Unlikely Heroes: Franklin Roosevelt, His Four Lieutenants, and the World They Made
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- Create Date：2023-02-26 17:21:56
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Derek Leebaert
- ISBN：B09Y461FHQ
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Summary
“Leebaert has done the near impossible—crafted a fresh and challenging portrait of the man and his inner circle。” — Richard Norton Smith， author of An Uncommon Man ， former director of the Hoover， Eisenhower， Reagan， and Ford presidential libraries。
“A fascinating and absorbing analysis of FDR’s brilliantly chosen team of four courageous and creative men and women。” — Susan Dunn， author of 1940: FDR， Willkie， Lindbergh， Hitler—the Election Amid the Storm ， Massachusetts Professor of Humanities， Williams College。
Drawing on new materials， Unlikely Heroes constructs an entirely fresh understanding of FDR and his presidency by spotlighting the powerful， equally wounded figures whom he raised up to confront the Depression， then to beat the Axis。
Only four people served at the top echelon of President Franklin Roosevelt's Administration from the frightening early months of spring 1933 until he died in April 1945， on the cusp of wartime victory。 These lieutenants composed the tough， constrictive， long-term core of government。 They built the great institutions being raised against the Depression， implemented the New Deal， and they were pivotal to winning World War II。
Yet， in their different ways， each was as wounded as the polio-stricken titan。 Harry Hopkins， Harold Ickes， Frances Perkins， and Henry Wallace were also strange outsiders。 Up to 1933， none would ever have been considered for high office。 Still， each became a world figure， and it would have been exceedingly difficult for Roosevelt to transform the nation without them。 By examining the lives of these four， a very different picture emerges of how Americans saved their democracy and rescued civilization overseas。 Many of the dangers that they all overcame are troublingly like those America faces today。
“A fascinating and absorbing analysis of FDR’s brilliantly chosen team of four courageous and creative men and women。” — Susan Dunn， author of 1940: FDR， Willkie， Lindbergh， Hitler—the Election Amid the Storm ， Massachusetts Professor of Humanities， Williams College。
Drawing on new materials， Unlikely Heroes constructs an entirely fresh understanding of FDR and his presidency by spotlighting the powerful， equally wounded figures whom he raised up to confront the Depression， then to beat the Axis。
Only four people served at the top echelon of President Franklin Roosevelt's Administration from the frightening early months of spring 1933 until he died in April 1945， on the cusp of wartime victory。 These lieutenants composed the tough， constrictive， long-term core of government。 They built the great institutions being raised against the Depression， implemented the New Deal， and they were pivotal to winning World War II。
Yet， in their different ways， each was as wounded as the polio-stricken titan。 Harry Hopkins， Harold Ickes， Frances Perkins， and Henry Wallace were also strange outsiders。 Up to 1933， none would ever have been considered for high office。 Still， each became a world figure， and it would have been exceedingly difficult for Roosevelt to transform the nation without them。 By examining the lives of these four， a very different picture emerges of how Americans saved their democracy and rescued civilization overseas。 Many of the dangers that they all overcame are troublingly like those America faces today。
Reviews
Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews
，
For my complete review， visit www。bargain-sleuth。com。I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of Unlikely Heroes by NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions expressed are my own。If you’re familiar with my blog， then you know that I am very familiar with the Roosevelt family。 Well over 60 books read so I’ve given up counting。 I’ve read flattering portraits of FDR and I’ve read critical accounts， too。 This book falls somewhere in-between。Roosevelt’s top advisor w For my complete review， visit www。bargain-sleuth。com。I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of Unlikely Heroes by NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions expressed are my own。If you’re familiar with my blog， then you know that I am very familiar with the Roosevelt family。 Well over 60 books read so I’ve given up counting。 I’ve read flattering portraits of FDR and I’ve read critical accounts， too。 This book falls somewhere in-between。Roosevelt’s top advisor was Harry Hopkins， a sickly man living on borrowed time。 His three most trusted advisors of his cabinet were Harold Ickes， Henry Wallace， and the first female member of the cabinet， Frances Perkins。 Each of these people had terrible strains in their personal lives， whether it was Hopkins bad health， or Perkins’ husband’s Bi-Polar disorder， or Ickes complicated love life。 Several of them had serious money troubles despite their above-average salaries as government officials。If you haven’t read a great deal about Roosevelt’s administration， this book is a great introduction。 It does plod at times， but only in parts， and is overall a great book to add to my Presidents library。 。。。more
Casey Wheeler
