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This digital document is an article from World Policy Journal, published by World Policy Institute on September 22, 1994. The length of the article is 3770 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: The US files released under the Freedom of Information Act and nicknamed 'Ultra' files highlight the important role played by the US in forming a UN motivated by national interest and altruism. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the US president at the time, even sent spies to other countries to find out their attitudes toward an organization that would include a Security Council with five permanent member countries with veto powers, a General Assembly and a Secretariat. The documents also reveal the role of the US in resisting the French campaign against veto powers and in encouraging a reluctant Soviet Union to become a member of the UN.

Citation Details
Title: FDR's five policemen: creating the United Nations. (Franklin D. Roosevelt, former US president)
Author: Stephen Schlesinger
Publication: World Policy Journal (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 1994
Publisher: World Policy Institute
Volume: v11Issue: n3Page: p88(6)

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Author/illustrator Mike Venezia has been introducing children to great artists and composers for more than 15 years. In his newest series, he brings to life the greatest historical figures of the United States 151 the U.S. presidents. Once again, Mr. Venezia has combined humor with history to make learning fun. Each book is a delightful mix of full-color historical reproductions and photos, hilarious cartoon-style illustrations, and simple, factual text describing each president s path toward the nation s highest office. Author: Mike VeneziaReading Level: Ages 9-12Format: 32 pages, Paperback Publisher: Children s Press (CT) (March 2007) ISBN: 978-0531179451 ... Read more

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Robert H. Jackson was one of the giants of the Roosevelt era: an Attorney General, a still revered Supreme Court Justice and, not least important, one of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's close friends and advisers.His intimate memoir of FDR, written in the early 1950s before Jackson's untimely death, has remained unpublished for fifty years. Here is that newly discovered memoir. Written with skill and grace, this is truly a unique account of the personality, conduct, greatness of character, and common humanity of 'that man in the White House,' as outraged conservatives called FDR. Jackson simply but eloquently provides an insider's view of Roosevelt's presidency, including such crucial events as FDR's Court-packing plan, his battles with corporate America, his decision to seek a third term, and his bold move to aid Britain in 1940 with American destroyers. He also offers an intimate personal portrait of Roosevelt--on fishing trips, in late-night poker games, or approving legislation while eating breakfast in bed, where he routinely began his workday. We meet a president who is far-sighted but nimble in attacking the problems at hand; principled but flexible; charismatic and popular but unafraid to pick fights, take stands, and when necessary, make enemies.That Man is not simply a valuable historical document, but an engaging and insightful look at one of the most remarkable men in American history. In reading this memoir, we gain not only a new appreciation for Roosevelt, but also admiration for Jackson, who emerges as both a public servant of great integrity and skill and a wry, shrewd, and fair-minded observer of politics at the highest level. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Everyday Reader
Robert H. Jackson's insightful and previously unpublished observations of FDR in his presidency appear and are notated in Professor Barrett's THAT MAN in a very readable arrangement.Here is a true and objective account by one who was there and witnessed the inside of the FDRyears in the White House. These Jackson writing's being posthumous adds rarity and validity to the work, making it a true find for serious Roosevelt and Roosevelt period historians.

Robert Jackson Takes the Measure of FDR
This is a very interesting book which adds something of great value to the ever-growing mound of books on FDR.The fact that the manuscript was uncovered in a closet some 50 years after it was written is something for which students of FDR and presidential power can give thanks. It presents an entirely unique view and highly personal perspective on interacting with Roosevelt. Some of the most interesting discussion relates to interacting with FDR and his circle on an informal basis, such as on those fishing trips FDR savored. Also of great interest is the light the book throws on Jackson's own career--from the Treasury, to the SEC, then to Justice where successively Jackson was in the Tax Division, headed the Antitrust Division, became Solicitor General and Attorney General, and ultimately was elevated to the Supreme Court. Along the way we gain a fascinating perspective on such events as the Court Packing plan. The strongest chapter is on "That Man as Politician;" the most interesting "That Man as Companion and Sportsman."The editor has done an outstanding job in providing extensive notes, material from other sources to supplement the narrative, and in providing a biographical directory. But it is Jackson's own narrative skill that makes the book read so well.With a new major biography of Jackson himself on the horizon, this book becomes even more essential.

A refreshing look at our 32nd President
As a long-time admirer of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, I am always intrigued by new books that are published regarding his life or his Presidency.A book from a contemporary source that has such "insider" knowledge of how FDR operated as Robert Jackson is a marvelous addition to the existing literature.

Jackson does not make any promises at the outset of the book except to be objective, and he certainly does meet this goal.Jackson describes FDR as President, Commander-in-Chief, and a human being, outlining his strengths as well as his weaknesses.Jackson makes no excuses for the President when his policies and knowledge did not seem to be best for the country (Jackson even criticizes FDR for his lack of economic knowledge and business sense).

I enjoyed Jackson's writing style (he is considered by many to be one of the best authors to ever sit on the Supreme Court of the United States), and I found that the book was easy to read.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in President Franklin Roosevelt - the stories and anecdotes given in the text make it highly readable, and the examples Jackson provides to detail his points are always logical and related to the subject at hand. ... Read more

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The Inaugural Speeches of the President - Franklin D. Roosevelt

The most popular and loved president of all time.

Elected 4 times. ... Read more

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The longest-serving President in American history, Franklin D Roosevelt led the nation through its two most lethal challenges of the 20th century - the Great Depression and the Second World War. This is a collection of FDR's most stirring speeches, from his First Inaugural Address ('the only thing we have fear is fear itself"), to his speeches outlining the New Deal and opposing the "economic royalty" ("I welcome their hatred"), to his call for a declaration of war with Japan ("a date which will live in infamy"), the Atlantic Charter, and his joint statement with Stalin and Churchill at Yalta. ... Read more

Product Description
Freidel (history emeritus, Harvard U., U. of Washington), whosefour- volume biography of the young FDR concluded with thelaunching of the New Deal, now offers a one-volume completebiography. Although he details Roosevelt's life before hispresidency, the focus is on the Depression and wartime periods.This will probably become the standard one-volume biography. Annotation(c) 2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Dry, Boring Prose
When I read the other reviews I wondered if we had read the same book.Unlike the other reviewers, I thought the prose was dry and the details lacking.I don't really mind that the author has a pro-Roosevelt bias, but he breezes over the highlights of Roosevelt's life without giving out any juicy details.It reminded me of my old high school textbooks.There are better Roosevelt biographies out there.

Destiny Here Means the War, not the Depression
I've revisited this book, which I read years ago, with hopes of including it in my set of recent reviews of books about the Depression of the 1930s. I hear so much ill-informed chatter from self-defined conservatives about the New Deal that I feel an urge to provide the reading material to deepen their understanding. This book, however, although it is the standard biography of FDR in many college classes, offers very little insight into the New Deal years, spending most of its energy on the later wartime FDR. It is unquestionably a book of muted adulation, almost a hagiography, and Roosevelt detractors will find it shallow and irritating at best. Myself a Roosevelt respecter but not partisan, I find it shallow, also, and particularly where it matters most. Freidel describes the politics of FDR's "court packing" failure without analyzing what was really at stake and to what degree FDR's threats forced the American judiciary to reformulate much of the law of labor relations to suit a mixed liberal democracy (liberal in the classic economic sense).
It's not only quixotic but also destructive to swelter in anarcho-capitalist or libertarian myths about FDR and the New Deal. Critics of Roosevelt are advised at least to know their man.

Fast Paced Account of a Very Important President's Life
Obviously, a life like Roosevelt's is hard to condenseinto just one book due to the breadth of its importance and his impact on U.S. history.FDR's complex personality makes it even more difficult.Frank Freidel does a pretty good job of it in "A rendezvous with Destiny."The book starts with a brief look at FDR's early life, and ends with his death just after Yalta.The bulk of the book covers his political years.

