This book lets the reader know what happened in Reagan's that made him the man and eventually the President he became. A good read full of information about his early years and movies this book goes up to his announcement to run for Governor in 1966.
A must if you are into Presidential Histories. ( )

This is a good biography covering Reagan from his childhood up through his run for Governor against Pat Brown. Thoroughly researched with extensive footnotes, there was a lot of information that I had not read before. Considering that Reagan did not run for political office until he was in his fifties, this biography provides a great background into the years most people aren't familiar with.

Early Reagan is a very well researched and well-written history of Ronald Reagan's life from birth until entering the California gubernatorial race against Pat Brown. While it is unclear what this re-release adds to the first edition, on its own, readers learn a tremendous amount about Reagan's personal and political history. The writing is relatively unbiased, though it seems clear that the more political Reagan gets, the less the author liked him. But this does not affect the quality of the writing or research.

Early Reagan: the Rise to Power by Anne Edwards is a meticulous documentation of the life of Ronald Reagan from childhood through his decision to run for governor of California. With extensive footnotes and bibliography this book describes the environment from which this President came and how he came to be the political power he was. Beginning with his grandparents and then his parents Ms. Edwards gives a picture of a childhood with extremes of his father’s alcoholism and his mother’s strong attachment to the church. An older brother, Neil, is present in the family and plays pivotal roles both in Reagan’s childhood and adulthood. His years as a sportscaster followed by the years in Hollywood making movies and finally the jump to television are covered in detail. Of importance is his involvement with SAG, the Screen Actors Guild, in which he was a member and president from his start in Hollywood until his retirement from Hollywood in the 1960’s. Particular attention is displayed throughout by the author of Reagan’s maturing process and how many of his activities are predicated upon his early childhood experiences, especially those of his mother, Nelle.
Though not a particular “fan” of Ronald Reagan I found this particular biography enlightening because the book segments his life in such a manner that the process of his gradual maturation into the politician he became is easily seen. I found the footnotes, usually a distraction from the actual biography, were helpful and expanded the environment Reagan functioned in. I give this biography 4 stars. ( )

Although Ronald Reagan had a life-long interest in politics, he was not a career politician. He was in his fifties when he first ran for public office. Anne Edwards' biography covers Reagan's life from his childhood to the beginning of his political career. Since this amounted to over half of Reagan's life, the book stretches to almost 500 pages.

The most interesting part of the book for me covered Reagan's pre-Hollywood years. I was very interested in his family background, his life in small towns in Illinois, his religious background, and his radio years in Des Moines, Iowa. Three of my grandparents were very close in age to Reagan – about the same age as his older brother. Two of the three were raised in small Midwestern towns. Like Reagan, these three grandparents were members of Disciples of Christ churches and were involved in the same kinds of youth activities. These three grandparents attended Disciples colleges at about the same time as Reagan. One of my grandfathers attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where just a few years later Reagan became a popular local radio personality. My other grandparents lived in Iowa after leaving college, where my grandfather was a Disciples minister. It's not inconceivable that they could have crossed paths with Reagan, and they most likely heard him on the radio at some point.

Reagan's early years in Hollywood also made for interesting reading. My interest in the book faded a good bit as the emphasis shifted to Reagan's involvement with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). The significance of the issues addressed by the SAG board is often lost among all the details of the meetings and side-notes about the personalities involved. It also seems like the author lost some of her objectivity in this part of the book. I sensed an undercurrent of disapproval in her description of Reagan's positions and decisions and her account of his activities during his years on the SAG board.

The book shows evidence of thorough research in archival sources and through personal interviews with many of Reagan's relatives, friends, and associates. As another reviewer has mentioned, the 2012 paperback edition includes footnotes that do not apply to this edition, such as the reference to the cover photo of the original hardback and an appendix with excerpts of Reagan's speeches that isn't included in the paperback edition. Since the book's tone is basically neutral, it should appeal to both Reagan's admirers and his critics. It's a good choice for readers interested in Reagan's life before the launch of his political career.

This review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. ( )