by Bret Baier
Solomon, Richard, 184–85, 186
Solzhenitsyn, Aleksandr, 243
Sorrell, Herb, 31–32
South Hennepin Avenue, 20
Souza, Pete, 251
Soviet-Afghan War, 136, 155, 220, 268
Carter’s response, 82, 119
“freedom fighters,” 150, 156
Geneva Summit discussion, 166
Soviet withdrawal, 231–32
Soviet economy, 126–27, 153–55. See also Glasnost; Perestroika
Soviet Union. See also specific topics and leaders
dissolution of. See Dissolution of the Soviet Union
Helsinki Accords (1975), 62, 70–71, 238
role of women, 235–36
in World War II, 31
Space program, U.S., 176, 177
Spaso House (Moscow), 1, 6–9, 244–45, 264–65
Speakes, Larry, 197–98, 232–33
Speaking Out (Speakes), 232–33
Speechwriting
Brandenburg Gate speech (1987), 202–6
British Parliament speech (1982), 117–18, 121–22
Inaugural Address (1981), 89–92
Moscow State University speech (1988), 255–57
NAE speech (1983), 131–33
Spencer, Stuart, 45, 46, 47, 52, 141
Stahl, Lesley, 299
Stalin, Josef, 31, 142, 152–53, 242–43, 252
Starr, Frederick, 236
“Star Wars,” 138–39, 321–22
Statue of Liberty, 277
Stewart, Jimmy, 46, 66, 88
Stockman, David, 101
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), 209–10, 212, 219, 230, 234, 240, 241, 266
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), 321–22
Geneva Summit discussion (1985), 167, 168–69
Gorbachev’s Nuclear Initiative of January 1986, 175–76
Moscow Summit discussion (1988), 240, 241–42
public criticism of, 138–39, 321–22
Reagan’s announcement of, 137–39
Reagan’s Inaugural Address (1985), 149
Reykjavík Summit discussion (1986), 183, 185–88, 190–91
Thatcher and, 148
Washington Summit discussion (1987), 218–19
Stripling, Robert, 35
Summer Olympics (1980), 119, 144
Summer Olympics (1984), 144
Sununu, John, 294
Supply-side economics, 101
Talbot, Strobe, 301
Tampico, Illinois, 17–18
Tarasenko, Sergei, 163–64
Tarzan (book series), 20
TASS, 147, 156
Tax policy, 59, 100–101
Taylor, Robert, 16, 26
“Tear down this wall!”, 204–5, 206, 208, 255, 300
Term limits, 60–61
Terrorism, 177–78
Thatcher, Margaret
Camp David lunch with Reagan, 147–48
death of Reagan and, 16–17, 324
Falklands War, 125
Gorbachev and, 147–48, 152, 175, 319–20
Moscow Summit (1988), 272
Reagan’s British Parliament speech (1982), 116, 122–25
Reagan’s winning of Cold War “without firing a shot,” 319–20
special relationship with Reagan, 124–25
Thayer, Walter, 57
Thomas, Helen, 9, 264
“Thousand points of light,” 292
Three Days in January (Baier and Whitney), ix–x, xiv–xv
Three Days in Moscow. See Moscow Summit
Thurmond, Strom, 109–10, 111
Time (magazine), 43, 50, 141, 271
“Time for Choosing, A” Speech (1964), 43, 45
Today (TV show), 42
“Toe to toe,” 269–70
Tower, John, 198, 294
Tower Commission, 198
Treptow, Martin, 91–92
Trewhitt, Hank, 144–45
Truman, Harry, 107, 150
Trumbo, Dalton, 34
Trump, Donald, xiv
“Trust but verify,” 186, 215, 288, 295, 321
Tuttle, Holmes, 45, 46, 51
Twain, Mark, 20
Twenty-third Psalm, 111
U-2 spy plane incident of 1960, 180
Ukraine, 179, 315
Unionism, 31
Union Treaty, 311
United Nations, 99, 278–79
Vance, Cyrus, 99
Veterans of Foreign Wars, 118
Vietnam War, 54–55, 118
Virganskaya, Irina Gorbachev, 311
Vnukovo International Airport, 3
Waldorf Statement, 37
Wałęsa, Lech, 155–56, 319
Wallace, Chris, 10, 197
Wall Street Journal, 94–95, 136, 204
Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 58
Warner, Jack, 26, 30–31, 36, 46
Warner Bros., 26
Warsaw Pact, 301, 308–9
Washington, George, 149, 291
Washington Post, 121, 161, 205, 239
Washington Summit (1987), 2, 209–23, 273
background on, 209–11
departure statement, 221–23
Gorbachev’s arrival, 209, 212–13
Gorbachev’s walkabout, 9–10, 219–21
human rights issue, 213–14
INF Treaty, 209–15, 234, 273
scheduling, 167, 209
state dinner, 216–17
Washington Times, 137
Watergate, 63, 70
Wattenberg, Ben, 255
Weinberger, Caspar, 146
assassination attempt of Reagan and, 110
California state director of finance, 51, 97
Iran-Contra and, 159–60
NAE speech (1983), 135–36
SDI and, 138
Secretary of Defense, 95, 97–98, 101, 206
Soviet Union and, 129, 136, 155, 230
Welfare reform, 59–60
West Berlin
Brandenburg Gate speech (1987), 201–8, 322
fall of the Berlin Wall, 297–301
Reagan’s visit of 1978, 72–74, 204–5
West Berlin discotheque bombing of 1986, 177–78
“Western values,” 305–6
Westminster Parliament speech (1982), 115, 116–18, 120–28, 131–32
Where’s the Rest of Me? (Reagan), 28
White House Correspondents Dinner, 178–79
Whitney, Catherine, ix
WHO Radio, 26
Will, George, 121, 233
Williams, Edward, 115–16
Willoughby, William, 137
Wilson, Woodrow, 278
“Win one for the Gipper,” 27
Winthrop, John, 59, 76, 289
Wirthlin, Richard, 80
WOC Radio, 25–26
Works Progress Administration (WPA), 21
World Trade Center (New York City), 281
World War II, 30–31, 152, 221, 222, 301
Wyman, Jane, 28–29, 37
Yeltsin, Boris, 210–11, 310–11, 313–15
YMCA, 15
Zaccaro, John, 144
Zakharov, Gennady, 180, 182
Zieman, Yuri and Tatyana, 243–45
Photo Section
“For such a little bit of a fat Dutchman, he makes a hell of a lot of noise, doesn’t he?” Reagan’s father, Jack, said, thus giving him a nickname—Dutch—that would stick. Courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Foundation.
Jack and Nelle Reagan taught Reagan and his brother, Moon, the simple heartland values that transcended poverty and struggle. Christmases were hardscrabble, homemade affairs, but Reagan cherished those memories all his life. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
Reagan loved to talk about his years as a lifeguard in Dixon, and tell stories about the people he saved. As president, he once said it was the best job he ever had. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