I really liked Freidel's account of FDR trying to manipulate gold prices.You really get a good behind the scenes look of FDR trying to implement his programs in the early 1930's.You will discover that FDR was fairly quick to catch on to the danger that Hitler presented to the free world.Amazingly, you will discover how the attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor was either partially brought about, or brought about more quickly by a clerical error while FDR was on one of his many vacations.

I really enjoyed this book.Even if you are a well seasoned student of history, you will find a lot of little known facts, mostly behind the scenes details, in this fine work by Freidel.A great place to start your study of FDR's amazing life.

Not bad, but more "why" is needed
Frank Freidel has written a pretty good book about one of our most complex and admired presidents, but it certainly is not exhaustive. Freidel goes a good job explaining the who, what, where and when, but leaves out the all-important "why" in many of FDR's decisions. I would have loved to read more of FDR's thought processes and what went into his various decisions, especially at the all-important "Big 3" meetings at Tehran and Yalta. For instance, in David McCullough's Pulitzer-Prize winning tome, "Truman," we get plenty of meat on Truman's thoughts during the Potsdam conference - words from his diaries, notes to subordinates, etc. McCullough gives readers dozens and dozens of pages on Truman's analysis and thought processes during the critical conference. In contrast, readers really don't get terrific, exhaustive details in Freidel's book, and it's a letdown. These details separate a good presidential biography from a great one.

However, this is not a horrible book by any stretch. The author offers readers plenty about the 1932 election, FDR's disastrous decision to pack the Supreme Court, his thoughts and actions following Pearl Harbor, FDR's wartime strategy on the home front, his four presidential elections and even his death on April 12, 1945. Freidel covers the milestones of FDR's presidency well, but the devil is in the details. While I have not yet read Conrad Black's mammoth 1,200-page bio on FDR, one would hope it goes deeper than Freidel's 600-page tome. This book is recommended as a starter, or as part of a series of books to understand and study FDR.

The Best FDR Historian -- The Standard FDR Biography
Frank Freidel of Harvard is the greatest historian of Franklin Roosevelt. Freidel spent years researching Roosevelt. He documented more interviews of people in Roosevelt's life than any other historian. His contribution to the historiography of Franklin Roosevelt is unsurpassed.

Freidel originally wrote an outstanding four-volume biography of Franklin Roosevelt that meticulously detailed FDR's life from childhood, through his ordeal with polio, to the early years of FDR's presidency. Read that well-written biography if you want a deep understanding of the man and his times. Freidel never finished that multi-volume biography of Roosevelt into the war years; it was suppose to be six volumes.

Instead, Freidel wrote this excellent one-volume Roosevelt biography called Rendezvous with Destiny, which condenses Freidel's lifelong research into one volume. The coverage of FDR's early years and Eleanor Roosevelt's story are especially excellent. This is the standard reference biography of Franklin Roosevelt by probably the best historian of Roosevelt.

This biography starts with a superb background into Roosevelt's early life in upper class New York. His personal life was fascinating. FDR was born secure and confident. His mother was assertive and doted on her only child. Franklin attended Groton and Harvard. He loved to sail and greatly admired his cousin Theodore Roosevelt. He courted Eleanor, married, and then chose a life of public service - then a nasty world of politics. This biography details Roosevelt's New Deal programs, how he achieved his legislative goals, and who the other players were. Freidel briefly, yet vividly, describes the Great Depression era. If you read only one book about Franklin Roosevelt, this would probably be your best choice.

However, I thought that something was missing. Because Freidel of Harvard sticks closely to the strict rules of historians, he rarely provides opinions or commentary. There are no opinionated points of view - just the accurate events of FDR and his times. The book could have been better at describing the epic drama of World War II.

Readers should supplement this book with a great book on World War II, such as the masterpiece A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II by Gerhard Weinberg or the masterpiece Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich by William Shirer. After first reading Freidel's biography of FDR, I would then read the massive Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion Of Freedom by Conrad Black, which covers the war years extensively and brilliantly, and is loaded with opinions and juicy insider tidbits.

For the Great Depression years, readers should consider Arthur Schlesinger's three-volume Age of Roosevelt history of the Great Depression era. If you are interested further in FDR's fascinating private life, read Geoffrey Ward's award-winning A First-Class Temperament: The Emergence of Franklin Roosevelt.

This book would be a great first book to read about FDR. If you were to judge this book on historical accuracy, then you would have to give the book the highest rating possible. However, people highly interested in the era, especially the war, will need to read other books.
... Read more

Product Description

A brief, thorough introduction to the life and times of the most influential and effective president in modern America, this volume is ideal for students researching the Great Depression or World War II.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was one of the best and most influential presidents in U.S. history. Successfully guiding the stricken nation through the Great Depression and World War II, FDR also forever changed the office of the President of the United States and the future course of American politics. The scion of a wealthy upstate New York family, and cousin to President Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt was beloved by ordinary Americans and reviled by the elite as a class traitor for his New Deal policies. Here, FDR's life from childhood to midlife struggle with crippling polio to his death in office in 1944 is detailed, offering both personal and public perspectives.

Starting with his privileged prep school and Harvard upbringing, readers follow this masterful politician's development as New York senator and Assistant Secretary of the Navy during World War I. During a brief retreat from the public eye, Roosevelt is struck by polio and regroups personally and professionally. Next comes his triumphant return to national politics and his election to president in 1932. The pivotal years during which he was elected president an unprecedented four times during the Depression and World War II round out the final third of the book. An annotated bibliography and index conclude the work.

Customer Reviews (1)

Costs Too Much for Kindle Book
This outrageous price must be the result of the MacMillan deal. Considering Jean Edward Smith's masterful FDR is still at the more reasonable price of $9.99 I don't think there's much question which book I'll be choosing. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Roosevelt legacy
Very nice compilation of Roosevelt writings to Stalin, had he lived a while longer we might've had a better world!

Responding to Another Review that is not Quite Accurate
This review is in response to the other review here that suggests the Yalta myth. For background information, one misleading myth invented to smear FDR is that he sold-out Eastern Europe in the Yalta agreement, but that's simply not true. The Yalta agreement called for "free and unfettered elections" in Eastern Europe and "the right of all people to choose the form of government under which they will live - the restoration of sovereign rights and self-government" to the people of Eastern Europe. I urge everyone to actually read the Yalta agreement.

This is what the Yalta agreement actually says:
-------------------
II. DECLARATION OF LIBERATED EUROPE
The following declaration has been approved:
The Premier of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the President of the United States of America have consulted with each other in the common interests of the people of their countries and those of liberated Europe. They jointly declare their mutual agreement to concert during the temporary period of instability in liberated Europe the policies of their three Governments in assisting the peoples liberated from the domination of Nazi Germany and the peoples of the former Axis satellite states of Europe to solve by democratic means their pressing political and economic problems.

The establishment of order in Europe and the rebuilding of national economic life must be achieved by processes which will enable the liberated peoples to destroy the last vestiges of nazism and fascism and to create democratic institutions of their own choice. This is a principle of the Atlantic Charter - the right of all people to choose the form of government under which they will live - the restoration of sovereign rights and self-government to those peoples who have been forcibly deprived to them by the aggressor nations.

To foster the conditions in which the liberated people may exercise these rights, the three governments will jointly assist the people in any European liberated state or former Axis state in Europe where, in their judgment conditions require,

(a) to establish conditions of internal peace;
(b) to carry out emergency relief measures for the relief of distressed peoples;
(c) to form interim governmental authorities broadly representative of all democratic elements in the population and pledged to the earliest possible establishment through free elections of Governments responsive to the will of the people; and
(d) to facilitate where necessary the holding of such elections.
The three Governments will consult the other United Nations and provisional authorities or other Governments in Europe when matters of direct interest to them are under consideration.
When, in the opinion of the three Governments, conditions in any European liberated state or former Axis satellite in Europe make such action necessary, they will immediately consult together on the measure necessary to discharge the joint responsibilities set forth in this declaration.

