'Morning in America: How Ronald Reagan Invented the 1980s,' a new book by Gil Troy
A Canadian academic has written THE BOOK on Ronald Reagan. In an even-handed, objective account, Gil Troy, professor of history at McGill University, has dug deep and gone beyond the oversimplified stereotypes to illustrate the how and why of Reagan's cultural and political influence. His new book, called Morning in America: How Ronald Reagan Invented the 1980s, will be launched at the McGill Bookstore (3420 McTavish Street) on Wednesday, April 6, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.
To the surprise of those who dismissed the 40th president of the United States as an ignorant and dangerous lightweight, he is now venerated as one of the best leaders of the past century by a substantial portion of the American populace. Whether you love him or hate him, there can be no denying the former B movie actor was a crucial force in defining the world we live in today.
In the 1980s, Ronald Reagan presided over prosperity, destroyed communism, and made Americans feel good about themselves. Who was this man and how did he do it? Troy's pioneering and lively assessment of Reagan's legacy takes us through the 1980s in ten entertaining, year-by-year chapters, integrating the story of the Reagan presidency with the story of the decade's cultural icons and watershed moments — from personalities to popular television shows.
Much of Reagan's success, Troy explains, was knowing how to cast himself as the protagonist in the broad narrative of a nation that was leaving behind the despair and anxieties of the 60s and 70s to be saved by his optimistic "Morning in America." "Neither liberals nor conservatives should underestimate the modern president's power to shape the nation's self-perception and world view, or the centrality of that mission in moulding an administration's legacy," says Troy.
Troy also debunks the myth that the 80s were a counterrevolutionary reaction to the 60s. Many 60s political movements, from civil rights to feminism, may have lost momentum during the decade, but women and minorities made huge strides, and the Democrats succeeded in checking Reagan's power with vigorous opposition.
Morning in America has been receiving rave reviews on both sides of the border.
Correspondent Lesley Stahl, on 60 Minutes, said, "I thoroughly enjoyed every single chapter of Morning in America! Gil Troy has written a wonderful book: important, full of fresh insights, and fun to read."
Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney said, "This superb book's original insight into the linkage between politics and culture not only explains what happened during Reagan's presidency and the 1980s, it offers essential insight into the continuing debates about the key challenges facing North Americans today."
"Superb... nuanced... [Troy] does what an historian is trained to do: allow change and continuity to coexist. The result is a balanced book on a plausibly human politician ....," said the Austin American-Statesman.
Gil Troy, PhD, is professor of history at McGill University in Montreal. A native of Queens, New York, he received his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from Harvard University. He is also the author of See How They Ran: The Changing Role of the Presidential Candidate and Mr and Mrs President: From the Trumans to the Clintons (an updated version of Affairs of State: The Rise and Rejection of the Presidential Couple Since World War II). He appears regularly on Canadian and American television. Prof. Troy's website is at www.giltroy.com.