In 1947, as president of the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan was called to testify before the House Un-American Activiti
es Committee. He hated communism, but expressed concern that innocent people were being denied their constitutional rights and wrongly blacklisted. And unlike some others in Hollywood, he refused to name names at the hearing. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
Nelle was a constant inspiration and a positive role model for her son. She taught him he could be anything he set out to be. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
Reagan had two children with his first wife, Jane Wyman, and two with Nancy. Although the children had a difficult relationship with their father at various times in their lives, they expressed their love in his final years. Left to right: Patti, Nancy, Reagan, Michael, Maureen, and Ron. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
Nancy was the love of his life, his most trusted friend and advisor, the one who never let him down. He often spoke about how much he needed her by his side. Away from her on the road, he wrote, “I’m all hollow without you.” Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
Although he often told people, “I’m an actor, not a politician,” his election in 1966 as governor of California launched the most important journey of his life. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
In 1980, Reagan represented a new spirit of optimism—a remedy for the sense of malaise the nation was experiencing. His was a revolution of ideas and style. He was swept into office in a landslide, with 489 electoral votes. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
On Inauguration Day, January 20, 1981, Reagan told the American people, “We will again be the exemplar of freedom and a beacon of hope for those who do not now have freedom.” Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
Three men defined the management style of the early Reagan White House. The troika (left to right): James Baker, chief of staff; Ed Meese, counselor to the president; and Mike Deaver, deputy chief of staff. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
Reagan and Speaker Tip O’Neill developed a warm personal relationship, based on their Irish roots and complementary personalities, but it did not extend to legislative matters, where they were fierce combatants. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
Reagan was a prolific writer, always penning his thoughts and speech notes on the familiar yellow lined pad. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
Just five months after almost losing his life in an assassination attempt, Reagan looked remarkably fit as he cleared the brush at his beloved California ranch, Rancho del Cielo. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
Addressing the British parliament in 1982, Reagan announced that the Soviet Union was destined for “the ash heap of history.” Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
Reagan’s speech before the National Association of Evangelicals on March 8, 1983, was not expected to get much press, but when he declared the Soviet Union an “evil empire,” the world took note. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
Reagan’s closest partner on the world stage was the Iron Lady, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. They didn’t always agree, but they were united in their determination to rid the world of communism. Here Reagan welcomes Thatcher to Camp David on December 28, 1984. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
Reagan and Gorbachev met for the first time on November 19, 1985 in Geneva. Separated by a chasm of ideology and history, they could not have imagined how far they would travel together. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
Their faces tell the story. Reagan and Gorbachev left the Reykjavík Summit in 1986 angry and disappointed by their failure to reach an agreement. Some people worried they would never meet again, but they were able to rise above their conflicts and continue their negotiations. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
When Reagan stood before the Brandenburg Gate and cried, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” his words were a call to action that rattled the world order. Less than two and a half years later, the wall fell. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
Standing with Mikhail Gorbachev in Red Square, Reagan declared that the “evil empire” was a thing of the past. He recognized before many others that the Soviet Union was dying under the weight of its ideology. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
At the Moscow Summit, the Reagans wanted to meet ordinary people. On a spontaneous walk in the Arbat, they jumped onto a cart and eagerly threw themselves into the moment. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
Reagan’s aides were initially worried about the president giving a speech under the glowering visage of Lenin, but it was Reagan who seemed larger than life on the Moscow State University stage as he spoke of the promise of democracy. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
Reagan’s final meeting with Gorbachev as president, joined by president-elect George H. W. Bush, occurred on Governors Island, a fitting site, with the Statue of Liberty in the background. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
It was an emotional farewell on January 20, 1989, as the Reagans prepared to fly home to California. “We weren’t just marking time; we made a difference,” Reagan told the nation in his farewell address. Courtesy of the Reagan Library.
