About this item
With a Foreword by Jon MeachamNew York Times bestselling biographer Craig Shirley charts Ronald Reagan's astonishing rise from the ashes of his lost 1976 presidential bid to overwhelming victory in 1980. American conservatism - and the nation itself - would never be the same.In 1976, when Ronald Reagan lost his second bid for the GOP presidential nomination (the first was in 1968) , most observers believed his political career was over. Yet one year later, at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, Reagan sounded like a new man. He introduced conservatives to a "New Republican Party" - one that looked beyond the traditional country club and corporate boardroom base to embrace "the man and woman in the factories . . . the farmer .
About the Author
Craig Shirley is the author of four critically praised bestselling books on President Reagan, "Reagan's Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All,""Rendezvous with Destiny: Ronald Reagan and the Campaign that Changed America," "Last Act: The Final Years and Emerging Legacy of Ronald Reagan," and "Reagan Rising: The Decisive Years, 1976-1980." His book "December 1941: 31 Days that Changed America and Saved the World" appeared multiple times on the New York Times bestselling list in December 2011 and January 2012. His book "Last Act," was named Best Narrative" in the nonfiction category by USA Best Books for 2015. He is also the author of the authorized biography of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, "Citizen Newt: The Making of a Reagan Conservative."Craig is the founder of Shirley & Banister Public Affairs, was chosen in 2005 by Springfield College as their Outstanding Alumnus, and has been named the First Reagan Scholar at Eureka College, Ronald Reagan's alma mater, where he taught a course titled "Reagan 101." His books have been hailed as the definitive works on the Gipper's campaigns of 1976 and 1980. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Reagan Ranch, Eureka College Board of Trustees and has lectured at the Reagan Library, the FDR Library in Hyde Park, and the Dole Institute in Kansas. The London Telegraph called Shirley as "the best of the Reagan biographers."Shirley, a widely sought after speaker and commentator, appears regularly on many network and cable shows including NewsMaxTV, FOX News, MSNBC, CNN, ABC. CBS, CNBC, C-SPAN and others. He has also written extensively for the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NewsMax, the Washington Examiner, the Washington Times, the Los Angeles Times, Town Hall, the Weekly Standard, Politico, Reuters and many other publications. Craig Shirley also edited the book "Coaching Youth Lacrosse for the Lacrosse Foundation." He was also the founder of the Ft. Hunt Youth Lacrosse League and coached there for 14 years with an overall record of 119 wins, 21 losses and 4 ties.
