Three Days in Moscow audiobook

Well, for starters, it was really fun to learn that author and FOX News Channel anchor Bret Baier was once an altar boy in his Catholic church, and also co-president of his student council during his senior year at the Marist School right here in Atlanta, my hometown. With that serendipity noted, let me also add how much I enjoyed experiencing this book on Audible, since it featured Bret reading his own work. His pleasant, mellow voice was a perfect fit for a book about Ronald Reagan, another gifted speaker and communicator. The “three days in Moscow”, referenced in the title, occurred during President Reagan’s fourth and final summit with Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, which was held in Moscow in the spring of 1988. The reader is immediately swept into the anticipation and whirlwind pace of this summit in the opening chapters, and then treated in the main body of the book to a well-written biography of Reagan, from his childhood to the White House. There is ample detail here, including Reagan’s experiences as president of the Screen Actor’s Guild, and the pace of the story is just right to keep one’s attention and interest without bogging down.The powerful narrative, certainly, of Reagan’s presidency – really, of his life – was the pivotal role he played in the eventual fall of the Berlin wall, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the end of the Cold War. His was a strong and unwavering voice for human rights, freedom, and peace through strength. And he could definitely turn a memorable phrase. One of countless examples: "Nations do not distrust each other because they are armed. They arm themselves because they distrust each other."Reagan’s sense of humor and love for people was contagious, and he was also a man of strong convictions who held firm even in the midst of constant opposition. It’s ironic that, as is the case with Donald Trump (a brash, loud, New York businessman and reality TV star, a man far different than Reagan), many voters in the 80’s thought Reagan, an aged actor, was a warmonger who was also unfit to be President.Five stars to Bret Baier and co-author Catherine Whitney for an informative, enjoyable, and inspiring account of the Reagan years, and the history that was made. Highly recommended!

"You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We'll preserve for our children this, last best hope of man on earth, or we'll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness." --- from Ronald Reagan's inauguration speech While it's clear this book was written from a standpoint of admiration, Brett Baier makes an excellent case for why Ronald Reagan was the right president for the time, how he really did have much to do with the ending of the Cold War, and how Reagan was probably the least "political" of any president my generation has seen either before or since he held the office - he truly believed in the good of his own actions and loved this country and its people for the goodness in their hearts.The book spends a few chapters discussing how Reagan got into the office, but then dives straight into his interactions with the politburo of the USSR. Brett describes how, in contrast to his predecessor (Jimmy Carter), Reagan came into office from day one painting the Soviets as an "Evil Empire" set on world domination. He then ramped up U.S. spending on its nuclear arsenal, which at that time was presumably only half the size of the Soviets (although, in truth it only takes so many nukes to destroy the world). The USSR and its less vibrant economic (communist) structure could not continue to spend large portions of its GDP to keep pace with Reagan, and eventually the hardliners such as Brezhnev, Andropov and Chernenko died off or gave way to reformists such as Gorbachev and Yeltsin. That's when Reagan, now in a position of equals, could sit down across the table and negotiate a gradual reduction in our respective arsenals. "..weapons are a sign of tensions, not the cause of them... Nations do not distrust each other because they are armed; they are armed because they distrust each other" ---President Reagan Gorbachev and Reagan first met at Reykjavik, Iceland in 1986. It was not an auspicious start, as Gorby drew a line in the sand and said no negotiations could take place unless the U.S. agreed to halt research into the Strategic Defense Initiative (or, as others disparagingly referred to as "Star Wars"). Whether SDI was realistic or just a pipe dream, it didn't really matter - it frightened the Russians to death. Shortly after the failed summit, the news back home turned its attention to the Iran-Contra scandal, and the notion of perestroika was viewed as dead. The midterm elections went poorly for Republicans and Reagan's last two years were thought to be headed toward a "lame duck" period. However, Reagan had other ideas.In 1987 Reagan visited Berlin and standing across from the famous Brandenburg gate, half obscured by the graffiti-ridden wall separating east and west Germany, he gave his famous "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" speech. Now on their heels due to pressure from the reformist populace, the Soviets reinitiated talks. The two countries ultimately signed both INF and START treaties (technically, the later was under Bush) and the dismantling of the USSR statehood had begun. As Margaret Thatcher later said, Reagan ended the Cold War without firing a shot.Fan of his policies or not, Reagan had the respect of both sides of the aisle. When he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease and gave an impassioned public statement where "I now begin the journey that will lead me to the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead" there were few dry eyes in the house.Reagan was a humble man about his achievements. Dismissing the label as the Great Communicator, he said "I never thought it was my style or the words I used that made a difference: it was the content. I wasn't the great communicator, but I communicated great ideas." Placing one's political views to the side, I recommend this book as a discussion of a man who is both to be admired and who played a major role in the shaping of history.

