Mixed in with the Cold War was the Middle East. Though a staunch ally of Israel, the Reagan administration exerted pressure on Israel on numerous occasions when it came to its policies in the region.
An interesting observation readers may make is how often Reagan gave assurances to Israelis that the United States was not going to abandon them. "I assured him (Prime Minister Shamir) of our continued friendship…"
Over the course of the decade, Reagan nurtured close relationships with Turkey, Egypt and Jordan, while constantly worked with them regarding various issues in the region. As for Saudi Arabia and Syria, Reagan was not naïve. He writes, “…the Saudis and Syrians aren’t exactly friends.”
Reagan stood up for American interests without apologies and sometimes with dark humour. In one entry, while attempting to broker a peace settlement in Lebanon, he writes, “We want it to be a level-headed approach to peace to reassure the eggheads & our European friends I don’t plan to blow up the world.”
Domestically, we gain insights on various issues throughout the book. Morality in particular was not something Reagan (who thought the “Shroud of Turin” was proof of the bodily ascension) believed could be disassociated from politics. Indeed, this sort of writing and thinking would make most post-modern individuals cringe, but to Reagan it made perfect sense.
Over the course of two Presidential terms, Reagan faced tragedies such as the space shuttle crash in 1986, the death of hundreds of Marines by terrorists in 1983 (the marine holocaust, as he called it) in Lebanon, Iran-Contra, Cuba and Fidel Castro, Libya’s Quadaffy, and of course the assassination attempt against him in 1981.
The book also provides plenty of intriguing quotes. For example, following a lunch he had with Jacques Cousteau he wrote, “….Cousteau who is a true ecologist who like me is disgusted with the eco. freaks.” Speaking of which, Reagan often mentions how proud he was of his administration’s environmental record.
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