“Visitors to this mountaintop will see a great jagged chunk of the Berlin Wall,” Reagan announced at his library dedication in 1991. Over nine feet tall, marked with colorful graffiti, the piece is a relic of a conquered state and a reminder of the lasting possibility of freedom. Here Reagan poses with Polish president Lech Wałęsa. Courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Foundation.
Reagan was intimately involved in his speeches. He loved the writing and editing process, and he was always in control of his message. Reviewing the transcripts at the Reagan Library, the author recognized the frequent scrawl of his Sharpie pen. Photo by Mark Laing.
Visitors to the Reagan Library have an irresistible impulse to grasp the well-worn bronze hand of the statue at the entrance—as did this author. Photo by Mark Laing.
The author is inspired by Reagan’s burial site on the grounds of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. The inscription, which Reagan chose himself, is the signature of his character: “I know in my heart that man is good, that what is right will always eventually triumph and there is purpose and worth to each and every life.” Photo by Mark Laing.
About the Author
BRET BAIER is the chief political anchor for Fox News Channel and the anchor and executive editor of Special Report with Bret Baier. He received the National Press Foundation’s 2017 Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism. Baier previously served Fox News as chief White House correspondent, and as national security correspondent based at the Pentagon. He has reported from seventy-four countries, and has reported from Iraq twelve times and Afghanistan thirteen times. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Three Days in January: Dwight Eisenhower’s Final Mission and Special Heart: A Journey of Faith, Hope, Courage and Love. He lives with his family in Washington, DC.
CATHERINE WHITNEY is the New York Times bestselling coauthor of more than fifty books. She lives in New York.
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Praise for Three Days in Moscow
“Bret Baier has done it again. Three Days in Moscow is a remarkable story about one of the most monumental moments in contemporary world history. Grand in sweep, brilliantly crafted, and riveting, this extraordinary book is also masterfully researched. It will take its place as an instant classic, if not as the finest book to date on Ronald Reagan himself!”
—JAY WINIK, author of April 1865 and 1944
“Bret Baier enthralling Three Days in Moscow is a timely reminder at a time of resurgent US-Russian tensions of the historic role Ronald Reagan played in negotiating landmark nuclear agreements that helped end the Cold War. Baier recounts the personal diplomacy, overriding vision, and steadiness of purpose Reagan brought to his summits with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in wonderful detail. Those three days at the Moscow summit are a great foundation for his larger exploration of a defining chapter in US and world history. Must-reading for anyone following today politics, or interested in learning about the unique skills Reagan brought to the challenge of reducing the nuclear threa
t for all ages. Three Days in Moscow is also a primer for better understanding the cataclysmic changes that, from the Russian perspective, also helped shape the political consciousness of America current geopolitical rival: Vladimir Putin.”
—ANDREA MITCHELL, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, NBC News
“Bret Baier Three Days in Moscow is a riveting recounting of Ronald Reagan gallant Cold War diplomacy during his 1988 historic visit to the Soviet Union. Every page sparkles. Baier has a great gift for writing fine narrative history anchored around impressive academic research. This is one of the best and most essential books ever written about Reagan, the man Margaret Thatcher said won the Cold War without firing a single shot.”
—DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, professor of history at Rice University and editor of The Reagan Diaries
“Bret Baier gives us a clear and lively picture of Ronald Reagan, the man and the president. Read Three Days in Moscow, enjoy, and learn why the Gipper was such a great leader.”
—GEORGE P. SHULTZ, US Secretary of State, 1982–1989
“Drawing on newly opened archives and his own revealing interviews with key figures of the time, Bret Baier deserves credit for this fascinating, thoughtful, and highly readable account of Ronald Reagan towering contribution to his country—ending the Cold War without the firing of a shot, on terms that Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower could have only dreamed of. Three Days in Moscow should be read by everyone not old enough to have personally witnessed how this president, step by step, in public and in secret, closed down a half century of dangerous confrontation—and by those whose memories of that crucial story are imperishable.”
—MICHAEL BESCHLOSS, author of Presidential Courage
“I associate the Brandenburg Gate, Reykjavík, and the defense buildup with the places where the Cold War was won. But in Bret Baier uplifting Three Days in Moscow we learn of a critical chapter in the Reagan triumph over totalitarianism, a place and time where a new vision of freedom for all people was born. An engaging story well told by a professional with insight and empathy.”
