Product Description

From the Oval Office to Camp David to Air Force One, a portrait of the real Ronald Reagan, away from the journalists, cameras, and microphones.

During his White House years, President Reagan earned the love and admiration of millions, and altered the course of history. Jim Kuhn, his executive assistant, was one of the very few people privileged to see the Great Communicator not just during his historic public events, but also behind the scenes, during quiet moments.

Kuhn was responsible for helping the most powerful man in the world manage his time and information. His memoir of an unguarded and unedited Ronald Reagan captures the laughter, resolve, sensitivity, and discomforts of the man who won the Cold War and restored America’s confidence.

President Reagan frequently shared with Kuhn his personal views on matters great and small, including his thoughts about world leaders such as Mikhail Gorbachev and Margaret Thatcher, and controversial issues such as nuclear weapons, taxes, and women’s rights. Kuhn recalls many poignant moments that will surprise readers, no matter how much they already know about President Reagan. For example:

· How the President reacted when staff disappointed him and things didn’t go as planned
· The time he felt distraught over arms negotiations with the Soviets
· President Reagan’s true personal thoughts about abortion
· What aspersion bothered him more than any other
· How President Reagan felt about the Iran-Contra scandal and the figures involved

During his 13 years of service to Ronald Reagan, Kuhn discovered a man who acted the same off camera as he did in front of the world; who showed the same respect to an anonymous caller to the White House as he did to Pope John Paul II; who was more nuanced and perceptive than the press would ever admit; who never let the power and prestige of the Presidency go to his head.

Now that Ronald Reagan has passed away, there is a hunger for a deeper understanding of what made him a great President. Jim Kuhn offers a unique perspective on the private Ronald Reagan that will fascinate his millions of admirers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #221769 in Books
• Published on: 2004-01-01
• Released on: 2004-07-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Kuhn first met Reagan in 1975, when Kuhn was a 23-year-old Ohio farm kid who had voted for McGovern in 1972. Kuhn had been recruited to work for a Republican candidate during the 1974 primaries and made a "surprisingly easy" switch: "I found that I was attracted more to a particular candidate than to a particular ideology." Working the next year for Reagan, then governor of California, as a campaign "advance man" (prepping rally sites), Kuhn traveled with Reagan as he challenged Ford for the 1976 presidential nomination and returned for the successful 1980 campaign ("a spiritual and moral crusade to revive the heart of America"). After four years as a presidential appearance advance man (Kuhn was elsewhere during the assassination attempt), he became Reagan's executive assistant in 1984. Kuhn's admiring anecdotes about Reagan's interpersonal interactions form the heart of the book. Reagan's reactions to Reykjavik, Iran-Contra and myriad other '80s events are also here, and unfailingly admired by Kuhn. Light and light-filled, Kuhn's version of morning in America gives tender and specific recollections of its glossy surfaces, but not much more.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author
Jim Kuhn served Ronald Reagan as an advance man, personal assistant, and finally, executive assistant, from 1976 until the President left the White House in 1989. Kuhn is now a Washington lobbyist.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Geneva and the Battle of the Coat

No one said much as we stood behind the glass front doors in the atrium of Chateau Fleur d’Eau, an imposing lakeside chateau in Geneva, Switzerland, on that overcast, chilly November morning in 1985. The president seemed calm, but preoccupied. His foreign-policy team-Secretary of State George Schultz and National Security Adviser Bud McFarlane-and White House Chief of Staff Don Regan stood uneasily near by. Reagan clearly wasn’t in the mood to make one of his well-timed jokes that had so often diffused a tense situation.

Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev, we had been told, was enroute from the Soviet diplomatic mission in Geneva, where he was staying. So much depended on this encounter between the Cold War warrior and his younger Soviet counterpart. It would be the first top-level U.S.-Soviet meeting in more than six years. For weeks, there had been speculation about the first meeting between the 74-year-old Reagan and his 54-year-old counterpart, who had come to power in the Soviet Union the previous March. Many wondered whether Reagan would be able to hold his own with this dynamic new breed of Soviet leader, who had been winning raves worldwide, even from Reagan’s friend, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

The plan was for Reagan to go out and greet Gorbachev as he stepped out of his limo, shake his hand, escort him up the short flight of stairs, and then the duo would pause for photographs before entering the chateau. Once inside, they were scheduled to meet privately for 20 minutes before being joined by their negotiators to discuss U.S.- Soviet relations.