By this declaration we reaffirm our faith in the principles of the Atlantic Charter, our pledge in the Declaration by the United Nations and our determination to build in cooperation with other peace-loving nations world order, under law, dedicated to peace, security, freedom and general well-being of all mankind.

In issuing this declaration, the three powers express the hope that the Provisional Government of the French Republic may be associated with them in the procedure suggested.

VII. POLAND
The following declaration on Poland was agreed by the conference:
"A new situation has been created in Poland as a result of her complete liberation by the Red Army. This calls for the establishment of a Polish Provisional Government which can be more broadly based than was possible before the recent liberation of the western part of Poland. The Provisional Government which is now functioning in Poland should therefore be reorganized on a broader democratic basis with the inclusion of democratic leaders from Poland itself and from Poles abroad. This new Government should then be called the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity.

"M. Molotov, Mr. Harriman and Sir A. Clark Kerr are authorized as a commission to consult in the first instance in Moscow with members of the present Provisional Government and with other Polish democratic leaders from within Poland and from abroad, with a view to the reorganization of the present Government along the above lines. This Polish Provisional Government of National Unity shall be pledged to the holding of free and unfettered elections as soon as possible on the basis of universal suffrage and secret ballot. In these elections all democratic and anti-N azi parties shall have the right to take part and to put forward candidates.

"When a Polish Provisional of Government National Unity has been properly formed in conformity with the above, the Government of the U.S.S.R., which now maintains diplomatic relations with the present Provisional Government of Poland, and the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the United States of America will establish diplomatic relations with the new Polish Provisional Government National Unity, and will exchange Ambassadors by whose reports the respective Governments will be kept informed about the situation in Poland.

"The three heads of Government consider that the eastern frontier of Poland should follow the Curzon Line with digressions from it in some regions of five to eight kilometers in favor of Poland. They recognize that Poland must receive substantial accessions in territory in the north and west. They feel that the opinion of the new Polish Provisional Government of National Unity should be sought in due course of the extent of these accessions and that the final delimitation of the western front."
-----------------
Ronald Reagan wrote in his autobiography "An American Life" (page 305) that, as president, he sincerely wrote to the Soviet leadership and insisted that they honor their commitment to freedom in Eastern Europe as expressed in the Yalta agreement. He wrote that he "proposed that the Polish people only be given the right to self-determination that had been promised to them by Joseph Stalin himself at the Yalta Conference. At Yalta, I reminded them, Stalin had promised Poland and all the countries of Eastern Europe the right of self-determination, but the Soviets had never granted it to any of them."

According to "The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism" by Paul Kengor (pages 211-212), on the fortieth anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, Reagan declared, "Let me state emphatically that we reject any interpretation of the Yalta agreement that suggests American consent for the division of Europe into Spheres of influence. On the contrary, we see that agreement as a pledge by the three great powers to restore full independence and to allow free and democratic elections in all countries liberated from the Nazis after World War II and there is no reason to absolve the Soviet Union or ourselves from this commitment." Yalta did not sell-out Eastern Europe. Indeed, Yalta required the opposite.

I urge everyone to simply read what the Yalta agreement actually says. You can read it on the Internet. The agreement, you will see, is very favorable to the West and the people of Eastern Europe.

What the letters in this book show is that FDR maneuvered to keep the Allies together long enough to destroy Adolf Hitler but that the tensions of the Cold War were forged in World War II. The Soviet Union lost 17 million people in World War II while America lost 400,000. FDR needed to keep the Soviets from quitting the war until America was ready to liberate Europe. FDR was a poker player in real life and was excellent at the game of diplomacy, including bluffing and shmoozing with meaningless shmooze. Then at the end, FDR shrewdly got Stalin to sign the Yalta agreement, which was very favorable to the West and the people of Eastern Europe.

In fact, Stalin's advisor urged him not to sign it. After FDR died, Stalin broke the promises agreed in writing at Yalta, and FDR's successors - Truman and Eisenhower - did nothing about it. Truman gave Soviet foreign minister Molitov "a tongue lashing," demanding that they honor the promises. With Soviet armies in Eastern Europe, there was probably little that Truman and Eisenhower could do short of another world war, which the American public did not support. Instead, Truman and Eisenhower used the policy of containment.

It's amazing that this myth continues to bamboozle people who are too lazy to check the facts.

Really insightful!Fantastic read and research book
This is a really good resource book to have.A friend gave it to me as a gift, and jsut as I thought I already knew everything about WWII, this book surprises me with new facts straight from Stalin and Roosevelt themselves!The book guides you through each president's thought process and how they dance through political fires with wit and strategy.Roosevelt is much more fascinating now that I see how he thinks.I wished this book has some pictures I can refer to.That will be even better.Highly recommended if you want to read about 2 impt leaders and WWII.

In Black and White--the Betrayal of Poland
The review you posted by Publishers Weekly literally made me want to gag. This book is not a "history junkie's delight"; it is the essence of Poland's 50 year nightmare from 1939 to 1989.

As a retried U.S. military officer and Polish-American baby-boomer whose father fought at places like Iwo Jima during WWII, I have great interest in the betrayal of Poland during WWII.Anyone who knows about the Katyn Forest Massacre (done by Dear Mr. Stalin), the Warsaw Rising of 44 (when Dear Mr. Stalin refused to allow the Allies to come to the aid of the people of Warsaw) and the mass deportations and genocide against the Polish people, will be highly interested in this book.

A great percentage of the letters are about the "Polish Problem." And I am afraid the Polish Problem still exists today whereby people glorify the contributions of the Soviet Union led by a mass-murderer whilst at the same time being almost totally ignorant of the contributions of Poland to the defeat of Nazi Germany.The effectiveness and impact of Poles of the 1st Polish Armored Division, the two Polish Fighter Squadrons during the Battle of Britain, and the Poish heroics and sacrifices at places like Monte Cassino are either unknown or minimized. To this, add the contributions of hundreds of thousands of Polish Americans, sons and grandsons of Poland, like my father and more famous (maybe not so famous) Polish Americans like Col Gabreski and Lt Col Urban.

At Amazon.com, you stock books like "A Question of Honor" which should be read by all those who want to truly know what wartime misery is all about. Shame on anyone who tries to varnish or glorify the abject misery that Stalin (not Hitler) brought to his own people but especially to the Polish nation. ... Read more

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Dive deep into the story of Franklin D. Roosevelt's life anywhere you go: on a plane, on a mountain, in a canoe, under a tree.Or grab a flashlight and read Shmoop under the covers.Shmoop's award-winning Biographies are now available on your eReader. Shmoop eBooks are like having a trusted, fun, chatty, expert always by your side, no matter where you are (or how late it is at night).Shmoop Biographies offer fresh perspectives on great thinkers and doers. The biography includes a life story, family tree, resume of important works and accomplishments, jaw-dropping trivia and anecdotes, memorable quotes, and a timeline of formative events,Best of all, Shmoop's analysis aims to look at people from multiple points of view to give you the fullest understanding.After all, "there is no history, only histories" (Karl Popper). Experts and educators from top universities, including Stanford, UC Berkeley, and Harvard, have written guides designed to engage you and to get your brain bubbling. Shmoop is here to make you a better lover (of literature, history, life...) and to help you make connections to other historical moments, works of literature, current events, and pop culture. These learning guides will help you sink your teeth into the past.For more information, check out http://www.shmoop.com/biography ... Read more

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The complete Inaugural Addresses of the US Presidents."With malice toward none, with charity for all.""The only thing we have to fear is -- fear itself.""Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". ... Read more

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Few American presidents have exercised their constitutional authority as commander in chief with more determination than Franklin D. Roosevelt. He intervened in military operations more often and to better effect than his contemporaries Churchill and Stalin, and maneuvered events so that the Grand Alliance was directed from Washington. In this expansive history, Eric Larrabee examines the extent and importance of FDR's wartime leadership through his key military leaders-Marshall, King, Arnold, MacArthur, Vandergrift, Nimitz, Eisenhower, Stilwell, and LeMay.

