History students, Reagan fans and biography buffs of all political stripes will love “3 Days in Moscow” by Brett Baier. It is a smartly composed historical scrapbook brimming with anecdotes about the man who so many have come to admire as one of our truly great presidents.
I have read just about every Reagan biography on the market and I must say: this one stands out to me the best one of all. (I listened to the audiobook, read in its entirety by Brett Baier himself.) Baier’s talent for communication comes through in every paragraph. His ability to sort through a subject and condense it to the important facts is apparent. And his respect for the man Reagan shines through.
The “angle” Baier gives to this book, as indicated in the title, is to showcase a speech that Reagan made to a packed audience of students at Moscow State University on May 31, 1988. Largely buried and forgotten, this speech was an epic moment in history when Reagan put the finishing touches on the masterpiece of diplomacy a triumph that would be his greatest legacy: ending the Cold War without firing shot. This speech was delivered just months before Reagan would leave office, during his fourth in a series of Summits with Gorbachev. It was a masterpiece, communicating in warm, fatherly terms American values in a way the freedom-hungry Soviet university students could understand.
Amazon’s intro sums the book up well:
“In his acclaimed bestseller Three Days in January, Bret Baier illuminated the extraordinary leadership of President Dwight Eisenhower at the dawn of the Cold War. Now in his highly anticipated new history, Three Days in Moscow, Baier explores the dramatic endgame of America’s long struggle with the Soviet Union and President Ronald Reagan’s central role in shaping the world we live in today.”
This was a fascinating read about a fascinating life that changed our world forever. I highly recommend it!
[usr 5]
