His Last Act: Inside Reagan's Twilight Years, Legacy - CBNNews.com

His Last Act: Inside Reagan's Twilight Years, Legacy

CBNNews.com Thursday, November 05, 2015

When former President Ronald Reagan passed away in 2004, he had been out of the public eye for 16 years. Not much was known about his post-presidential life – until now.

In his new book, Last Act: The Final Years and Emerging Legacy of Ronald Reagan, author Craig Shirley writes about Reagan's twilight years.

Much has been penned about the late president's early life and his eight years in the White House.

But in 1994, just a few years after he left office, Reagan announced in a letter to the nation that he had the beginnings of Alzheimer's disease.

"I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life," he wrote. "I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead."

For the last decade of his life, there were no public appearances, and little is known about his final years.

Now, in Last Act, Shirley sheds new light on:
How the former president and his wife dealt with the diagnosis and progression of the disease.
The planning of the state funeral.
The outpouring from the nation.
The significance of the Reagan legacy.

"The battle over the Reagan legacy and the meaning of Reagan came to a head the week he died," Shirley wrote. "And it remains a matter of debate to this day."

*Craig Shirley will share more about his new book and the final days of Ronald Reagan on Friday's edition of The 700 Club. Check your local listings or CBNNews.com after 10 a.m. EDT for the interview.