Devoting a chapter to each man, the author studies Roosevelt's impact on their personalities, their battles (sometimes with each other), and the consequences of their decisions. He also addresses such critical subjects as Roosevelt's responsibility for the war and how well it achieved his goals. First published in 1987, this comprehensive portrait of the titans of the American military effort in World War II is available in a new paperback edition for the first time in sixteen years. 735 pages. 6 line drawings. Paperback. 6 x 9 inches. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

The Man and His Men
This book is an impressive study of U.S. strategy during the Second World War.The title, though, is misleading.The name of the book suggests it is an account of civil-military relations on how Roosevelt interacted with his primary lieutenants.Although that focus is part of this work, there is a lot more to this history than just how FDR worked with a series of flag officers.Larrabee explains, "An essential theme of this book has been leadership, the intangible quality that empowers human beings to influence events through their influence on others" (p. 623).

Roosevelt, of course, is the person with the most influence, but a number of others had an impact on the course of this war.Larrabee provides his readers with deftly drawn portraits of: General of the Army George C. Marshall, Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King, General of the Army Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, Major General Alexander A. Vandergrift, General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Joseph W. Stillwell and Major General Curtis C. LeMay.

One can quibble with these selections, but only a bit.Larabee examines the course of the conflict in the air, land, and sea--a balance that is often lacking in military histories.It does seem, though, that his primary focus is on ground operations and the U.S. Army.The absence of Admirals William F. Halsey, Jr. and Raymond A. Spruance is a bit surprising.Stillwell and Vandergrift, though, are important selections who often get overlooked.Vandergrift and LeMay were primarily operational commanders and had little to no contact with FDR.Their personalities had a big impact in campaigns they initiated and, in turn, the course of the war.

It is also worth noting that Larrabee is more than just a group biographer.He depicts the actual course of combat, showing the impact his subjects had on the war.His coverage of the actual shooting is simple, but informative.

It is clear that the general reader and the military professional will enjoy and profit from this read.

Excellent
This is one of the best written studies on Roosevelt's commanders in WWII. It is detailed and interesting without being wordy. Great read for any WWII buff.

A Grand Look at the U.S. Commanders in WWII
I picked this book up not by choice in the beginning. I had to have it for a WWII class; I thought the book was going to put a strain on my already hectic schedule. Not the case at all.

This book was outstanding and Larrabee did an excellent job showing the mental, physical, and emotional strain on our leaders. The book is written in profiles so the book started with FDR and worked its way to Lemay for the ending. The profiles do not have to be read consecutively. The profiles were great descriptions with the Vandergrift profile being my favorite. Larrabee did an excellent job describing the Marines battles through their leader General Vandergrift. The profile on FDR showed that he had more strengths than weaknesses. The only apparent weakness being his health. Larrabee does an excellent portrayal of all the leaders and seemed a bit put off by Macarthur. Macarthur's profile was definately the most damning one in the book.

I agree with the one review that says this book should be read. This was a time when our country was united as one. Larrabee also does an excellent look at the Japanese command in the book. He has an in depth history of the Chinese Burma theatre. The book is a great starting point with WWII because the foundations are laidin leadership. Larrabee shows that the war was one with the competence of many great leaders during that time.

He also lead me to ask myself one question. Could FDR run his type of war in present time. I mean he did intern and imprison thousands of Japanese on the West Coast that had done nothing at all. He attacked Germany who never attacked the U.S. It was Japan who struck us on Dec. 7, 1941 not Germany. FDR saw the impending danger of Hitler and struck his head before there was a chance for attack. Maybe History needs to be read more often so future mistakes are not based on lack of knowledge. Also Larrabee shows that FDR did have enemies and the Chicago Tribune leaked a war plan against the Japanese. Thank God the Japanese did not heed this plan.

Larrabee shows there is always opposition against our leaders. FDR had the fortitude to stand up for what he believed and protect the world. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone interested in leadership or WWII.

Superlative
I purchased this book many years ago when it was first published, but only recently got around to reading much of it.I was extremely impressed at the author's critical analysis of the major players.In terms of detailed biographical sketches and rigorous organization, it lapses from time to time and often spends several pages in diversions about subordinates.What was particularly strong about Commander in Chief, however, was the perspectival discussions on the talents and importance of individual flag officers.I was particularly impressed with the discussion of Eisenhower which was the best I've seen.Larrabee actually gives him more praise and regard than his own son did in the recent Ike: the Soldier.For once, Eisenhower comes across as a powerful and commanding figure in his own right, rather than as a fortunate protege of General Marshall.Indeed, Larrabee explains in a perfectly plausible fashion why Eisenhower was a better choice for overall European command in 1944 and beyond.Although it does tend to wander at times, Commander in Chief is finely written and makes for enjoyable, informative reading.I recommend it highly.

Required at Military Academies...should be in schools!
Eric Larrabee not only gives the facts about these men and what made them tick, he backs it up with real OFFICIAL memoranda from the time, often from more than just 2 or 3 sources.His study of Douglas MacArthur is outstanding.What MacArthur apologists won't tell you is that this book is required reading at all US military academies.It should be required in all high schools as well.Well written, well done! ... Read more

Product Description
"No president since the founders has done more to shape the character of American government," notes Alan Brinkley in this magnificent biography of America's thirty-second president. "And no president since Lincoln has served through darker or more difficult times. Roosevelt thrived in crisis. It brought out his greatness, and his guile. It triggered his almost uncanny ability to communicate effectively with people of all kinds. And at times, it helped him excoriate his enemies, and to revel in doing so."
----- This brilliant, compact biography chronicles Franklin Delano Roosevelt's rise from a childhood of privilege to a presidency that forever changed the face of international diplomacy, the American party system, and the government's role in global and domestic policy. Brinkley, the National Book Award-winning New Deal historian, provides a clear, concise introduction to Roosevelt's sphinx-like character and remarkable achievements. In a vivid narrative packed with telling anecdotes, the book moves swiftly from Roosevelt's youth in upstate New York--characterized by an aristocratic lifestyle of trips to Europe and private tutoring--to his schooling at Harvard, his brief law career, and his initial entry into politics. From there, Brinkley chronicles Roosevelt's rise to the presidency, a position in which FDR remained until death, through an unparalleled three-plus terms in office. Throughout the book, Brinkley elegantly blends FDR's personal life with his professional one, providing a lens into the President's struggles with polio and his somewhat distant relationship with the first lady.
----- Franklin Delano Roosevelt led the United States through the worst economic crisis in the nation's history and through the greatest and most terrible war ever recorded. His extraordinary legacy remains alive in our own troubled new century as a reminder of what bravery and strong leadership can accomplish. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Very insightful Point Of Interest(s), indeed insightful and research in depth, BRAVO!! review by Alex Hin Ting Lam
Professor Alan Brinkley capture my attention with in depth research and supported thoughts! Informing, revealing in the pursuit of his research and study of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The book keeps me wanting to know more and I did read on till the last page in one occasion.

I highly recommend it.

Honest and amazingly comprehensive given its length
Short review called for, I think.The author had a very tough assigment:write an under 100 page study of FDR, one of the giants of American life. Include important aspects of his personal history along with the key political events, and add carefully considered commentary where needed.To succeed Brinkley needed to have deep knowledge of both the man and the times, which he clearly does. And he had to know what could be left out without losing the critical parts of the story. In this short volume a great deal of context is absent and a lot of rich detail is missing. But it is difficult to imagine a better 100 page biography than Brinkley's. Critics from the right will say it is a favorable protrait, and it is - in the main. Brinkley believes we were lucky to have FDR in charge during those challenging times. But FDR's faults are discussed. His deceptions and manipulations are examined, for example, as are the potential psychological sources for same. There is a lot here, but hopefully most readers will use it as a launching point to delve deeper. Certainly this book will give them a sense of why that will be time well spent.

