Description: "Reagan's War Stories examines the relationship between Ronald Reagan, the public, and popular culture. From an overview of Reagan's youth and the pulp fiction he consumed, we get a sense of the future president's good vs. evil outlook. Carrying that over into Reagan's reading an choices as president, Griffin situates narrative at the center of Reagan's political formation and leadership, providing a compelling account of both Reagan's life, his presidency, and a lens into non-traditional strategy formulation"--
Brief description: Ben Griffin is an Army officer who earned his PhD in history from the University of Texas. He is currently teaching in the Department of History at the United States Military Academy and resides at West Point with his family.
Review Quotes: "Highly engaging and thought-provoking, Griffin has put together an insightful book that leaves the reader with an improved understanding of pop culture's impact on Reagan in not only leading the nation through the Cold War, but in the totality of his life as well."--The Strategy Bridge
"Reagan's War Stories is most compelling when examining how works of fiction reified Reagan's personal experiences and influenced policymaking. War Stories eloquently explains how closer examination of fiction can uncover the origins of policy, how it is sustained, and how narratives can help break down the complexities between culture and policy. The book offers a consummate model of weaving together historical narrative with historiography through its tracing of the origins of the influences on Reagan's political beliefs. Griffin's work should be welcomed as a much-needed work in military and political scholarship that grants more agency to popular culture as a driver of historical change."--H-Net "Masterful behind-the-scenes look into what made Reagan tick! Why did he cast the U.S. and Soviet Union in stark contrasts, and what made him the 'Great Communicator'? Griffin's book lays out the 'rest of the story' in an engaging fashion to answer these important questions."--Col. Bryan Groves, PhD, strategist & CIG director, Army Forces Command "The enduring mystery of Ronald Reagan is how he got so far knowing as comparatively little as he did. Benjamin Griffin's innovative approach helps explain, revealing Reagan's use of the techniques of storytelling to understand the world and then to communicate his understanding to the American people."--H. W. Brands, Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History, University of Texas at Austin