Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

No Left Turns

Shameless Self-Promotion

Teaching Reading in Ohio

So, do they teach reading comprehension still in Ohio?  I ask because someone named "Doctor Tyrone" in Cleveland posts the following review of my book on Amazon:

Hayward claims to be an objective historian. It is pretty clear he is just another Reagan hater. Hayward calls Reagan's ideas loopy. He thinks Reagan's presidency succeeded by luck. The fall of the Soviet Union had nothing to do with Reagan. Reagan was a simpleton and could not distinguish fantasy from reality. On and on it goes. By contrast, Hayward elevates Carter in his book. If Hayward were an historian, he might try to tell the story of Reagan without constantly using demeaning adjectives, slanted perspectives and mischaracterizations of Reagan's supporters. If you hate Reagan and want to feel vindicated, this book is for you. If you liked Reagan at all or just want an unbiased history of the Reagan Presidency, look elsewhere. Save your money and your time and avoid this book.

I'm wondering if he has me confused with this book instead?  You'd think the difference in the author's name might be a tipoff, no?

Discussions - 12 Comments

This is really hilarious. I'm sure that poor fellow did make the mistake of clicking on the wrong book to give his review and, more than likely, of not reading either book . . . But the best part of what he says is his charge that you elevate Carter! Alternative universe, anyone?

Is that a useful review of the Wilentz book?

Many of us teaching post-secondary education in Ohio suspect that reading is a neglected subject in the public schools after about the third grade. At least your reviewer can spell and put together coherent sentences, even if he clearly did not read your book.

Think how disappointing for Doctor Tyrone if he thought he bought your book, a conservative's view of Reagan, and got Wilentz instead? If he had been reading reviews of your book, bought from Amazon based on title alone, and got what he got --how disconcerting -- like ordering an O'Doul's by mistake.

C'mon, Steve, admit it. Everything that said is true! :)

Liberalism is a mental illness.

C'mon Steve, admit it! Everything that guy said is true! :)

Cowgirl,

I think if you look again at the review, you'll find it was written by someone about as far from liberal as it's possible to be. " If you hate Reagan and want to feel vindicated, this book is for you. If you liked Reagan at all or just want an unbiased history of the Reagan Presidency, look elsewhere. Save your money and your time and avoid this book."

Could it be that your brand of unthinking conservatism has rendered you unable even to read?

I think cowgirl's unique form of stupidity refuses to be contextualized by having some kind of referent.

In the age of Wikipedia these reviews count for something. Doctor T's comment is a clear misfire or else a deliberate attempt to destroy the book's reputation with those who would want to buy it.

There is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this. The guy was probably reviewing Bizarro Steve Hayward's Bizarro Age of Reagan, shipped by mistake from Amazon.bizarro. The book, in addition to its hatred of Reagan and love of Carter, is notable for its rampant misuse of "me" as a first-person pronoun, poor verb conjugation, and logic-defying double and triple-negatives.

Ben you are absolutely right....poor Verb conjunction might be the reason....

Do you have any rivals on Reagan scholorship who you do not get along with? I heard a story in grad school about a historian who gave a talk and a rival historian had his students go and hiss and boo at his points. I think it was David Donald getting hissed at but I can't remember for sure...it was about Lincoln/Civil War though may have even been his students doing the hissing.

Just curious, have you (or anyone) tried to reply to Dr. T on Amazon to get to the bottom of this? If it is a mistake, as appears likely, it might be fun to find out and correct it.

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