Splendid and badly-needed concise life and interpretation of FDR
This book is not only badly-needed, but it is a splendid concise life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and a thoughtful, shrewd, and learned interpretation of his career by one of America's best historians.The prose is admirably lucid and clear, with occasional elegant turns of phrase.It is never dull (I bought it and read it the same day).And it is remarkably judicious, thoughtful, and even-handed.Brinkley effectively conveys just how experimental, pragmatic, political, and sometimes inconsistent and manipulative Roosevelt was, without traducing the man.All great politicians find themselves drifting or plunging into inconsistency and manipulativeness, and FDR was no exception.Brinkley also deals, concisely yet with sure footing and admirable clarity, with such loaded controversies as whether Roosevelt knew that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was imminent (Brinkley's answer is that he knew that an attack was coming somewhere in the Pacific, but that he had no clue that the target was going to be Pearl Harbor).Brinkley is no idolator of FDR, but he also is honest about his fascination with and ultimate admiration for Roosevelt, and he clinches his case in fewer than 100 pages.Highest recommendation.

A succinct Roosevelt
What a concept; an insightful and mostly inclusive small book. One that does not level down to a reader, but certainly does fight the bigger is better philosophy. In this busy life it is sometimes overwhelming to be faced with a biography that is huge - this book solves that problem. The statements that do create curiosity can be furthered researched and investigated, such as one that states Roosevelt's struggle to recover from his bout of polio made him more self-centered; little if nothing had been said of Roosevelt's self-center ness before in the pages on his earlier life.
Thirty two pages of the 99 are dedicated to Roosevelt's presidential legislation to lift the nation out of the Great Depression; buthis early years and his politics before are not forgotten. Brinkley even includes the little said quote of Churchill's, when he heard of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor; "So we have won after all".
This is indeed an amazingly complete biography that touches on all the important details of Franklin Roosevelt's life. It is a good buy and would be ideal for someone wishing to have a good overview of the well-regarded politician.
... Read more

Product Description

This is the first volume to chronicle the story of the evolution of the symbiotic relationship between the presidential press secretaries and reporters who covered White House news during the terms of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Author Woody Klein has been both a reporter (for the Washington Post and the New York World-Telegram & Sun) and a press secretary himself to New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay, who ran for president in 1972. The book reveals how the presidential press secretaries' role has evolved from old-fashioned public relations into a smooth-working system of releasing news and responding to reporters' questions at daily briefings by portraying the president in the best possible light. Klein ferrets out fresh, anecdotal information and includes interviews with nationally known personalities—including former White House press secretaries and notable journalists who have covered the White House. He brings to life the personalities and views of every presidential spokesman on how the job has grown in stature as the press secretaries or spinmeisters have become high-profile officials.

Klein reveals how the tension between government and the media—normally healthy in any democracy—has resulted in the manipulation of facts and the release of favorable official news. It started subtly in the Roosevelt administration and has been carefully honed with the transformation of the media in the information and technology revolution; he shows how it has been refined to the point where it is now recognized for what it is: slanting or packaging the news in favor of the president to make it acceptable—even desired—by the public. Perception quickly becomes reality, and once the facts of a situation have been accepted by the establishment—politicians and the press alike—it becomes virtually impossible to change people's minds about them. The book documents scores of examples of White House spin by topic rather than chronologically—for example, how different press secretaries managed the news in wartime, in foreign policy, in scandals, and in a host of domestic issues such as education and national disasters. Twenty-three press secretaries are included. The most notable among them are Steve Early (Roosevelt), James Hagerty (Eisenhower), Pierre Salinger (Kennedy), Bill Moyers (Johnson), Ron Ziegler (Nixon), Marlin Fitzwater (Reagan and G. H. W. Bush), Dee Dee Myers (Clinton), Mike McCurry (Clinton), Joe Lockhart (Clinton), Ari Fleischer (Bush), Scott McClellan (Bush), and Tony Snow (Bush).

Customer Reviews (2)

Great book by someone with experience...
I really enjoyed this book. The author has clearly done the research and work to create a very readable, accessible book. I especially enjoyed how the history and evolution of the press secretary's role itself was traced, all the way from Roosevelt to the end of the Bush administration.

And, as the other reviewer mentioned, the way the book was arranged, by challenges faced rather than simply chronologically really made the book even more interesting. It was good to see and hear the story from the other side things, so to speak.I did find myself a bit more sympathetic to what this very tough job entails, although I still found it difficult to stomach much of what the Bush administration presented as it's take. I've always felt they were the masters when it came to double-speak and spin.

Perhaps because they did their job so well and the press lost its way in those years, We the People lost in so many ways.I guess I was waiting for the author to get tougher on them. He never did, but this was still a book well worth the time.

Fantastic but for one thing
I am a political journalist, and I looked forward to this book with great anticipation around Christmastime.The great aspects of the book are several in number.First of all, for anyone who has followed American politics, many of the people in Woody Klein's book are known quantities.That is to say, everyone has seen Ronald Ziegler evading and lying through his teeth, Marlon Fitzwater yucking it up, Ari Fleischer being combative and, tragically, Jim Brady lying in a puddle of blood on a sidewalk.Mr Klein's book fleshes all of these people out beyond what we already know from having seen them on TV a million times, and that is wonderful.The second thing is that the author has chosen to divide the book up not by press secretary, offering a short biography of each, but by issue, examining the way in which press secretaries react to categories of occurrences such as domestic crises, the Cold War, global issues and presidential scandals.I consider that to be an excellent way to present the information.Third, the book contains quite a few excerpts from actual press conferences, and that provides a really stellar look at the give-and-take in the relationship between the White House press corps and the press secretary of the day -- combative in some instances, jovial in others.

The four, not five stars are due to something that absolutely drives me mad -- the apparent failure of anyone to proofread the damn thing!Once again fulsome praise is given in the acknowledgement section to lists of editors who apparently should all be sacked for incompetence.In just one paragraph of "All the President's Spokesmen" we find the sentence "Bill Moyers [..] has since become one of the nations most highly respected television commentators" and "... he said: 'Potomac Fever can produce a bloated sensation--particularly in the area of the ego--that causes press secretaries to take themselves much too seriously,' he said."There is a difference between "nations" and "nation's" even if they do sound the same, and two "he saids" in one sentence is simply one "he said" too many.That said, I would imagine that there are plenty of fans of politics and journalism who do not grind their teeth at the impending collapse of the English language.They, like I, will enjoy this book, only a bit more for keeping their teeth safe. ... Read more

Product Description
This selection entitled The Executive Collection: Franklin Roosevelt, includes 49 speeches dictated by the 32 president of the United States.Including, his inaugural address, Democratic National Convention, Social Security Act, Declaration of War and virtually every other speech and conversation related to World War II. Selection includes an active table of contents with original dates of speeches.

Excerpt from "Remarks on the Recession":
Five years ago we faced a very serious problem of economic and social recovery. For four and a half years that recovery proceeded apace. It is only in the past seven months that it has received a visible setback.

And it is only within the past two months, as we have waited patiently to see whether the forces of business itself would counteract it, that it has become apparent that government itself can no longer safely fail to take aggressive government steps to meet it".
... Read more

Product Description

No Ordinary Time is a monumental work, a brilliantly conceived chronicle of one of the most vibrant and revolutionary periods in the history of the United States.With an extraordinary collection of details, Goodwin masterfully weaves together a striking number of story lines--Eleanor and Franklin's marriage and remarkable partnership, Eleanor's life as First Lady, and FDR's White House and its impact on America as well as on a world at war.Goodwin effectively melds these details and stories into an unforgettable and intimate portrait of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt and of the time during which a new, modern America was born.

