In her book, “When Character Was King,” Peggy Noonan paints a portrait of President Reagan by focusing on his character. By doing so, she is able to tell his story from a perspective many readers have not read (or don’t remember). She does not drone on and on about a hundred monumental events, but instead focuses the details of his character, which is what Reagan extraordinary.
Who is Peggy Noonan?
Peggy Noonan enjoys a storied career as a woman with a wonderful talent for writing, thinking, and shrewd observations. She served as one of Reagan’s speech writers when he was President, accounting for some of his most famous speeches. She has written numerous books and currently writes for the Wall Street Journal.
Her primary contribution is as a “historian” of sorts for Reagan, but the book offers a different vantagepoint than most biographies or historical accounts. She focuses on Reagan’s honor and integrity, relationships, kindness, patience, faith, and humility.
Four Character Traits of President Reagan
Four quintessential qualities stand out in Noonan’s account of Reagan. The first is his humility. He was from humble beginnings, and he carried that portion of his character with him the rest of his life. He never treated anyone as if they were not his complete and total equal. In fact, Noonan has spent much of her life studying Reagan and only one person in all those years ever said he treated him disrespectfully. She asked the man what happened, and apparently the man worked at a restaurant when Reagan was a big Hollywood star. The actor Reagan came in one day and his table was not ready. He was short with the man and stormed out. Noonan asked, did you ever meet him again? He responded, “I did. The next morning when he came to apologize.”
It’s hard not to see Reagan’s humility in all he did. As a Hollywood star and then President, he had a simple ranch, not a palace. When Reagan was shot, he cleaned water he spilt instead of calling a nurse to do it. When he was sick with Alzheimer’s, he told the nation about it so that his circumstances might help others.
A second character trait observed by Noonan is that he was funny. Reagan was always ready to deploy a joke. He disarmed people with humor. Jokes came out in his speeches and his everyday interactions. The well-known quip after he was shot was to joke with his doctors, “I hope you are all Republicans.” Mostly, he used his jokes to lift the spirits of people or just to brighten the day.
Thirdly, Reagan was resolute. He told the world he would stimulate the economy though tax cuts and reducing government regulations, and he did it. Reagan told the world he would end Soviet Aggression, and he did. He told the world America was a shinning city on a hill, and it was. He never backed down or waivered from his core mission.
Lastly, the life of Ronald Reagan was touched by God. Weaved into Noonan’s story of our 40th President is a deep and abiding faith in God. He suffered hardship, but throughout his life it’s hard not to see he was blessed. He was athletic, good looking, confident, intelligent, and he happened to be in the right place at the right time over and again. Eulogizing Reagan, George H. W. Bush said: “’The Lord delights in the way of the man whose steps he has made firm. Though he stumbles, he will not fall for the Lord upholds him with his hand. And then this, too, from Psalm 37: There is a future for the man of peace.’”
The Final Chapter
Noonan’s book begins with the dedication of an aircraft carrier named for Ronald Reagan. During that time, much of the Reagan White House came together for a tribute to the man they once served. He had not yet passed to the other side, and everyone knew he was sick. The final chapter is the one on his legacy. It would be fitting for Noonan to write it.
For now, we must be satisfied with her analysis of his character. Noonan makes a strong case that it was his character, who he was on the inside, that made Reagan great on the outside.
More reviews can be found at johnsbookshelf.com and our YouTube channel.