Ellroy Reads – Dutch: A memoir of Ronald Reagan by Edmund Morris

The first episode of Ellroy Reads in 2025 looks at one of the strangest presidential biographies ever written. Edmund Morris had achieved widespread acclaim with The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography. But on the back of this success, when he accepted the role of President Reagan’s authorised biographer, Morris suddenly found himself stumped as to what to write about the 40th President of the United States.

Despite unprecedented access to the White House and Reagan during his two terms as President, Morris felt that his subject was fundamentally unknowable. The book that finally emerged, Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan, caused uproar when it was published in 1999 due to Morris introducing fictional elements into the narrative, including a fictional version of himself.

Many of the reviews were scathing, but it found one ardent admirer in James Ellroy. Find out why in the episode below. It feels great to bring the show back with the new year. Thank you all for watching and, if you haven’t already, hit that subscribe button… by executive order!