Customer Reviews (161)

Goodwin's reserve, alows her bookto become essential reading
Goodwin tells the inside story of the FDR's White House during World War II. To her credit, Goodwin delivers a solid, scholarly review exploring the personal motivations and complex interaction between Franklyn, Eleanor and their colorful inner circle. Goodwin could have easily cooked this book into a scandal rag. For example, both Franklyn and Eleanor carried on hushed (but by no means secret) love affairs within the White House walls. However, because of Goodwin's reserve, her book should become essential reading if you wish to fully understand FDR's White House. At the book's core is a unique couple who both first rise above their family pedigree and then overcome their personal fears and handicaps to achieve something extraordinary (i.e. the title, "No Ordinary Time"). Eleanor conquers her social shyness to champion the poor, instigating a number of new domestic programs and policies. Franklyn's personal stamina negates his hidden paralysis. His iron will is even more impressive as he defies his own party and strategically delays America's troop deployment into the battlefields of WWII. I recently tried reading (but failed to finish) Gore Vidal's "The Golden Age." It is historical fcition covering the exact same subject matter. Strangely, I found the fictional account to be stiff and the historical account to be heartfelt. Why settle for fiction when the facts are so fascinating?

No Ordinary Time
Like all Doris Goodwin's books, this was beautifully written and easy to read.
I recommend this book on FDR as one of the best.

No Ordinary Time
This book was recommended to me. We were traveling to the Hudson River Valley and were going to stop at Hyde Park. Began the book before we reached FDR's house and am still reading it two weeks later. Yes, it's long, but so well written and so full of fascinating information about two exceptional people. Today's politics is disgusting and irreverent and it's helped me to learn that things haven't changed that much since FDR's days. I have come to admire Eleanor greatly through this read and feel I now have a true picture of their relationship and their contributions to history during what was "No Ordinary Time".

Portrait of a couple, and of a nation
For those who say a man must be a good father and husband in order to be a good leader, I recommend this book to you.Authored by one of America's most famous female historians, this book follows the lives of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt thru their 2nd, 3rd and 4th terms in the White House.The book looks at their personal and public lives, and how they influenced each other, and the history of the world.Written in chronological order, the book covers war planning, domestic politics, the race issue, labor relations, the public growth of Eleanor Roosevelt, along with the lives of numerous residents and visitors to the White House such as Winston Churchill, the Roosevelt children and friends, and the many attractive women who intrigued FDR, some of whom were possible mistresses.What comes across is their respective abilities with people.There is Franklin's ability to communicate with people in person or en masse, and to steer them towards a common goal, which is the essence of leadership.Then there is Eleanor's ability to empathize with people, to understand their wants and needs and to work to help them.What also comes across is the story of Washington's first true power couple, both of whom are so occupied with longer horizons that neither can make the concessions needed to create a happy family.It is clear that FDR cheated on his wife, with multiple women most likely.And the book suggests that Eleanor in turn cheated on FDR, though of a less sexual nature.This failure in marital relations was passed onto their children.The 4 sons went thru 18 marriages between them, and their one daughter also went thru a divorce.The book clearly illustrates how sacrifices for public service often include a ruined family life.So overall, a very insightful and important book about American history, and how history is made by people making decisions on a daily basis often under less than perfect circumstances.

Good Stuff - You'll learn something

Doris Kearns Goodwin hit it out of the park with this one. (Please excuse the obvious baseball metaphor.) The book is a biographical study of Franklin & Eleanor during the FDR years in the White House. The subject itself has all the potential of being a very factual yet boring Sleeper. However, with the author's skill, it turns out to be a biographical Page-Turner. So often books about the FDR administration tend to be either printed tributes to the Roosevelts OR simply a negative display of the author's political differences with the FDR legacy. The book "No Ordinary Time" shows a more humanistic view of two people that left very large foot prints as they went through life. Coincidently, they happened to be in the center of the world's stage at the time. The reader is left to interpret the consequences of those foot prints. ... Read more

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Advance Praise

"Fascinating and well researched.... Dr. Swift is the first to concentrate on this unusual subject with such a wealth of sympathetic detail."
–Sarah Bradford, author of America’s Queen: The Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth: A Biography of Britain’s Queen, and The Reluctant King: The Life and Reign of George VI, 1895—1952

"A splendid addition to our understanding of an extraordinary Anglo-American partnership. Both intimate and expansive, Will Swift’s vigorously researched book is timely, illuminating, and dramatic."
–Blanche Wiesen Cook, author of Eleanor Roosevelt, Vol. 1: 1884-1933 and Eleanor Roosevelt, Vol. 2: The Defining Years, 1933-1938

"The Anglo-American alliance has long been a bedrock of the global order, and Will Swift’s The Roosevelts and the Royals details an important chapter in that fascinating story with warmth and verve."
–Jon Meacham, author of Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship

"Those who remember only that the Roosevelts served hot dogs to the royals will be fascinated by this well-researched account of an historic and ennobling relationship–a great story!"
–James MacGregor Burns, author of The Three Roosevelts: Patrician Leaders Who Transformed America and Roosevelt: Soldier of Freedom

"A gripping account of four very different lives that were woven together to change the world in wartime."
–Hugo Vickers, author of Cecil Beaton and Alice: Princess Andrew of Greece

"Written in fluid and lucid prose, this book is not only eminently readable but also historically illuminating. It explores the contrasting personalities of the four main protagonists with skill and insight and it is both convincing and refreshingly candid."
–Brian Roberts, author of Randolph: A Study of Churchill’s Son and Cecil Rhodes and the Princess

"This book brings to life my grandmother and her royal friends. Reading it, I found myself reliving the times I shared with them. A wonderful story."
–Nina Roosevelt Gibson, Ph.D., psychologist and granddaughter of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

The Human Dimension of History
We often loose sight of the reality that even the most globally sweeping events in history are ultimately influenced by the individual personalities of the protagonists. Broad political and economic forces are certainly the context and catalysts behind major historical developments, but the actual sequence and nature of events can often be most fully understood by an analysis of the psychological and emotional temperament of the key players in the drama.Will Swift's fascinating study of one paradigm moment in the history of the 20th Century clearly illustrates this premise.In clear, colorful and energetic prose, he unfolds the narrative of the evolving relationships between two of the most influential married couples of the century, Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.The fascinating counterpoint of both parallels and contrasts between the respective partners themselves and the two couples, are traced with the evident professional expertise that Dr. Swift brings to this study as a psychotherapist. Of particular interest are his portraits of the First Lady and the Queen.The unsensationalist, candid and sympathetic discussion of Eleanor's intimate relationship with Lorena Hickcok is nothing less than the coming of age of Roosevelt scholarship, which for too long has been unable to confront this dimension of the story with the calm objectivity it calls for.And for those of us for whom the Queen Mother was little more than a silent, smiling, waving icon with extravagant hats for the past fifty years, this portrait brings a remarkably strong and intelligent woman to life.

While the narrative builds up to its symbolic climax with the Windsor's famous visit to Hyde Park in June 1939, all of the complex events, personalities and issues surrounding the alliance of the United States and Great Britain in the years preceding and following World War II, are covered and synthesized with clarity.And while the focus is certainly the War years, the respective chapters offer comprehensive and intriguing personality-centered biographies of the four individuals whose lives they weave together.

I have long been an admirer and student of both the Roosevelts and of British royalty - a combination that is not unlikely, and clearly has contemporary parallels in the popular linkage between Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana and their respective personalities and experiences.I found "The Roosevelts and the Royals" a wonderful addition to the literature of both Anglo-American relations, and the distinctive culture of both countries. It's a great read, fun and even suspenseful as it's subject unfolds... the lavish praise of the leading scholars of the Roosevelts and the Royal Family are richly deserved !

