Speaking My Mind.

First edition of President Reagan's collection of speeches. Octavo, original half cloth, pictorial endpapers, illustrated. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the dedication page, "Dear Elena Alexander With Very Best Wishes. Ronald Reagan Dec. 21- 1989." Additionally signed by Lech Walesa on the half-title page. Lech Wałęsa is a Polish labor leader and statesman who co-founded Solidarity, the first independent trade union in the Soviet bloc, which became a driving force in the struggle against communist rule. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, he later served as President of Poland from 1990 to 1995, playing a central role in the country’s transition to democracy. As president of the United States, Reagan pursued a hardline stance against the Soviet Union, using both military buildup and rhetoric—such as his famous 1987 appeal to “tear down this wall”—to pressure the Eastern Bloc. In Poland, Lech Wałęsa’s leadership of the Solidarity movement mobilized workers and intellectuals against communist rule, weakening Soviet influence in Eastern Europe by demonstrating the power of grassroots resistance. Together, Reagan’s external pressure and Wałęsa’s internal challenge represented complementary forces that strained the legitimacy and resources of the Soviet system. These dynamics contributed to the end of the Cold War in 1991 and the symbolic turning point of the Berlin Wall’s fall on November 9, 1989, marking the collapse of communist control in Eastern Europe. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Barry Littmann. An exceptional piece of history.