To commemorate the centennial of Ronald Reagan’s birth, historian Michael Schaller chronicles the life of one of America’s most notable and successful presidents.

In this new biography, Schaller gives an account of Reagan’s life, from his small-town upbringing in rural Illinois, through his cinematic success in Hollywood, to his extraordinary rise to the White House.

Schaller is the regents professor of history at the University of Arizona. Lauded as one of the preeminent historians of the American political right, Schaller has published numerous books, including The Republican Ascendancy and Right Turn: American Life in the Reagan-Bush Era.