November 2024

Praise for Last Act: The Final Years and Emerging Legacy of Ronald Reagan by Craig Shirley

“In this affectionate and often moving book, Craig Shirley has given us a remarkable account of Ronald Reagan’s ‘long goodbye, ’ chronicling the final years of an American original who bent history in the service of freedom. This is an invaluable book about an invaluable man.”–Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize winning bestselling author

“Ronald Reagan may have had a Last Act in this life, but his principles are timeless. Craig Shirley reveals new information about Reagan’s last days on earth in a deeply moving book that will bring tears to your eyes, strengthen your political resolve and inspire you to build on his legacy.”–Cal Thomas, syndicated columnist

“As we consider the next Reagan, here is the last Reagan, whose legacy must serve as a roadmap for the next American comeback.”–Monica Crowley, Ph.D., Fox News political and foreign affairs analyst & Washington Times editor and columnist

“Craig Shirley is a walking encyclopedia on all things Ronald Reagan. His latest, Last Act, delves into Reagan’s post-presidential life with verve and insight, breaking plenty of new ground. The story of Reagan’s battling the curse of Alzheimer’s disease is utterly riveting. Highly recommended!”–Doug Brinkley, editor of The Reagan Diaries

“With this book, Craig Shirley cements his place as the premier Reagan biographer. As revealing as his earlier volumes on Reagan were, this one is especially fascinating, chock full of new revelations and captivating observations about the former president’s twilight years.”–Dr. Larry J. Sabato, founder and director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia; author of The Kennedy Half Century

“Craig Shirley’s Last Act is a worthy successor to his earlier, fine accounts of Ronald Reagan’s life and times. The book offers striking insights into Reagan the man–and also into America the country he so loved.”–William Kristol, editor, Weekly Standard

“Through never-before revealed interviews and expert analysis, Last Act by Craig Shirley pulls back the curtain on the life, last days, and legacy of Ronald Reagan–an exceptional president who believed in American exceptionalism above all else. Important. Essential. Bravo.”–Jane Hampton Cook, author of American Phoenix

“In the past, Craig Shirley meticulously documented Reagan’s pre-presidential years; now, he meticulously documents Reagan’s post-presidential years. His enlightening concept is punctuated by his usual exhaustive research and diligence in interviewing so many of the people who knew Ronald Reagan. And beyond the research is simply a touching story of a great man’s final days. Last Act is a look at Ronald Reagan that is well worth your time.”–Dr. Paul Kengor, professor of political science at Grove City College

“Ronald Reagan’s story is so rich and resonant―so profoundly American―that it can only be told, in its full range and complexity, by a biographer of extraordinary dedication to subject and craft. LBJ had Robert Caro; and Ronald Reagan has Craig Shirley. In Last Act, Shirley brings us the final years of a twentieth-century icon, issuing a challenge not just to other Reagan biographers but to the discipline of biography itself.”–James Rosen, Fox News Chief Washington Correspondent and author of The Cheney Tapes

“Stunning insights into the enduring legacy of our last anti-Establishment president. Kudos to Craig Shirley for this great book!”–Laura Ingraham, Lifezette

“Craig Shirley skillfully weaves in key events from the President’s life and their indelible impact on people and history. He masterfully captures each moment and event. The truly wonderful and enduring contribution of Last Act is its message of hope and optimism.”–Ben Elliott, Director of White House Speechwriting, 1983-1986

“Like its subject, the book is a class act. Shirley is especially good in his clear writing style and no-nonsense storytelling. There are thousands of anecdotes and scores of witticisms.”–The American Conservative

“It’s that sunset journey of Ronald Reagan that Mr. Shirley, author of two well-received books on Ronald Reagan, traces in clean and forceful prose…”–Washington Times

“No historian has done a better job of chronicling Ronald Reagan’s rise to power than Craig Shirley. However, Shirley’s latest book is the first book to focus on Reagan’s post-presidential life and demonstrates that his importance extended far beyond the eight years he held America’s highest elective office.”–Breitbart

