Olivia Buchanan Buchanan itibaren Холтби, York, York YO19 5UA, UK itibaren Холтби, York, York YO19 5UA, UK

I have a total writer crush on Peggy Noonan. I love her writing style, and I love that she is conservative, reasonable, and not a complete ass toward those with whom she disagrees (a model many people would do well to emulate in this day and age). Noonan was a special assistant--read: main speechwriter--for President Reagan during both of his administrations. I learned an enormous amount about political speech writing: how many hands get into the pie, how much back and forth fighting goes on over each sentence and paragraph, and how tough one needs to be when in the center of power in this country, especially as a woman back before people like Condi Rice and Hillary Clinton. This was a fascinating political memoir that deserves the reputation it's earned over the past two decades. I thought it was great. What most impressed me was how honest Noonan was about President Reagan's weaknesses, especially during his last few years in office. This is a lady who loves Ronald Reagan, but much of what she said about the things she saw going on in the White House strengthens the argument for those who insist Reagan was just too damn old and disengaged by the end of his time in Washington. She also had a lot of good things to say about the first President Bush, a man who I've long felt didn't get a fair shake by conservatives or liberals (but then again, I'm a moderate New England Republican, so according to most people in the movement, I'm an RINO, too). I've just realized that, in the past year, I've read three books about Ronald Reagan. Funny how that happened.