Romesh Ratnesar
is Deputy Editor of Bloomberg Businessweek and a Bernard L. Schwartz Fellow at the New America Foundation. A former Time deputy managing editor and foreign editor, he has reported from many countries around the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan and Israel and the Palestinian territories.
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Oct 2009
Kirkus Reviews
"A well-balanced look at a key moment in Reagan’s presidency."
-Kirkus Reviews
Time deputy managing editor Ratnesar examines the legacy of what is perhaps President Ronald Reagan's most famous speech. When Reagan died in 2004, nearly every tribute included the universally known line from his landmark speech at the Berlin Wall on June 12, 1987: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." Reagan's challenge to the Russian president was soon seen as one of the highlights of his tenure, and even today historians rank it as one of the most powerful lines ever spoken in a presidential speech. In his brief but comprehensive debut, Ratnesar includes testimony from members of Reagan's former staff, including the speech's main writer, Peter Robinson. The author capably portrays the nuts-and-bolts process of crafting a presidential speech, with vetting and editing from countless cabinet departments. But Ratnesar widens his scope, effectively placing the speech in the context of the Cold War, showing how Reagan's predecessors dealt with the Berlin Wall and how Reagan, as far back as 1967, had expressed a firm desire to eliminate it. The author makes a strong case that the words "tear down this wall" were not simply a bellicose challenge; they were an invitation to Gorbachev, an attempt to build a bridge between Cold War enemies. Reagan's respect for Gorbachev gave the challenge particular resonance. "If he took down that wall," the president privately told aides, "he'd win the Nobel Prize." Ratnesar is careful not to freight the speech with too much importance, however. Unlike some of Reagan's more ardent admirers (and despite the book's subtitle), the author does not give the speech full credit for the fall of the Berlin Wall, or of the Soviet Union. But there's no denying its importance. "That single phrase in Berlin," Ratnesar writes, "seemed to capture the essence of Reagan: a clear, simple, resolute message of optimism" that has since become a key part of Reagan lore.
Sep 2009
Library Journal Review
"Ratnesar captures the full historical context and bricks-and-mortar development of Ronald Reagan's memorable yet controversial1987 speech at the Berlin Wall."
-Library Journal
Link: Library Journal
Ratnesar (deputy managing editor, Time) captures the full historical context and bricks-and-mortar development of Ronald Reagan's memorable yet controversial1987 speech at the Berlin Wall. His presentation of the recollections of residents of East and West Berlin at the time vividly show how controlling the East German Communist government and its secret police were in monitoring East Germans and trying (yet often failing) to shield them from Western political and cultural influence. Ratnesar does a very good job of exploring Reagan's life, showing how the Berlin speech integrated Reagan's personal beliefs and public persona. The author gives due credit to the speechwriters, particularly Peter Robinson. Ratnesar's portrayal of Gorbachev is also first rate. This book, in effect, builds on James Mann's insightful The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan in showing why Reagan's Berlin speech is seen as historically significant. VERDICT This book may be read with pleasure by many, from trained historians to curious general readers. Generally objective in its approach, it will yet lead readers to understand why Reagan is remembered fondly by many and why both he and Gorbachev were key figures in this significant element of 20th-century history.—Rob Langenderfer, Brown Mackie Coll. Lib. Ft. Mitchell, KY