Ronald Reagan was born in 1911, just a year after my grandpa. People were just learning how to fly and the great war hadn’t happened yet. The civil war had ended only 46 years before. His parents were Irish his dad Jack was a salesman, and his mother Nellie was a dedicated mother. He was called Dutch growing up. Many of his formative years were spent in Dixon, he was lifeguard at the local beach on the river. Rescuing a said 77 swimmers from the water becoming a local hero. He went to Eureka college but had dreams of becoming a movie star. He started with Radio and eventually made his way into Hollywood.

It was fun hearing the stories from the perspective of a child who could see Ronald as he really was, their races in the pool, their gathering rocks to build a patio and trying to drive up a hill that was to steep. He didn’t hero worship his dad, definately had differences of opinions growing up but he had respect and love for the man who was his father and it comes through strongly in the book.