Gorbachev’s motorcade was 10 minutes away, we were told. President Reagan asked his chief valet, Eddie Serrano, for his coat and scarf. Hearing the president’s request, I suddenly got a sick feeling in my stomach.

We had a problem.

We had arrived in Geneva just after 10 a.m. on Nov. 17 for the three-day summit. Flying over on Air Force One, what I remember most are the high spirits of the first lady. Usually tightly wound, Mrs. Reagan was in the best mood I had ever seen her in: She was relaxed, even joyous. For years, Reagan had been making overtures to the Soviets, and he had told his foreign-policy advisers to let him know when the Soviets were ready for a constructive dialogue. But Mrs. Reagan had also privately urged her husband toward the goal of ending the Cold War, saying that he couldn’t wait for the Soviets to get fully ready. She had lived through enough of the Cold War to believe passionately that it had to end, and that her husband could play a major role in ending it. She wanted that to be part of the legacy of the Reagan presidency. And it was my sense that on the flight to Geneva, she could see her hopes and dreams starting to come to fruition.

The president had prepared thoroughly for the meetings with Gorbachev. He had been briefed for many hours and reviewed mountains of briefing materials in the White House residence and at Camp David in the evenings and on weekends.

Usually, from an overall domestic and foreign-policy standpoint, Reagan believed his aides gave him too much paperwork. “Jim, they’re telling me more than I need to know,” he would say in exasperation to me. He didn’t need all the details, he told me. Since he had a very clear vision of where he wanted to take the country, he always knew what the outcome should be, and he wanted to stay focused on the implementation of his domestic and foreign policy agendas. Reagan also believed that change was good, especially if it came to the role of the federal government.

“That’s why we’re here,” he frequently reminded members of his Cabinet and others.

But this time was an exception and Reagan recognized that detailed information was important in terms of negotiating with the Soviets.

Throughout his presidency, Reagan had been making overtures to the Soviet leaders through personal letters, but as he said “they keep dying on me.” Gorbachev, the fourth Soviet leader in less than two-and-a-half years, had replaced President Konstantin Chernenko. Gorbachev, Reagan was told, was different than the previous generation of Soviet leaders. He was confident, impatient, media-savvy, vigorous. Thatcher had spoken highly of him to Reagan at Camp David.

Gorbachev appeared to recognize that the Soviet Union’s closed society was in serious trouble, and he might be more willing to consider opening up the Soviet Union to the rest of the world . But as upbeat as the First Lady was about the Geneva summit, the president was more cautious. He was willing to look Gorbachev in the eye to see if they could begin a dialogue. But he was suspicious of the Soviets and, after all, they still had the nuclear stalemate of Mutual Assured Destruction. While many on his staff, including me, were optimistic about the prospect of this historic encounter, Reagan kept his expectations low.

That morning, we traveled over to the U.S. meeting venue from our residence, La Maison de Saussure, an 18th Century chateau a few miles north of Geneva and the home of the Prince Aga Khan and Princess Salida and their young son. The boy had left a note for the president asking him to feed his goldfish in his second-floor bedroom. The president was faithfully following his instructions.

At Chateau Fleur d’Eau, I was uneasy as Gorbachev’s motorcade got closer and closer and Reagan donned his blue cashmere coat and white scarf. So much rode on this first encounter. Why did the president need to wear a coat? He simply needed to step outside, walk maybe 25 feet to greet Gorbachev and then escort him up the stairs for the official photo.

I was thinking fast. Thousands of the world’s press were covering this historic meeting, and it could be a major mistake to have the president all bundled up. What if Gorbachev got out of his car without a coat? Then the world would see a younger, more vigorous man greeting and old and feeble man, dressed as if he couldn’t be out in the cold for just a few minutes with Gorbachev.

As the president was donning his coat, I spoke up.

