Few presidents have sparked as much interest in recent years as Ronald Reagan, already the subject of a large number of biographies and specialized subjects. This biography, based on recent research into the Reagan archives and synthesis of the large memoir literature, explores the shaping of his values and beliefs during his childhood in the American heartland, his leadership of the American conservative movement, and his successful political career culminating in the first two-term presidency since Dwight Eisenhower. Pemberton finds Reagan's personal career and ability to understand and communicate with the American people admirable, but finds many of the long-term effects of his presidency harmful.

In this book, a team of distinguished historians has culled the most important published and unpublished works in U.S. diplomatic literature and thoroughly annotated them. The work comprehensively covers five centuries, from America's colonial era to the end of the 20th century, with half the entries on works published since the first edition and nearly half on post-World War II subjects.