“Craig Shirley’s Last Act is the quintessential guide for remembering President Reagan as we should, with respect to the facts and honor to the service of one of America’s greatest political leaders… Last Act gives us the Reagan model for measuring a president’s place in history.”–Townhall

“Craig Shirley’s masterful storytelling and attention to detail immediately bring the reader to the Gipper’s bedside at Rancho del Cielo. The reader is lulled into a sense of actually being among the Reagans… Shirley carefully straddles the grey area between storyteller, biographer and historian to produce a volume that chronicles the legacy, the legend and the man himself.”–Conservative Review

“The long time Reagan biographer has written a superb book that tells of the last days of the president millions of Americans had come to love and admire… The story Shirley unfolds…is detailed, colorful, and summons the emotions. For the Reagan fans out there, Last Act is a must―and a much needed reminder that yes, once upon a time America had a president who really did ‘make America great again.’”–American Spectator

“Shirley makes meticulous notation of the duty-driven world upon the death of Ronald Reagan, yet all the information is not overwhelming. You listen, tear up a little, remembering Reagan, and then you look at the world now and, using his optimism, believe we can again experience the unparalleled strength of conviction that turned our upside-down world, right side up.”–Conservative Review

“Shirley presents a narrative about Reagan’s heart-breaking descent into Alzheimer’s disease and the national mourning that took place after his death. Shirley is the Sherlock Holmes of Reagan historians. His research is exhaustive and he delivers great nuggets.”–L. Brent Bozell III

“Craig Shirley’s new book on Ronald Reagan, Last Act, chronicles the arc of the rise of Ronald Reagan’s post-White House legacy and how public opinion has come to place him among America’s best Presidents. All of these Craig Shirley treats in panoramic colors, but it is Shirley’s study of the details of the funeral and the care lavished upon the week-long remembrance by Reagan’s former staff that adds much to the book… If you want to understand Reagan’s legacy and why and how it has grown since his passing, and how the drama of his funeral help frame that legacy, I urge you to read this book.”–ConservativeHQ

“Premier Reagan historian Craig Shirley…uses the formerly unexamined post-presidential years of Reagan, and especially the national outpouring of grief and respect in the week between his death and funeral, as a window into what made the man and his presidency special.”–Quin Hillyer

Praise for Rendezvous with Destiny: Ronald Reagan and the Campaign That Changed America by Craig Shirley

“Shirley puts to rest one of the great political mysteries: who stole Carter’s debate briefing books? … Shirley also reveals that the Kennedy family had a long memory on Election Day… . When it came time for the election, virtually all of them voted for Ronald Reagan.”―NEWSMAX

“An unbelievable book … I was part of the Reagan Revolution and I didn’t know 80 percent of this stuff! … It’s worth reading, and reading right now.”―Mark Levin, radio host, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Anyone who would understand the Reagan victory of 1980 and the movement that eliminated the Soviet Union and revitalized America must read―indeed must study―Craig Shirley’s brilliant, comprehensive work.”― Newt Gingrich

“This exhilarating history … arrives, serendipitously, at a moment when conservatives are much in need of an inspiriting examination of their finest hour.”―George F. Will, from the Foreword

“Shirley has done extensive interviewing and research for Rendezvous with Destiny, and it’s a terrific read―for political junkies of all ideological stripes.”―Michael Barone, Washington Examiner

“Prodigiously researched and well noted … Engaging and revealing … When future historians re-examine the 1980 campaign, one of their first stops is likely to be Rendezvous with Destiny.”―Lou Cannon, Daily Caller

“What a hell of a good book!”―Larry Kudlow, CNBC

“We don’t have to get very far in Craig Shirley’s new book about Reagan to know that, yes, there is still a lot we didn’t know about Reagan and how he came to the White House… . A fascinating book!”―Bob Schieffer, CBS

