An American Life by {author}: summary and why it matters
Ronald Reagan's 1990 autobiography, from his Illinois boyhood to Hollywood, the governorship and the presidency.
Also known as The Autobiography
The book
| Author | Ronald Reagan |
|---|---|
| First published | 1990 |
| First publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Kind of book | Memoir |
What it argues
Reagan writes about his childhood in small Illinois towns, his father's alcoholism and his mother's faith, his work as a radio announcer and film actor, and his service as president of the Screen Actors Guild, where he fought communist influence. He describes how his politics shifted from New Deal Democrat to conservative Republican, helped by his work for General Electric and by his own reading.
The book covers his terms as governor of California and his two terms as president, with accounts of tax cuts, the 1981 assassination attempt, relations with Gorbachev and the Iran-Contra affair, on which he is defensive. His principal theme is a faith in the American people and the belief that communism could be defeated.
The style is conversational and optimistic, and the book was written with the help of a collaborator.
Why it matters
Readers who want the president's own account of his career will find it here. It must be read as a memoir, which is selective, and checked against histories.
About the author
The memoir was published in 1990, after the end of the Reagan presidency, with the help of the writer Robert Lindsey. Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994 and made his announcement to the public in a handwritten letter. The book runs to some 700 pages and was a best-seller on publication.
Who should read it
Readers of presidential memoirs and of the 1980s.
Sources
Profile last reviewed November 8, 2026