Book Review: Killing Reagan: The Violent Assault that Changed a Presidency

Killing Reagan: The Violent Assault that Changed a Presidency by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard, Henry Hold and Company, New York, 2015.
Here is a book that tells two biographies; that of Ronald Reagan and that of John Hinckley Jr.  It covers more that just the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan.  He also explores their lives in general.  Of course President Reagan dominates the pages, from his acting career, to his being introduced to politics as president of the actor's union, and there also being introduced to the fight against communism.  That would be his biggest legacy.  He aced the way for millions of people to enjoy freedom, from the spark that started when he was an actor.
Reagan failed in his first attempt to win the Republican nomination.  However he won on his second attempt, and would go on to defeat Jimmy Carter in the general election who had defeated President Ford four years prior.  The country made a remarkable turn.  This turn lead to economic growth, and the defeat of communism in Eastern Europe.  However his presidency would have controversy with the Iran-Contra scandal.
President Reagan would eventually succumb to Alzheimer's.  It appears this even effected his memory during the latter part of his presidency.  He retired to his ranch in California.  What effect his fun-shot wound would have on his later health can only be the topic of speculation.
This was a very enjoyable read. 

Book Review: Killing Kennedy

Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot, by: Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, Henry Holt and Company, New York, 2012.

This was a very good look back.  Some of the things in this book were done very well; well most of it was done well, there were just some things I didn’t like.  I didn’t like the way Kennedy was made out to be such a womanizer.  They focused, initially in the book, on some of his sexual conquests, including Marilyn Monroe.  However the chapters on Martin Luther King I thought were well done (although they also talked about his sexual exploits as uncovered by the FBI), particularly the conversation about his “I have a dream” speech. 

Of course the description of the actual murder of John F. Kennedy has been heard many times before.  This book brought to my knowledge some things I hadn’t realized.  It was the girdle the president was wearing which made it so he did not slump down, and was a more inviting target for the third bullet.  Also the statements of Jackie Kennedy with her dying husband to her side I had not heard before.  She was very candid.  “They have killed my husband,” “ They blew his head off.”   I could not imagine being in that situation.

There are also some insights about Lee Harvey Oswald.  That his motivation was to make a name for himself and prove he wasn’t a failure.  This section is called “Evil Wins.”  That is what Oswald represented, evil.

I enjoyed this book.  It talks about the legacy of Camelot, and how it died the day the route was selected, which made a turn in front of the Texas Book Depository.  Of course the Depository was where Oswald was working.  This made for a temptation he could not pass up.  A slow target, and he armed with a high powered scope, and a history as a marksman.