom he might never have reached such heights. It was a dramatic love story from the start: Nancy was always first in Reagan's thoughts and he was paramount in Nancy's actions. But this obsessional love had a darker side for the four Reagan children. Anne Edwards brings the Reagans' dysfunctional family life into sharp focus, along with a fascinating array of supporting players such as Reagan's evangelistic mother, Nelle, Frank Sinatra, and Gerald Ford. Few first ladies had as much power as Nancy Reagan, and few were so widely disliked. Anne Edwards shows a side of her never before revealed---from Nancy's ardent defense of Reagan's interests with both opponents and supporters, to the most difficult battle yet, the struggle to maintain her husband's dignity through his descent into Alzheimer's disease. The Reagans is an original and mesmerizing look at one of America's most important presidential marriages. |
Contents
CHAPTER | 1 |
All She Ever Wanted | 23 |
A Home of Their Own | 36 |
Corporate Wife | 49 |
Love You Nancy | 66 |
On the Campaign Trail | 84 |
The Governors Lady | 102 |
The Years Between | 121 |
Aftermath | 220 |
The Power and the Glitter | 272 |
Facing the Demons | 294 |
The Best of Times and the Worst of Times | 313 |
A Graceful Exit | 330 |
Life Continues Memory Fades | 345 |
Acknowledgements | 361 |
Bibliography | 407 |
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