Reaganland: America's Right Turn 1976-1980

"Although Perlstein rarely draws explicit comparisons to modern-day politics, the unnerving parallels between the time periods — and the origins of the many divisions currently ailing the nation — jump off nearly every page."

"The book concludes the series, providing continuity with the previous entries, but it will also be met by an audience that is living daily in Trumpland, an experience bound to shape their sense of conservatism's impulses and effects ..."

"Perlstein casts a broad net, riffing on everything from Ted Bundy to New York Mayor Ed Koch, but that is part of the package here; by the end readers have more insight on the rising tide of conservative politics."

"He is not a creature of the archives either: These are heavily anecdotal narratives, combining a rehashing of big, media-driven spectacles with a deft appreciation for the smaller tremors...Perlstein sees American culture holistically, and his method is to implant you into the whole of a living tissue."

"...enthralling and resonant ..."

"But in this description, the former movie actor turned politician is intensely human, and capable of empathy, or at least shame ..."

"Resurgent conservatism defeats enervated liberalism in this sweeping study of the Carter administration and the rise of Ronald Reagan ..."

"A valuable road map that charts how events from 40 years ago helped lead us to where we are now."

"No dots go unconnected in his American tableaux, in which the popularity of movies like 1977's Star Wars and 1978's Superman contribute as much to the country's enchantment with rousing triumphalism as the US hockey team's 'Miracle on Ice' upset over the USSR in the 1980 Winter Olympics."

"Perlstein's rapid-fire style of chronological narrative is riveting, like the world's most exciting microfilm scroll, although it can occasionally blur the lines between correlation and causation."