"Padded" history of a political friendship
The professional book review cited by Amazon really says it all about this book. The author's premise - that the Roosevelts and King George VI & Elizabeth had an extra-special relationship - is very overreaching, and padded to the nth degree.I guess that Hugo Vickers (per the Author's introduction) who is supposed to have read it from cover to cover before publishing, didn't notice the flawed research, the melodramatic phrasing, and repetition of hoary old gossip as the truth.I am so glad I only borrowed this from the library and didn't waste my money on a purchase.

A Brilliant Account of Fascinating Historical Figures
If you like a blend of biography and history as I do, you will love this book. Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth are vividly portrayed here. Their alliance and, later friendship, and their commitment to mix charm and duty for the public good are set against Joseph Kennedy and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's self-serving attempts to gain attention and power. The author, a psychologist, shows us the inner workings and motivations of all the main characters without sounding like he is doing a case study.
Most of us are aware how FDR and Churchill worked together to build the "special relationship" between America and Britain, but this book rounds out the story by showing the complicated three-way partnership between Churchill, Roosevelt and the king. I was surprised by how little I knew about the king and queen's role in softening American isolationism and in persuading Roosevelt to send war materials to Britain when it was at the brink of extinction.
I was fascinated by how the king and queen won over Americans in Washington and New York during their 1939 state visit. The author gives us the full drama of the hot dog picnic at Hyde Park and explores how it helped to heal British-American relations.
The Roosevelts and the royal family remained friends until Eleanor's death in 1962. There is a wonderful vignette in the book about Eleanor's visit with her granddaughter to Buckingham Palace for tea with Queen Elizabeth II in 1957. The Roosevelt- royal connection has recently been revived by Prince Andrew on visits to Hyde Park.
The author has obviously done his homework- with careful research at both the FDR Library and Windsor Castle- and has talked to many of the Roosevelt grandchildren. Like Jon Meacham's Franklin and Winston, and Doris Kearns Goodwin's No Ordinary Time, this book brings historical relationships to life, and provides an accurate depiction of a period in time. This is a truly impressive biography of four of the twentieth century's greatest leaders.

This Book Must Be Read
Will Swift does a terrific job in bringing to life the personalities and issues of a critical time in world history. This book is a must read for those interested in the events of the time, and how those events influenced today's relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States.

Hot Dogs Symbolize Core American Values....
The potential audience for this engaging work extends far beyond the royal watchers. Will Swift's unique lens framing The Roosevelts and the Royals brilliantly illustrates thepolitical culture tie (not ascot) that binds. This psychologist masterfully showcases the subtlety that allowed the American public to access the royalty from which they once fled. As world reknowned Seymour Martin Lipset tells us in his theory of American exceptionalism, Americans have more values that join them than separate them-but always assumed that these value distinctions are what cut the cord from the mother country.The visit between the Roosevelts and the Royals tapped a major American vein, the undercurrent of core American values-egalitarianism, populism, individualism, laissez faire and liberty. We were "free" to serve hot dogs, what many Americans might be dining on in picnics across America. Compelling in both organization and writing, the bookreveals the ultimate complexity of people, and that leaders can serve distinctive purposes in different time periods, often based on our fundamental orientations as people. Perhaps only such a well-trained psychologist could detect and successfully communicate what resonated between these people, in quite genuinely a friendship that changed history, and could capture the symbolical roots of the now formidable US-British alliance. Swift is able to show the generational learning the can occur between countries-the mother country, and the rebellion of the fledgling toddler nation, who ultimately sees what "genetic" propensities remain. So well-researched and written, it need not be reserved for political scientists and royal watchers, but for good book lovers everywhere, who truly appreciate an original. ... Read more

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NATIONAL BESTSELLER

A brilliant evocation of the qualities that made FDR one of the most beloved and greatest of American presidents.
 
Drawing on archival material, public speeches, correspondence and accounts by those closest to Roosevelt early in his career and during his presidency, H. W. Brands shows how Roosevelt transformed American government during the Depression with his New Deal legislation, and carefully managed the country's prelude to war. Brands shows how Roosevelt's friendship and regard for Winston Churchill helped to forge one of the greatest alliances in history, as Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin maneuvered to defeat Germany and prepare for post-war Europe.

Customer Reviews (51)

An Epic Biography
H.W. Brands has crafted a magnificent biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt.The first two-thirds of the book covers his birth into a life of privilege and early upbringing, his entry into politics and work as Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President Wilson, his sudden paralysis as a result of polio, and his ascent to the presidency and fight to combat the Great Depression.The narrative is full of surprising little nuggets of information such as the attempt on his life shortly before his inauguration.

The last one-third of the book deals largely with foreign affairs and World War II.Brands takes us through the tumultuous global events of the 1930s.The threat to America's security from the Nazis and the militarists in Japan forces Roosevelt to run for an unprecedented third term.

Brands does a masterful job of describing the outbreak of war in Europe and portrays FDR's re-election as all but inevitable given the atmosphere of a world in crisis.With the outbreak of war in Europe, the narrative shifts to Roosevelt's strategic partnership with Churchill and his deft balancing act to satisfy the Prime Minister's demands for assistance and keep America out of the war.The nature of the relationship changes drastically on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attack the Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor forcing America's entry fully into the war.

Left out of this work is the president's position on the effort to boycott the 1936 Berlin Olympics and his involvement in the design and planning for the construction of the Pentagon.But at 800 plus pages, this is an ambitious undertaking which meticulously covers the life of the man - his great successes as well as his shortcomings.

Roosevelt's legacy is forever enshrined in history.What Brands has brilliantly done is present the man behind the legacy.His larger than life persona and his ability to empathize with the common man is a common theme throughout the book.At the same time, he emerges as all too human, as shown in his life-long affair with Lucy Mercer, his failed attempt to enlarge the Supreme Court, and his controversial decision on grounds of national security to detain most Japanese-Americans after Pearl Harbor.

I highly recommend Traitor to His Class.It is a roadmap for how great leaders lead in times of catastrophic economic crises and defeat determined and fanatical enemies.

New information on FDR's early life
What did I learn about FDR from this book? The details of his background and early life were new to me and did provide insights into his personality. I learned that he stood by the people who worked for him and did not abandon them when they were no longer useful. I also learned more than I wanted to know about his sex life.
On the New Deal and World War II, I didn't feel that the book contained much new information over other sources on these subjects. That FDR did an outstanding job is well known and well documented.
The book also fails to explore how and why FDR so badly misread certain foreign leaders. In Stalin's case, it may be argued that FDR had no choice but to deal with him as if he were better than he really was, but taking Chiang Kai Shek for a world-class leader was clearly a mistake.
On the other hand, as subsequent events were to show, Charles de Gaulle was a world-class leader, and dismissing him as a clown was also a mistake. The book provides no explanation on how such an astute reader of American and British men could be so wrong. In the case of China, lack of familiarity with the culture could be invoked, but, as the book explains, FDR spoke French and had spent time in France. So why didn't he get what de Gaulle was about?

It's hard to find anything bad in this book
Obviously FDR is one of the most written about presidents so to find a book that is unlike any other, you should feel lucky. I've been a student of US History for some time and after reading this book, you will learn some addtl facts and interesting background stories you've never heard. It's a dense book, chock full of facts but it's worth your time and effort to understand and see some of the "warts" of FDR's years. Extremely interesting!!!