“Mr. President, I’m not so sure you’re going to need your coat,” I said. “You’re only going to be outside for a couple of minutes. Plus, Mr. Gorbachev may not be wearing his coat.”

Schultz, who had heard me, looked at me as if I was crazy.

“Mr. President,” he said, “don’t worry about it. Gorbachev will have his coat on.”

I fired back. “I’m not so sure.” My experience as an advance man had kicked in. Perception was everything, especially at a historic moment like this. “We don’t know what Gorbachev is going to be wearing. These details haven’t been discussed.”

Then McFarlane spoke up. “Jim,” he said, “don’t worry about it. He’ll have his coat on. It’s not a concern.”

I thought Regan might back me up. But he joined in: “Jim, it’s not going to be a problem.”

The president finished buttoning his overcoat and adjusting his scarf around his neck. Five minutes to go. Schultz, Regan and McFarlane moved into their positions outside at the arrival. It was just the president and me.

I had this intense fear of the world perception of this first encounter if Reagan were seen as old and weak. It would be a bad start to the summit, a setback that would be very difficult to overcome. I took a deep breath and tried again.

“Mr. President, I know you’ve got a lot on your mind, but I need to talk to you again,” I said. “We both heard what Schultz, McFarlane and Reagan said. But they don’t have any idea what’s going on with the coats. None of us focused on this until now, but it could become a major thing when you step outside for the first greeting.”

Reagan dismissed my concern.

“Well, don’t worry about it, Jim,” he said. “I’m fine, and we’re ready to go.”

Two minutes until Gorbachev’s arrival. We were just a few feet from the front door, ready to step outside. I kept seeing a vision of a heavily bundled-up Reagan greeting Gorbachev, who would appear in his business suit. I had to protect President Reagan. I tried yet again.

“Mr. President, this is the last thing I’m going to say.”

The president, who rarely got angry, was getting irritated.

“What is it now?” he said. “It’s not the coat again, is it?”

“Yes, sir. But let me ask you one final question,” I said.

“What?” Now the president was definitely irritated.

“Suppose I’m right about the coat,” I said. “And Mr. Gorbachev gets out of the car with just his business suit on, looking strong and ready to go. And you’re all covered up the way you are as if you can’t be outside for a few minutes without this heavy wrap on. If that’s the case, then who’s going to look stupid before the whole world? You or Gorbachev?”

The president gave in.

“All right, dammit, Jim,” he said. “Have it your way.” And he ripped off the scarf, pulled off his coat and tossed it into my arms.

“There, is that what you want?” he said.

“Yes, sir,” I said. “ Now, you’re ready to go.”

Almost immediately thereafter, we heard distant sirens of the Soviet motorcade. One minute later, the motorcade pulled up, and I opened the door for Reagan. He stepped outside to top of the stairs until Gorbachev’s limo crunched to a halt on the gravel drive. The windows of Gorbachev’s limo were dark, so we couldn’t see inside. Reagan then descended the stairs and approached the limo as the Soviet leader emerged.

Gorbachev wore a dark overcoat. A scarf was tightly wrapped around his neck. .

As Gorbachev climbed out, he snatched his dark fedora off his head and held out his other hand to the president.

The two men greeted each other and then turned to climb the stairs. As they did, Reagan reached out and gently placed his hand on Gorbachev’s elbow. It was a warm and welcoming gesture, but it also looked like he was trying to assist the much younger Gorbachev.

At the top of the stairs, they stopped and turned for photographers. And that was the photo that ran on the front page of every newspaper and n...

Customer Reviews

Wonderful, thoughtful insight into the man
Jim Kuhn is an honorable, self-effacing man who tells an insightful story in this memoir of his years of service to Ronald Reagan. I had the great opportunity to work with Jim in the White House and am happy to call him a friend. I have admired him for years -- more importantly, I revere Jim's humility, and his ability to see his time with President Reagan and other players on history's stage as not about him, but about being able to serve a larger purpose in a quiet yet meaningful way. If you are interested in what actually happens day to day as history is made in the West Wing, I recommend you read this book.

