Reagan's diaries reveal love of God, country and Nancy

God, family and country leap from the pages in the just-released diaries of former President Ronald Reagan, but the cover-to-cover theme in Reagan’s writings from the world stage is his wife, Nancy.

The 784-page “The Reagan Diaries,” edited by Douglas Brinkley, made its debut Monday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, a day before the $35 book’s national release. Nancy Reagan placed two of her late husband’s five maroon, leather-bound diaries in a display case.

Reagan wrote diary notations each night for his eight years as one of the 20th-Century’s most popular presidents, with the exception of a few days after he was shot by John Hinckley Jr. — “Getting shot hurts,” he wrote.

The turbulent sweep of the White House years provides unvarnished details of acrimonious moments with his kids — “Insanity is hereditary you catch it from your kids” — optimism after meeting Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (he refers to him as Gorby) and fears of war in the Middle East — “Sometimes I wonder if we are destined to witness Armageddon.”