In the 20 years since he left the White House, Ronald Reagan?s role as the ?Great Communicator? has assumed almost mythic proportions. How good was he in reality?

Terry Golway?s Ronald Reagan?s America: His Voice, His Dreams, and His Vision of Tomorrow offers some good evidence to help you judge for yourself. Golway?s book contains a full CD of audio excerpts from the 40th president?s most famous speeches.

Beyond that gimmick, Golway?s book also serves as a good introduction to the Reagan White House years, summarizing the key events ? good and bad ? that defined the years. Those who haven?t read or heard these speeches in a while might be struck by the unfettered optimism that powered Reagan?s vision, as displayed in his second Inaugural Address of 1985:

After reciting the domestic accomplishments of his first term ? tax reduction, reduced inflation, higher employment ? he reminded Americans of what they, too, had achieved, and how they would be remembered.

?These will be years when Americans have restored their confidence and tradition of progress; when our values of faith, family, work, and neighborhood were restated for a modern age; when our economy was finally freed from government?s grip; when we made sincere efforts at meaningful arm[s] reduction. ?

?My fellow citizens, our nation is poised for greatness. We must do what we know is right and do it with all our might. Let history say of us, ?These were golden years ? when the American Revolution was reborn, when freedom gained new life, and America reached for her best.?

That reborn revolution, he said, would ?increase the rewards for work, savings, and investment; reduce the increase in the cost and size of government and its interference in people?s lives.?

For Locker Room reviews of other recent books on Reagan, click here, here, here, and here.