Reagan showed that through strength, respect, and genuine friendship we can achieve peaceful relations with other world powers. True diplomacy combined with eternal optimism can accomplish great things. This was a great book that will remind Americans of our better natures and that our best days need not be behind us. Everyone should read this.

I was in my mid-twenties in the 80s, living in England so I figured Ronald Reagan was a doddering, simplistic geriatric madman bent on destroying the world. We in England protested the nuclear cruise missiles at RAF Greenham Common and thought Reagan was going to bring about World War III. I've softened however and this book helped me appreciate the Reagan I didn't know. He was smarter than I thought, a great writer, and believed in the power of liberty and capitalism as ways of bringing people out of poverty. In the light of some of our recent presidents, Reagan seems even better than he was. I still don't appreciate him tearing the solar panels off the White House roof and perhaps setting back renewable energy 20 years and I felt nauseous during the Iran\Contra scandals but I do appreciate the deft hand he used on the crumbling Soviet Union and his courage and the courage of his convictions. This is a wonderfully light, easy-to-read book with some great insights regarding that famous "Tear down this wall" speech and the Moscow visit and the background to their relationship with the Gorbachovs is fascinating. I misjudged you, Mr. Reagan. You were a very good president on balance. And I miss your kind of honest American more than ever.

Three Days In Moscow makes the case for Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy, arguing that his tough anti-communist stance, which morphed over time into deft diplomacy, played a key role, perhaps THE key role in winning the cold war. I do agree that Reagan was a good President on foreign policy issues, that he helped push the moribund Soviet state into an early grave, and that he managed to reduce arms and prevent direct war in the process, but Baier overstates his case. There were many factors that led to the demise of Soviet communism, but communism itself was by far the most important of these (Reagan himself made it clear that he believed the Soviet system couldn’t survive in the long term). Also, it was stupid of Baier to spend an entire book making the case for Reagan’s greatness only to throw the argument in the trash at the end by claiming that Trump is some kind of second coming of the Gipper.I listened to this in audiobook, and the reader was good.

Excellent book about the presidency of Ronald Reagan, with emphasis on his relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev, and the fall of the Soviet Union. Very well written, with interesting details on how these two men felt about each other, and how they related to each other. The book also discusses Reagan's earlier years, and how he evolved from a liberal Democrat to a conservative Republican. The impact that Reagan (and for that matter Gorbachev) had on world history is profound. I always thought that Reagan was one of our countries greatest presidents (certainly in my lifetime), and this book definitely cemented that view.

I couldn’t put this book down! The narrative moves along very smoothly and really brings out the history and politics in a way that captures the personalities feelings and relationships. Impressed with the steadfastness of Reagan which he never wavered from and didn’t allow others to sway him. Learned some about Gorbachov and how unique he was. The book weaves nicely through Bush and the Russian coup. The end of the book was quite riveting.

