“Killing Reagan” by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard – The bullet that Changed it All

With the kind of security the President of the United States benefits from today, it would be hard to imagine someone succeeding in an assassination.

No resources are spared in ensuring the safety of arguably the country's most important person, whether it be intelligence investigations, armoured cars, or security agents.

However, looking back on America's history, it seems that assassinating presidents was dangerously close to becoming a viable hobby, with assassins having taken the lives of Lincoln, Kennedy... and nearly that of Ronald Reagan.

In their new addition to the series, titled Killing Reagan, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard take it upon themselves to chronicle the rather exceptional life led by the man, starting from his younger days when he was a Hollywood sensation, and then following his political career as the governor of California, and eventually, President of the United States of America.

Most of the book is then dedicated to John Hinckley Jr.'s attack on Reagan, as he shot him with a bullet that came dangerously close to his heart. Though Reagan didn't die from the attack,  it did change him forever, building him into a great and heroic leader that did the best he could during some violent and turbulent times.

The events which transpired on March 30th, 1981 are already rather well-known with countless books on the subject, which is why the authors went the extra mile with this one.

It takes care to trace Reagan's career that began in the 1940s when he was elected as the President of the Screen Actors Guild, explaining how and why he made the decisions he did, which factors influenced him, both internal and external. We get to learn as much about the man as we do about the politician, about his ambitions, friends, family, relationships, and entourage in general.

Thankfully, it doesn't read at all like a history book, but more like the kind of narrative you'd find in a novel, knowing exactly what is pertinent to their subject and what is superfluous.

A fairly large part of the book is also dedicated to the antagonist of the whole ordeal, John Hinckley Jr. They do their best to write a biography of his troubled life, the obsessions that constantly had hold of him (like his unhinged adoration of Jodie Foster), and ultimately what may have motivated him to commit so senseless of a crime.

In the end, the book paints a picture of John as being a mentally-ill person with a troubled past, disconnected from the world to a certain extent.

The last big chunk of the book is all about how Ronald Reagan came back a transformed man to the oval office, reinvigorated with a new purpose, confidence and focus.

It's about how he used this newly found drive to do great things for his country, despite the various bumps he hit along the way. It's about how he gave 110% when nobody expected him to anymore.

All in all, Killing Reagan is a very educative, entertaining and engaging read that teaches you some rather interesting details about history as much as it keeps your attention hooked for the story itself.

O'Reilly and Dugard have certainly done it again, and anyone who is a fan of the duo or wants to learn about Ronald Reagan from various perspectives will certainly love this book.

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	Bill O’Reilly Personal site Bill O’Reilly is a famous American television show host, columnist, political commentator, and author. He is the host of his own show, The O’Reilly Factor on Fox News, and has penned more than ten books, including the Killing [Assassinated President] series.
	Martin Dugard  Personal site Martin Dugard was born in Maine, and is American author living his days away in the beautiful state of California. Many of his books are in-depth explorations of real concepts or events that occurred, not to mention he is the co-writer of the Killing [Insert Name Here] series.