The Man Who Sold the World: Ronald Reagan and the Betrayal of Main Street America
Since Ronald Reagan left office -- and particularly after his death -- his shadow has loomed large over American politics: Republicans and many Democrats have waxed nostalgic, extolling the Republican tradition he embodied, the optimism he espoused, and his abilities as a communicator.

This carefully calibrated image is complete fiction, argues award-winning journalist William Kleinknecht. The Reagan presidency was epoch shattering, but not -- as his propagandists would have it -- because it invigorated private enterprise or made America feel strong again. His real legacy was the dismantling of an eight-decade period of reform in which working people were given an unprecedented sway over our politics, our economy, and our culture. Reagan halted this almost overnight.

In the tradition of Thomas Frank's What's the Matter with Kansas?, Kleinknecht explores middle America -- starting with Reagan's hometown of Dixon, Illinois -- and shows that as the Reagan legend grows, his true legacy continues to decimate middle America.
1122408740
The Man Who Sold the World: Ronald Reagan and the Betrayal of Main Street America
Since Ronald Reagan left office -- and particularly after his death -- his shadow has loomed large over American politics: Republicans and many Democrats have waxed nostalgic, extolling the Republican tradition he embodied, the optimism he espoused, and his abilities as a communicator.

This carefully calibrated image is complete fiction, argues award-winning journalist William Kleinknecht. The Reagan presidency was epoch shattering, but not -- as his propagandists would have it -- because it invigorated private enterprise or made America feel strong again. His real legacy was the dismantling of an eight-decade period of reform in which working people were given an unprecedented sway over our politics, our economy, and our culture. Reagan halted this almost overnight.

In the tradition of Thomas Frank's What's the Matter with Kansas?, Kleinknecht explores middle America -- starting with Reagan's hometown of Dixon, Illinois -- and shows that as the Reagan legend grows, his true legacy continues to decimate middle America.
11.99 In Stock
The Man Who Sold the World: Ronald Reagan and the Betrayal of Main Street America

The Man Who Sold the World: Ronald Reagan and the Betrayal of Main Street America

by William Kleinknecht
The Man Who Sold the World: Ronald Reagan and the Betrayal of Main Street America

The Man Who Sold the World: Ronald Reagan and the Betrayal of Main Street America

by William Kleinknecht

eBook

$11.99 

Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
WANT A NOOK?  Explore Now

Related collections and offers


Overview

Since Ronald Reagan left office -- and particularly after his death -- his shadow has loomed large over American politics: Republicans and many Democrats have waxed nostalgic, extolling the Republican tradition he embodied, the optimism he espoused, and his abilities as a communicator.

This carefully calibrated image is complete fiction, argues award-winning journalist William Kleinknecht. The Reagan presidency was epoch shattering, but not -- as his propagandists would have it -- because it invigorated private enterprise or made America feel strong again. His real legacy was the dismantling of an eight-decade period of reform in which working people were given an unprecedented sway over our politics, our economy, and our culture. Reagan halted this almost overnight.

In the tradition of Thomas Frank's What's the Matter with Kansas?, Kleinknecht explores middle America -- starting with Reagan's hometown of Dixon, Illinois -- and shows that as the Reagan legend grows, his true legacy continues to decimate middle America.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780786744336
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Publication date: 01/26/2010
Sold by: Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format: eBook
Pages: 352
File size: 2 MB
Age Range: 13 - 18 Years

About the Author

William Kleinknecht is a veteran crime correspondent for the Newark Star-Ledger. He previously covered the crime beat for the New York Daily News. The winner of awards from the Associated Press and the American Society of Professional Journalists, he has contributed to American Journalism Review, National Law Journal, and the Boston Phoenix. The author of New Ethnic Mobs: The Changing Face of Organized Crime in America, he lives in Glen Rock, New Jersey.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

1 Forgotten Roots 1

2 Two Views of America 21

3 The Invasion 53

4 Year Zero 71

5 The Looting of America 103

6 Merger Mania 135

7 The Effluvia of Commerce 155

8 The Spoils of Revolution 189

9 The Great Enabler 205

10 "The Man with the Badge" 225

11 The Second-Rate Society 259

Acknowledgments 271

Notes 273

Index 299

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews