The panoramic story of the 1980s, exploring the triumphs and failures of the decade that shaped the 21st century more than any other, from a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter who witnessed the transformations firsthand.
There are useful insights along the way, though none are mind-blowing, and some are banal; and some are incorrect ... Kaufman’s freshest and most interesting contribution is his portrait of Mark Fowler, Reagan’s first chairman of the Federal Communications Commission ... It is frustrating, however, to see how much Kaufman gets wrong about one of the important consequences of this deregulation: the rise of right-wing shock jocks like Rush Limbaugh ... When America Roared is best once Kaufman abandons the market-forged manacles of the 'decade' conceit and turns to his own life story.
Kaufman’s book is a useful guide to the ’80s impact on today, though not a notably novel one. Readers already familiar with the foregrounded people and trends will notice that he doesn’t find a plethora of original angles ... A mostly crisp, occasionally choppy history of a moment shaped by celebrity CEOs and disciplined politicos.
