The Dead Hand, on kleinbl00's rec. Lives up to the hype, although I find myself sympathizing with Reagan at times, which makes me feel shame. I just reread The Joke the previous week, in preparation for Kundera's new novel that I believe is coming out in June. What a fantastic novel it is.
Yes, I suppose empathy is the right word; my mistake. Chapter by chapter I keep thinking, "You moron, you know SDI won't work!", but I can see that he was like a really nice grandpa who, based on his diaries, appears to have had good intentions, but was blind to the reality of the situation. I also respect Robert Gates a little less than I did previously, having only been familiar with his time as Sec'y of Defense under Bush/Obama. I wasn't aware of his involvement in the hawkish wing of the nuclear arms race.
Don't get me wrong--I despise Reagan and modern day reaganists especially. I just happen to find this topic fascinating, especially that he can seem to be so right and so wrong simultaneously on this particular issue. Hoffman points out in the beginning of the book, perhaps even in the prologue, that RR was a person who could hold several seemingly conflicting views on a given topic. This is evident in his dealings with the USSR.A nice grandpa who ratted out all his buddies to the HUAC, you mean.