May 31, 2018, is the thirtieth anniversary of President Reagan’s speech at Moscow State University. On that day, our 40th president stood before a packed house of enthusiastic students who listened to a message of freedom and hope. Lurking behind Reagan was a mural of the Russian revolution and the bust of Vladimir Lenin. When press secretary Marlin Fitzwater was asked about this strange pairing, he replied, “If anybody would ever appreciate Lenin having to spend an hour and a half looking at the backside of Ronald Reagan, it would be the president.”Three Days in Moscow: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of the Soviet Empire by Bret Baier celebrates the life and legacy of President Ronald Reagan. Baier provides an inside look at the Reagan administration and the events leading up to his monumental speech at the Moscow State University.President Reagan inspired hope in each of the participants that day:"Standing here before a mural of your revolution, I want to talk about a very different revolution that is taking place right now, quietly sweeping the globe without bloodshed or conflict. Its effects are peaceful, but they will fundamentally alter our world, shatter old assumptions, and reshape our lives.""We do not know what the conclusion will be of this journey, but we’re hopeful that the promise of reform will be fulfilled. In this Moscow spring, this May 1988, we may be allowed that hope: that freedom, like the fresh green sapling planted over Tolstoy’s grave, will blossom forth at last in the rich fertile soil of your people and culture. We may be allowed to hope that the marvelous sound of a new openness will keep rising through, ringing through, leading to a new world of reconciliation, friendship, and peace."Baier comments, “He was a messenger of hope, seducing them with their own longings, which he knew they had. How could they resist the poignant cry of their countryman?”One cannot help but recall that President Barack Obama uttered similar words, namely, to “fundamentally transform America.” But the vision Obama was after had more to do with big government, higher taxes, escalated regulation, and minimized religious freedom. Reagan demanded the opposite and he understood that the Soviet people yearned for this kind of freedom.At the end of the speech, the audience gave Reagan a standing ovation. Baier reports, “Reagan later quipped that while they were cheering, he’d glanced behind him and seen Lenin weeping.”Three Days in Moscow: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of the Soviet Empire is a stirring historical tale of freedom that chronicles the ascent of Ronald Reagan to the highest office in the land. Brett Baier accurately and passionately recounts the details of his presidency and the leadership gifts he shared with the American people and the world.

Wow! My library could not have given me a better time to deliver this book to my wish list. As our current President is to meet with Kim jong un tomorrow, I was able to finish Bret Baier's book on Ronald Reagan's meetings with Gorbachev that brought and end to the Cold War. This book is a testament to Baier being a true student of history as he takes you from Reagan's beginnings and shows how he had a deep dislike for Communism in his early years as an actor. Many people never gave Reagan the credit he deserved for ending the Cold War. Many said he was simply and actor delivering his lines but this book will walk you through those years in his Presidency and show how it was Ronald Reagan who was able to get Mr. Gorbachev to tear down that wall. Like Reagan was constantly put down for his acting career and his easy going disposition, President Trump is being deeply maligned for his New York style and his numerous tweets but, also, like Reagan he is not afraid to go toe to toe with an "Evil Empire". It took Reagan several years and several meetings to get a conclusion to the Cold War. Let's hope President Trump is able to get good results and get them sooner. This is a fantastic book that I highly recommend.Wow! My library could not have given me a better time to deliver this book to my wish list. As our current President is to meet with Kim jong un tomorrow, I was able to finish Bret Baier's book on Ronald Reagan's meetings with Gorbachev that brought and end to the Cold War. This book is a testament to Baier being a true student of history as he takes you from Reagan's beginnings and shows how he had a deep dislike for Communism in his early years as an actor. Many people never gave Reagan the credit he deserved for ending the Cold War. Many said he was simply and actor delivering his lines but this book will walk you through those years in his Presidency and show how it was Ronald Reagan who was able to get Mr. Gorbachev to tear down that wall. Like Reagan was constantly put down for his acting career and his easy going disposition, President Trump is being deeply maligned for his New York style and his numerous tweets but, also, like Reagan he is not afraid to go toe to toe with an "Evil Empire". It took Reagan several years and several meetings to get a conclusion to the Cold War. Let's hope President Trump is able to get good results and get them sooner. This is a fantastic book that I highly recommend.