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This book focuses on four Individuals who served Franklin Roosevelt during his presidency。 The author goes into great detail about the challenges both individually and politically they each had to deal with。 I have read a great deal bout Roosevelt and the people who supported him。 While this book was good， it did seem to plod on in parts。 It will be helpful for those who have not read a great deal about Roosevelt。I received a free ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with th This book focuses on four Individuals who served Franklin Roosevelt during his presidency。 The author goes into great detail about the challenges both individually and politically they each had to deal with。 I have read a great deal bout Roosevelt and the people who supported him。 While this book was good， it did seem to plod on in parts。 It will be helpful for those who have not read a great deal about Roosevelt。I received a free ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley， Goodreads， Amazon， Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog。 。。。more
Janet Ashcraft
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This book was a fascinating read。 Dealing with FDR’s presidency this book gives fresh historical insight into not only FDR himself but also the four people he brought alongside him- his four lieutenants。 Through the depression and the war， the decisions that were made and how those decisions impacted people are all dealt with。 I found it especially interesting to read how the politics of that time and social reform are still influencing so much of today’s politics and social views。 If you are in This book was a fascinating read。 Dealing with FDR’s presidency this book gives fresh historical insight into not only FDR himself but also the four people he brought alongside him- his four lieutenants。 Through the depression and the war， the decisions that were made and how those decisions impacted people are all dealt with。 I found it especially interesting to read how the politics of that time and social reform are still influencing so much of today’s politics and social views。 If you are interested in presidential history and politics I think you will enjoy this book。 It is well written and well researched。 #netgalley #UnlikelyHeroes 。。。more
Nan Williams
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This was a very interesting expose of various foibles of those people who re-created America for and during WWII， but also the aftermath of the war。 Those who brought us out of the Depression and created the Greatest Nation in history as a result of what was achieved during the war。It’s a must read for all Americans。 I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it heartily！I appreciate this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher， St。 Martin's Press， in exchange for an honest and unbiased review。 This was a very interesting expose of various foibles of those people who re-created America for and during WWII， but also the aftermath of the war。 Those who brought us out of the Depression and created the Greatest Nation in history as a result of what was achieved during the war。It’s a must read for all Americans。 I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it heartily！I appreciate this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher， St。 Martin's Press， in exchange for an honest and unbiased review。 。。。more
Mary Vogelsong
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Derek Leebaert suggests that four members of Franklin Roosevelt’s administration were outsiders， and somehow crippled， as he would become， yet they implemented the programs of the New Deal， leading America out of the Great Depression and to victory in World War II。Roosevelt’s top advisors were Harry Lloyd Hopkins， Harold Ickes， Henry Wallace， and， uncharacteristically for the times， a woman， Frances Perkins。 Each of these men and woman struggled with obstacles such as poor physical health， depre Derek Leebaert suggests that four members of Franklin Roosevelt’s administration were outsiders， and somehow crippled， as he would become， yet they implemented the programs of the New Deal， leading America out of the Great Depression and to victory in World War II。Roosevelt’s top advisors were Harry Lloyd Hopkins， Harold Ickes， Henry Wallace， and， uncharacteristically for the times， a woman， Frances Perkins。 Each of these men and woman struggled with obstacles such as poor physical health， depression， alcoholism， complicated married life， questionable mental health， and ruined personal finances。I don’t agree with Leebaert’s premise that Roosevelt purposely recruited wounded outsiders who brilliantly carried America from depression to thriving post-WWII。 Time enhances history with a more intimate examination of a public individual’s private life。 If we could look through the same lenses at four top administrators in today’s White House， I’m sure we would see the same sordid and sorrowful circumstances which plagued those of this book。 No one is without problems。Yet， if you are a student of American History， and especially of the time covered here， you will find this book to be a detailed look at the inner-workings of the Roosevelt presidency。 。。。more
Rebecca Brenner Graham， PhD
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