FDR in the "American Century"
Brand does an amazing job of describing the man and the time in a compelling fashion. One of the great strengths of the book is his even-handed treatment of FDR. Yes, Roosevelt is often heroic and brilliant but also commits marital infidelity, throws trusting underlings "under the bus" in the name of political expediency and caves into demands to put Japanese Americans into internment camps during WWII, etc...so, you get warts and all. Brand paints a picture of America in the post Civil War/Industrial Revolution era and how it had changed the USA for better and worse, the largely uneven economic development that led up to the '29 Stock Market Crash and Depression and the roots and extent of an Isolationist foreign policy that held on even into World War II. Even in hindsight FDR's vision and ability to steer the country through the most challenging part of the Twentieth Century was brilliant and that is revealed one hurdle at a time. Whatever your political inclination this book is a well written snapshot of an amazing president.

An outstanding work
Having read a lot of history books lately, I was really pleased at how the author "brought me up to speed" on FDR.Honestly, I think this book is a great read for anyone not familiar with the man... ... Read more

Product Description
Despite all that has already been written on Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Joseph Persico has uncovered a hitherto overlooked dimension of FDR's wartime leadership: his involvement in intelligence and espionage operations.

Roosevelt's Secret War is crowded with remarkable revelations:
-FDR wanted to bomb Tokyo before Pearl Harbor
-A defector from Hitler's inner circle reported directly to the Oval Office
-Roosevelt knew before any other world leader of Hitler's plan to invade Russia
-Roosevelt and Churchill concealed a disaster costing hundreds of British soldiers' lives in order to protect Ultra, the British codebreaking secret
-An unwitting Japanese diplomat provided the President with a direct pipeline into Hitler's councils


Roosevelt's Secret War also describes how much FDR had been told--before the Holocaust--about the coming fate of Europe's Jews. And Persico also provides a definitive answer to the perennial question Did FDR know in advance about the attack on Pearl Harbor?

By temperament and character, no American president was better suited for secret warfare than FDR.He manipulated, compartmentalized, dissembled, and misled, demonstrating a spymaster's talent for intrigue.He once remarked, "I never let my right hand know what my left hand does."Not only did Roosevelt create America's first central intelligence agency, the OSS, under "Wild Bill" Donovan, but he ran spy rings directly from the Oval Office, enlisting well-placed socialite friends.

FDR was also spied against. Roosevelt's Secret War presents evidence that the Soviet Union had a source inside the Roosevelt White House; that British agents fed FDR total fabrications to draw the United States into war; and that Roosevelt, by yielding to Churchill's demand that British scientists be allowed to work on the Manhattan Project, enabled the secrets of the bomb to be stolen.And these are only a few of the scores of revelations in this constantly surprising story of Roosevelt's hidden role in World War II.Amazon.com Review
Joseph E. Persico presents FDR as one of America's great spymasters. "Few leaders were better adapted temperamentally to espionage than Franklin Roosevelt," writes Persico, author of Nuremberg and Colin Powell's autobiographical collaborator. "FDR compartmentalized information, misled associates, manipulated people, conducted intrigues, used private lines of communication, scattered responsibility, duplicated assignments, provoked rivalries, held the cards while showing few, and left few fingerprints." He was a kind of principled Machiavellian who hoped to achieve several clear ends, such as getting the United States into the Second World War, even though most of the public wanted nothing to do with it (before Pearl Harbor). FDR then pursued these goals with the fervor of an opportunist: "the devious route to a desirable goal; inconstant behavior directed toward constant ends; the warship hiding behind a smoke screen but steered by a moral compass."

A good example of this is his relationship with the celebrated aviator Charles Lindbergh. Roosevelt asked J. Edgar Hoover to keep tabs on Lindbergh because he was a critic of the administration, and FDR suspected he was a closeted Nazi (not true, but perhaps an understandable opinion). Roosevelt's Secret War reveals how FDR created a huge intelligence operation and then ran it--he "built espionage into the structure of American government," says Persico. There were plenty of successes (Roosevelt knew about Hitler's plans to invade Russia before they did it), but also failings: Soviet agents burrowed into FDR's administration at the highest levels. One of the best sections of the book addresses a perennial question: Did FDR know the Japanese were about to bomb Pearl Harbor and let them do it because he believed the sneak attack would propel the public into supporting war against the Axis powers? Persico argues that FDR didn't know: "The clues seem to lead to that conclusion like lights on a well-marked runway." He makes a convincing case that "Pearl Harbor was a catastrophe, not a conspiracy." Roosevelt's Secret War is a unique contribution to our understanding of FDR--no other book treats America's longest-serving president as a spymaster--and it will appeal to readers interested in the Second World War and the cloak-and-dagger world of espionage. --John Miller ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Book Review
Great price, superb reading.In this day and age, a book for all interested parties.

lot's of background detail, but little new information
There's a lot of detail in this book as it pores into every nook and cranny of Roosevelt's espionage activities. Since Roosevelt liked to keep a lot of irons in the fire, there are many tracks to be run down. If you want to know more about Wild Bill Donovan, J. Edgar Hoover, or anyone else Roosevelt tapped for an espionage task, this book is for you.

The problem is, all this detail leads to no new conclusions. Yes, Roosevelt wanted war with Germany and had to work around Congress to aid the allies. Yes, Joe Kennedy was a pacifist, coward, and anti-British agitator who gave FDR no end of problems. Yes, FDR was overconfident along with everyone else, expecting Japanese attacks in the Phillipines, Malaya, and the Far East, but never expected the strike at Pearl Harbor. No, FDR didn't catch on to the fact that a single minded focus on countering German espionage allowed the Soviets to steal the atomic bomb. We already know these things from other sources. That's why there are no other books on Roosevelt and espionage - there's no new material that hasn't already been exposed.

Roosevelt's Secret War: FDR and World War II Espionage
This is a very interesting read, all Americans should read this book and maybe they will have a better understanding of World War II. Many people living today did live through WW II as I did, I was 3-1/2 years old when war was declared and 7-1/2 years old when war ended in 1945. I remember rationing of foods, gas, tires, shoes, and house hold needs. After reading this book I am amazed that the USA and her Allies managed to win the war with all the security leaks and the communist in all branches of government. I was amazed to learn that even Vice President Henry Wallace was the cause of many security leaks that found their way to the Germans in Berlin by way of his Brother-In-Law, a Swiss diplomat.

Excellent story of WWII espionage
I first cut my teeth on this subject with William Stevenson's "A Man called Intrepid."That left me wanting more information about espionage during WW II and that led me to this book. Had I read this one first I probably never would have gone on to the Stevenson book.Persico is a far superior writer to Stevenson and includes far more tales of the formation of MI-6 and the OSS.He also deals with FDR's penchant for hip-pocket intelligence operations, using trusted friends, business associates, chronies and the like.FDR was the consumate spymaster.If you are into real life espionage stories and the part they played in the history of WW II this is the book for you.

Excellent Book - A Must for FDR Students
Love him or hate him, it's hard to name a 20th century president who was more influential or emblematic than FDR.And he failed at many things, too.

Perhaps his greatest failing, though, was in having no forewarning of the catastrophic attack on Pearl Harbor.Persico wisely starts this book on that scene.

What we identify is Roosevelt's inescapably charismatic leadership foundering on rocks of personal association and overconfidence in "people like me."Roosevelt was at his best in a multipartisan approach to leadership, but when it came to intelligence, he fell prey to an understandable temptation to surround himself with "like-minded people."He also chose to ignore some key messages, for reasons which are still not completely clear.

Some recently-revealed information resources this book greatly.I thank my good friend Rob for loaning me this absorbing and well-written lesson in leadership. ... Read more

Product Description
Although polio left him wheelchair bound, Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office during the Great Depression and served as president during World War II. Elected four times, he spent thirteen years in the White House. How he led the country through tremendously difficult problems, much like the ones facing America today, makes for a timely and engrossing biography. ... Read more

Product Description
In this volume Rozell and Peterson bring together a collection of new essays exploring the unparalleled impact of Franklin D. Roosevelt on the modern presidency. Of all the modern presidents, FDR looms largest. Indeed, most scholars date the origins of the modern presidency to FDR, and many assert that no one since has achieved his level of greatness in office. ... Read more