"Sometimes the best act is the final act," Ronald Reagan told reporters as he boarded Air Force One headed for the Moscow Summit in May 1988--30 years ago! This was his best act, and one of his best speeches, at the Moscow State University. I've loved this speech ever since he gave it, and we use a piece of it to open our radio show, The Soul of Enterprise. This book is a great history of Ronald Reagan's early life, Hollywood career, union president during the Red Scare, his California Governorship ("Keeping up with Governor Brown's promises is like trying to read Playboy magazine while your wife turns the pages."), which he won by nearly 1 million votes. After he lost the 1976 nomination fight with President Ford, Richard Allen came to his home and Reagan says to him: "I'd like now to tell you my basic theory about the Cold War. Some people say I'm very simplistic, but there's a difference between being simplistic and simple. A lot of very complex things are very simple if you think them through. Keeping in that in mind, my theory of the Cold War is, we win and they lose. What do you think about that?" His speech at Westminster foretold how Marxism-Leninism was destined for the Ash Heap of history. His Evil Empire speech is chronicled, as well as "Tear Down this Wall," in Berlin. The author did interviews with many speechwriters, as well as others who served in the administration. The Summits with Gorbachev are also detailed, including Reagan walking out of one of them due to SDI. He spoke with Josh Gilder (George Gilder's nephew), who wrote the Moscow State University speech, which is just excellent. It discusses the Economy in Mind and the optics are amazing as Reagan is delivering it in front of a big statute of Lenin. This was another great book from Bret Baier the presidency (his first one was on Eisenhower, and was also excellent). Highly recommended.

Having grown up in the midst of the Cold War era and graduating from high school at the time these events took place -- I remember being aware of these issues on the barely emerging periphery of my political and current events awareness. This book offers a thoroughly enjoyable look at the events as they unfolded from the perspective of Reagan and his cabinet. There were several things that I learned that I had never known before and I found myself enjoying the saga and the insights the book has to offer. Baier's writing is well presented and researched, without getting in the way of the history he is presenting. He is thoroughly readable and has been able to capture much of the emotional and mental intensity that surrounded this time period. His presentation of Reagan is much as I remember the man -- a happy, optimistic leader who generated confidence in an era that was filled with anxiety and concern. Baier offers an on point presentation of the events he covers without getting side tracked or confusing. The history is anything but boring and I actually recommended this read to several people, even before I had finished reading it. A great read!

I don't always give 5 star 🌟reviews but...In this case 5 stars are well deserved. Bret Baker has provided a well researched riveting account of Ronald Reagan 's lifelong fight for freedom, which, by definition, is a fight against communism. He backs up go research with interviews with many who were there and participated in this battle won without during a shot.I was alive to witness this time in history but never really knew what happened until reading this book. It makes me proud to know I cast my first and second presidential votes for this man who revived the American spirit and patriotism at a time when it was sorely needed and by sticking to his principles played the role of a lifetime in ending the cold war.I liked this one a lot and believe you will too.

This was one of the best books I've seen on President Reagan. I enjoyed the book and how the President approached his relationship with the Soviet Union and Mikhail Gorbachev. I am sure part of my connection was that I spent eight out of nine years of my time in the Air Force when Mr. Reagan was president. As a broadcaster, I had the privilege to cover President Reagan's speech when he arrived at Andersen Air Force Base. Mr. Baier's book brought back some great memories of those years. The book was well written to include various points in Reagan's life. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about our 40th president.

I really enjoyed the book. It offered an in depth look into Ronald Reagan’s role in the fall of the Soviet Union in a way that I had never seen it explained before. I enjoyed how the book discussed Reagan’s early life and his journey all the way to president of the United States. I liked how a great deal of people close to the former president were included to really get the point of the book across. It was great how the book ended with a connection to the present day relations between the US and Russia. I would strongly recommend this book for everyone but especially for people with a penchant for history and politics.

Very interesting read. I removed a star just because a very limited portion of the book (4 chapters) was actually about the 3 days in Moscow. If you have already read about Reagan, you’ll have to cover a good bit of familiar ground as the author does a whole life review of Reagan. I was fascinated by the relationship aspect between Reagan and Gorbachev. I also really liked watching Reagan’s leadership as he shifted from denouncing to relationship with the Soviets.

Without Firing a Shot...Bret Baier has done Americans who were not around or do not recall the Reagan years a tremendous service. Ronald Reagan had a lifetime dream to free the world of communism. I am fortunate to have lived through and witnessed his dream and the dream of so many come true.Yes, he won the Cold War, without firing a shot.....