WHEN CHARACTER WAS KING "You read her to thrall in her striking ability to behold great  vistas through a pinhole . . . in a language that is always concrete and vital."  (The New York Times) "Noonan possesses an astonishingly deft touch for making the political process  come alive." (USA Today) It is twenty years”a full generation”since Ronald Reagan first walked into the  White House and ignited a revolution. From the beginning, he enjoyed the  American people's affection but now, as he approaches the end of his life, he  has received what he deserved even more: their deep respect.  What was the wellspring of his greatness? Peggy Noonan, bestselling author of  the classic Reagan-era memoir What I Saw at the Revolution, former  speechwriter, and now a columnist and contributing editor for The Wall Street  Journal, argues that the secret of Reagan's success was no secret at all. It  was his character”his courage, his kindness, his persistence, his honesty, and  his almost heroic patience in the face of setbacks”that was the most important  element of his success. The one thing a man must bring into the White House with him if he is to  succeed, Noonan contends, is a character that people come to recognize as high,  sturdy, and reliable.  Noonan, renowned for her special insight into Ronald Reagan's history and  personality, brings her own reflections on Reagan to bear in When Character  Was King and discloses never-before-told stories from the former president's  family, friends, and White House colleagues to reveal the true nature of a man  even his opponents now view as a maker of big history.  Marked by incisive wit and elegant prose, When Character Was King will  enlighten and move readers.