Remembering President Ronald Reagan Through Books [OPINION]

I recently came across a wonderful book on President Reagan in a used book shop. The book, Reagan: A Life in Letters, is a collection of his personal letters.

This collection of letters is enormous and edited in a user-friendly manner. The book comes in at over 900 pages and every page is needed because of the extensive indexing and subject grouping the editors used to make life easy for the reader.

The book breaks down the various stages of Reagan's life and career. There are letters to and about his friends in Hollywood and from his time as the Governor of California. The eight years of his presidency are divided by issues and regions of the world. He has extensive letters involving Richard Nixon and George H.W. Bush as would be expected. There are letters involving foreign leaders and the "international scene."

The book is a perfect addition to the library of any person interested in the history of the world from the 1930s through the 1990s. Regardless of a person's opinion of Reagan's policies and politics, this is a unique insight into the thoughts of a man who observed, commented on and ultimately made history.

There have been lots of books written about Ronald Reagan. Some of my favorite books on the 40th president include:

Reagan's War by Peter Schweizer

Reagan's Revolution by Craig Shirley

The Age of Reagan (Volume One) by Steven Hayward

The Invisible Bridge by Rick Perlstein

Governor Reagan by Lou Cannon

President Reagan by Lou Cannon

Do yourself a favor and read one for the Gipper.

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.