470 Reviews

Ronald W. Reagan 1911-: Chronology-Documents--Bibliographical Aids, Irving J. Sloan, ed., Dobbs Ferry, NY: Oceana Publications, 1990. 282 p. ISBN: 0-379-12091-7. $35.00.

This volume represents Oceana Press's latest in its Presidency Chronology Series. As such, its objectives are to provide some insight into Ronald Reagan's political development as well as Reagan, the president. Therefore, in addition to chronicling the events that took place under his White House watch, the larger message of the book should reveal something about Reagan's political development and whether his political philosophy was mirrored by actual policies as governor and president.

The book is organized around three themes: a chronology of Reagan's personal and political life; public documents from his two terms as president; and a selectively annotated bibliography. Because this volume compiles information available in many other sources, one must examine the utility of this book with an eye toward its synthesis of documents from Ronald Reagan's life and presidency. Does this book represent a valuable addition to the reference literature from which librarians, scholars, and students might easily find answers to often-asked questions'?

The chronology section of the book is clearly developed and separated into important segments of Reagan's life. The intent is to show not only a chronology of Reagan's life, but also to detail the development of his political career. This is accomplished quite well. Reagan's rise from poverty through college to the entertainment world and politics is clearly delineated. But at one point, Sloan is overly eager to credit Reagan with an early cerebral development which, if true, would have certainly quieted the legion of critics who questioned the president's capacity for thought. On page 3, Sloan mistakenly awards Reagan his degree from Eureka College in 1928 at the precocious age of 17. A cross check with other reference sources correctly listed his graduation date as 1932.

Unfortunately, the utility of this book--and it does contain an interesting synthesis of materials--is completely lost in exceptionally egregious proofreading and typesetting. In the first 50 pages of the volume, some two dozen errors of grammar, typesetting, and consistency were found.

Among these errors are the following: pages 43 and 44 are reversed; on page 34, Soviet is not capitalized; on page 31, Martin Feldstein "announces he is leaving his post to rasting [sic] funding levels;" on the same page, reference is made to the ABC/Washington Post Poll, but on page 35 it becomes a Washington Post/ABC Poll; on page 9, the 1975 chronology ends abruptly, but one finds that page 10 begins nearly five years later with Reagan's 1980 election; on page 7, reference is made to the Board of Regents of California, but on page 5 it is the California Board of Regents. Neither term is correct, as that body is named the Regents of the University of California. Finally, some important events--such as Reagan's firing of the Air Traffic Controllers--are not cited. The selective nature of the chronology is not explained; it would have been helpful to have the justifications for inclusion or exclusion set forth in the introduction.

When a book is marred by difficulties of this magnitude, it cannot be recommended. This is unfortunate, because there is much to commend the clearer passages of the volume and its organization. As a reference tool, the synthesis of a chronology and Reagan's major public addresses allows some clear insights into Reagan's political development and his presidency. Often, Reagan's speeches clarify and elucidate his political philosophy while the chronology details how these thoughts were put into action through policies, appointments, and appearances. Those seeking information and dates on nominations, major political events and decisions will find it readily, if selectively, available.

The documents section of this book is composed of Reagan's inaugural speeches, State of the Union addresses, and other significant public appearances. This section is not as error-prone as the chronology is, and it reveals much about the Reagan presidency. From dogmatic and doctrinaire conservativism to his more realistic political compromises, much of Reagan's political philosophy and policy agenda is revealed. Some background on the Reagan presidency will be helpful for those wishing insights of this kind; for others, simply knowing that these major addresses are available in a compact edition that helps one avoid the cumbersome Public Papers of the President is welcome.

The selective bibliography is less helpful. This is so, because there is a lack of purpose accompanying it. Sloan encourages readers to consult, ~'the Social Science and Humanities Index for more scholarly and professional discussions and analysis," of the Reagan presidency (p. 271). As a result, what remains for Sloan is a hodge-podge of journalistic, staff kiss-and-tell, and other more general renditions on the Reagan years. Sloan comments on some of the works--apparently those he felt most helpful--but his criteria for listing the remaining volumes is unclear. With the Reagan retrospection well underway, several very comprehensive and useful books on the Reagan presidency are emerging. Scholars, students, and librarians wishing quick and helpful overviews of the Reagan presidency can consult, among others, two edited volumes by Charles O. Jones and Larry Berman.[1]

This book provides a useful and interesting examination of Ronald Reagan. Far more than a snapshot of his presidency. Sloan has captured a more comprehensive story of Reagan. It is indeed unfortunate that the

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many errors contained in the book render its utility as a reference work quite minimal. If a revised edition of the book were to be published that corrected the many errors and expanded the bibliography, Sloan would have the makings of an often-reached-for text. Until that time, those interested in life and political times of Ronald Reagan should search elsewhere.

SCOTT HILL Institute of Governmental Affairs

University of California Davis, CA 95616

USA

N O T E S

1. Charles O. Jones, ed., The Reagan Legacy: Promise and Performance (Chatham, NJ: Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1988) and Larry Berman, ed., Looking Back on the Reagan Presidency (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1990).

H o w to G e t It: A G u i d e to D e f e n s e - R e l a t e d I n f o r m a t i o n S o u r c e s . Alexandria, VA: Defense Technical Information Center, 1988. 593 p. SuDoc: D 7.15/2:89/1.

The search for defense publications can often be an elusive one. Sources and search strategies can appear nebulous at best, and publications frequently do not reach libraries through the traditional depository methods. How to Get It helps to fill this gap.

This is a revised and updated edition of the 1982 version by the same title. It is a reference tool to help identify and/or acquire government published or sponsored documents, maps, patents, specifications or standards, and other resources of interest to the defense and information communities. Its specific purpose is to assist librarians and information specialists who require this information.

The first directory, published in 1973, was born out of a report by the aptly named "Commit tee on Information Hang-ups' Subcommittee on Document Procurement." It was conceived to manage the difficulty in locating those documents that were not indexed, announced, or distributed by the major government information services. Admittedly, personal searches by telephone or letter were time-consuming and often unsuccessful. The need for a directory of this type was clear.

The contents of the guide are limited to technical documents and information resources prepared for, needed by, or of particular interest to the Department of Defense and its contractors. Material included is that produced by or for the Department of Defense, as well as from other sources, such as the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) National Aeronautics and Space Administrations, and the Department of Energy.

The guide is divided into four sections: - - Information resources by type. This is the main section, an alphabetical listing of informational entries by source, document type, acronym, common abbreviations, nicknames or short titles, and/or order number series. Each entry consists of an identification of the item and detailed acquisition information such as source, order forms necessary, cost (if any), where it is indexed, and telephone numbers for additional information. Many entries also include date of update. - - Glossary. An explanation of jargon terms and phrases--such as "accountabil i ty" or " through channe l s " - - is given for those unfamiliar with the lingo of procurement and contracting. - - Update Correction Form. A form is provided for those who find an error or missing information in entries in the guide. The form is to be mailed to the Defense Technical Information Center. Potential new entries are also solicited. - - Bibliography. A listing of references, which contains information about the identification and acquisition of information resources produced by or for the government-- such as the Department of Defense regulations, directives, and instructions, which establish formal preferred channels for acquisition.

The guide does not include --with some exceptions--contractor reports. However, most of these reports are found in NTIS' index, Government Reports Announcements & Index. What is included is a cornucopia of sources that are defense-related. This is not meant to be a detailed sourcebook on all contracting-related information, but a reference tool for information resources. For instance, if a library user, as a prospective contractor with DoD, needs the address of the Society of Automotive Engineers or the American National