“Well-written, filled with information, and a pleasure to read.”―Doug Bandow

“Best. Reagan. Book. Evah!”―Robert Stacy McCain

“Rendezvous with Destiny offers a series of important practical lessons on how to run a presidential campaign, including coherent ideology and strategic nimbleness when circumstances change. Whether the reader is a Reagan fan or not, that takeaway alone makes Craig Shirley’s book a top political read.”―David Mark, Politico

“Enthralling … This book is full of true words, deep insights, long memories, and occluded details… . Shirley summons [the 1980 campaign] back to throbbing, vivid and immediate life.”―David Frum

“Has a you-are-there quality. [Shirley’s] intention is to provide the reader with a definitive history of the 1980 campaign, and he succeeds… . A trove of colorful, dramatic tales… . Shirley gives us a lively ride on the electoral roller coaster.”―Weekly Standard

“Offers more than a few pointers on what conservatives and Republicans should do in the future. And on top of that, it’s an illuminating look back at the watershed 1980 election.”―FOXNews.com

“A first-rate work of insider history. His book reads like Bob Woodward at his very best… . Shirley has accomplished a great feat of scholarship and research, and it could not have come at a better time … A monumental accomplishment.”―National Review

“Shirley has proven himself a master of presidential campaign histories―a true heir to Theodore White… . An exhaustive study that … will not anytime soon―if ever―be surpassed.”―American Spectator

“A superb insider’s account … Full of anecdotes that have never been published before.”―Houston Chronicle

“Conservatives will love this book, and political junkies of all stripes will find it fascinating. Readers looking for high drama will eagerly absorb its more than 600 pages… . It is the behind-the-scenes drama that lends real suspense to the narrative.”―Washington Times

“A scandal that once looked like it could take down a president, but soon fizzled for lack of hard evidence, gets a closer look in a new book, Rendezvous with Destiny… . Shirley’s new book sheds new light on the scandal… . The web of evidence Shirley weaves all leads to one man.”―MSNBC.com

“A much broader look at the campaign that elected Reagan … Shirley has gathered a wealth of evidence.”―Politico

“Provides the first inside look at the historic 1980 election … Shirley shows how close Reagan’s campaign came to collapsing in the Republican primaries–and how the candidate turned things around.”―National Review Online

“The genius of Shirley’s work is to take stories we already know about, and fill in the details that take you, the reader, right into the room with the principals.”―CQ Politics

“Wonderfully researched and a treasure trove of information … It is incredibly moving too… . There are numerous new books about Ronald Reagan, and while many don’t offer a lot of new information, this one does.”―Acton Institute

“As conservatives continue to try to reinvent themselves in the image of RR, it is helpful to have at our disposal this meticulously researched tome detailing how ‘The Great Communicator’ overcame the Republican establishment to oust an incumbent president――and ultimately, to change the world.”―Politics Daily

“A compellingly written, thoroughly documented treatise that is essential reading for anybody who seeks to understand what happened and why on Reagan’s third try for the White House.”―Washington Examiner

“A new book by Craig Shirley tells the exhilarating story of how Reagan triumphed and made us believe it was morning in America again.”―Eagle Forum

“The book covers every aspect of the 1980 campaign: from Reagan’s comeback after losing the Iowa caucuses to the behind-the-scenes staff battles and the mystery of who stole President Jimmy Carter’s debate briefing books.”―The Hill

“Well-researched and well-written, and it gives insight into Reagan’s journey to the Oval Office.”―Roll Call

“Masterful … Shirley’s books will be the definitive works on both Reagan elections.”―Human Events

CRAIG SHIRLEY (ESSEX COUNTY, VIRGINIA) is a presidential historian and Reagan biographer. All told, he has written eleven books including six on Ronald Reagan and the New York Times bestselling December, 1941. His wife Zorine also worked for Reagan and is now president of the Essex County Museum in Virginia. Together they enjoy sailing.

The author lives & works in the Richmond, Virginia metro area.