Gone, but not forgotten

We who were privileged to be alive during his lifetime, and experienced the man Ronald Reagan, will never forget him. He was an actor--and a successful one--elected by his peers to represent them as their president in the screen actors guild, Governor of the State of California which, if it were a nation would be the sixth largest in the world, and was elected by his countrymen twice to be President of the United States during a period when it faced its most dangerous adversary perhaps in its history, but certainly since the Second World War: the communist dominated Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Since the end of World War II, every president of the United States in turn was faced with the Soviet effort to destroy us and our free enterprise way of life, both from the inside and out. Only Ronald Reagan was successful in freeing us from that threat. Attempts were made by various earlier administrations to befriend them, to appease them, to achieve detent, to contain the threat of the Soviets in their attempt to achieve hegemony over the entire globe, one piece of real estate at a time, by force whenever necessary. There was no secret to it. They proclaimed their goal while pounding their shoe on the desk.

Ronald Reagan called them 'the Evil Empire,' to the dismay of his faint-hearted detractors, who were afraid of antagonizing them. He insisted that the only way to defeat them--which he proclaimed as HIS goal--was through strength.

We have long named George Washington and Abraham Lincoln among the small handful of men we call 'our greatest presidents.' There can be little doubt that Ronald Reagan is now among that honored group.

Not that he didn't have detractors: throughout his presidency he was vilified by his opposition, much as was Lincoln in his time. Many people alive today who are ardent political partisans of the more liberal variety and believe that socialism is preferable to free unfettered enterprise, do not want even to hear Ronald Reagan's name mentioned. It is anathema to them. For, he was one of the men who truly believed that less government, rather than more, is better for free men. That paternalistic rule, while necessary for children, is not appropriate for free men in a free society.

So, this is the Ronald Reagan described here by Jim Kuhn, who worked closely with Reagan for thirteen years, and saw him as a private, but still dedicated, man. Here is what he says: '-he was bigger than life as the president of the United States. He looked, spoke and breathed the part. But when you were alone with him, he was the nicest, most regular guy in the world.' Intelligent, focused, unswerving, dedicated, and true to his wife and family, his country, and his ideals. Look back. How many presidents have we had that have failed utterly to fill that description in the recent past?

Some say that honor and integrity are not important, as long as a man 'does his job.' Ronald Reagan grew up in a world where it was more, not less, important. Where the means was important, as well as the end.

I suggest you buy this book, and read it, and get to know the man a little better. Although he has passed from us, his legacy is that the world has gained immensely from his having been in it.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre, USN (Ret)

Ronald Reagan as he should be remembered
One would think that after reading twenty-nine books about Ronald Reagan, his life, his administration, and his family you would know just about everything there is to know about him. Not so. Reagan, like Abraham Lincoln, has so many facets to his life and character that everyone who knew him seems to view him and the events of his life in a somewhat different light. So, with each succeeding book you learn something new about him or at least get a new slant on something you thought you already knew. And that is particularly true of this book.

James Kuhn worked as an advance man in Ohio during Reagan's failed attempt to gain the Republican nomination for president in 1976. He followed that up by serving as an advance man for Reagan throughout the nation as Reagan first won the nomination and then was elected president in 1980. During Reagan's first term, he worked in advance operations for the White House and later, during Reagan's second term, was the president's executive assistant. This brought him into close personal contact with the president on a daily basis. As Kuhn described it; he was "the one constant in a churning sea of faces, issues and policies."

In his unique position Kuhn was able to observe Ronald Reagan as he performed his duties as president of the United States without necessarily becoming part of the action. He was with Reagan constantly but not in a political capacity. Instead, he dealt with the president more on a personal level while traveling with him and being responsible for the details of his schedule, and his various trips and meetings. Over time, Kuhn was able to draw some interesting and insightful conclusions regarding Ronald Reagan's character, his personality, and his effectiveness as a leader and as the leader of the free world. And during Reagan's eight years in office, he was also able to observe the close and loving relationship between Nancy and Ronald Reagan up close and personal.

Jim Kuhn's memoirs, then, are especially valuable, for through them we can see Ronald Reagan as he really was and gain new insight into the people and events of his time in office.