The book flowed like a medical drama, easy to pore through in a weekend. Since I was very young when this happened, I knew little of the medical process and the Situation Room briefings that really took place, as this was an event I previously knew through "news flashbacks". ( )

Story of assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan. I had not realized how close he came to dying. It was also revealing to see the chaos in leadership immediately after the attempt. I hope better contingency plans are in place today should something like this happen again. Best quote: "Please tell me you're all Republicans." Dr. Joseph Giordano, a Democrat, replied, "We're all Republicans today."
( )

Wilber is a much greater admirer of Reagan than I am -- and really, enough with the whole respected-the-Oval-Office-too-much-to-wear-shirtsleeves bit, it took me thirty seconds to Google a picture of Reagan in shirtsleeves in the Oval Office. But that aside, this is a pretty interesting and -- inability to Google images of Reagan notwithstanding -- well-researched account of the day Reagan was shot. Recommended if you like these sort of tick-tocks. ( )

Wilber is a much greater admirer of Reagan than I am -- and really, enough with the whole respected-the-Oval-Office-too-much-to-wear-shirtsleeves bit, it took me thirty seconds to Google a picture of Reagan in shirtsleeves in the Oval Office. But that aside, this is a pretty interesting and -- inability to Google images of Reagan notwithstanding -- well-researched account of the day Reagan was shot. Recommended if you like these sort of tick-tocks. ( )

It's OK. I think it's biggest draw is that it does provide a complete, well-written, minute-by-minute set of events of where President Reagan and his Secret Service officers were and their decisions, and also the thoughts of the doctors and nurses who treated him, on the day that he was shot.

However. The first portion and the ending portion of the book, and also peppered throughout, are overblown homages to Reagan and his spot in US Presidential history. He alone is credited with ending the Cold War and the Soviet threat; not once are the names Lech Walensa" of Poland and the late "Vaclev Havel" of then Czechoslovakia mentioned. Not in the index, and not in the book. When the writer ventures into this mythologized, Reagan-as-hero writing, the reason for his writing the book becomes bogged down into glamorizing this polarizing person.

However. He has done amazing research, filled with recollected details, notes, medical records, and even the plans of the hospital where Reagan was taken (torn down in 2003) to better describe the enormity of his injury and how confusing those first few minutes after his shooting were.

It's worth reading with an eye to the political bent." ( )