Biography

FDR

FDR

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  • Create Date：2021-06-20 08:53:43
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Jean Edward Smith
  • ISBN：0812970497
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Summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - A model presidential biography。。。 Now， at last， we have a biography that is right for the man - Jonathan Yardley， The Washington Post Book World

One of today's premier biographers has written a modern， comprehensive， indeed ultimate book on the epic life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt。 In this superlative volume， Jean Edward Smith combines contemporary scholarship and a broad range of primary source material to provide an engrossing narrative of one of America's greatest presidents。

This is a portrait painted in broad strokes and fine details。 We see how Roosevelt' s restless energy， fierce intellect， personal magnetism， and ability to project effortless grace permitted him to master countless challenges throughout his life。 Smith recounts FDR's battles with polio and physical disability， and how these experiences helped forge the resolve that FDR used to surmount the economic turmoil of the Great Depression and the wartime threat of totalitarianism。 Here also is FDR's private life depicted with unprecedented candor and nuance， with close attention paid to the four women who molded his personality and helped to inform his worldview: His mother， Sara Delano Roosevelt， formidable yet ever supportive and tender; his wife， Eleanor， whose counsel and affection were instrumental to FDR's public and individual achievements; Lucy Mercer， the great romantic love of FDR's life; and Missy LeHand， FDR's longtime secretary， companion， and confidante， whose adoration of her boss was practically limitless。

Smith also tackles head-on and in-depth the numerous failures and miscues of Roosevelt' s public career， including his disastrous attempt to reconstruct the Judiciary; the shameful internment of Japanese-Americans; and Roosevelt's occasionally self-defeating Executive overreach。 Additionally， Smith offers a sensitive and balanced assessment of Roosevelt's response to the Holocaust， noting its breakthroughs and shortcomings。

Summing up Roosevelt's legacy， Jean Smith declares that FDR， more than any other individual， changed the relationship between the American people and their government。 It was Roosevelt who revolutionized the art of campaigning and used the burgeoning mass media to garner public support and allay fears。 But more important， Smith gives us the clearest picture yet of how this quintessential Knickerbocker aristocrat， a man who never had to depend on a paycheck， became the common man's president。 The result is a powerful account that adds fresh perspectives and draws profound conclusions about a man whose story is widely known but far less well understood。 Written for the general reader and scholars alike， FDR is a stunning biography in every way worthy of its subject。

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Reviews

Mervyn S Whyte ，

This is probably as good a one-volume account of FDR as you're going to get。 But when you're dealing with someone who was president of the United States 4 times， a leading figure of WWII， architect of the New Deal， governor of New York， etc。， etc。， 636 pages is never going to be enough。 However， except for the chapters on WWII， which - Pearl Harbour apart - felt rushed， Smith does a decent enough job。 He covers all the main points and gives a clear insight into FDR's character。 He isn't helped b This is probably as good a one-volume account of FDR as you're going to get。 But when you're dealing with someone who was president of the United States 4 times， a leading figure of WWII， architect of the New Deal， governor of New York， etc。， etc。， 636 pages is never going to be enough。 However， except for the chapters on WWII， which - Pearl Harbour apart - felt rushed， Smith does a decent enough job。 He covers all the main points and gives a clear insight into FDR's character。 He isn't helped by the fact that FDR didn't live long enough to write his memoirs。 And （like with his Eisenhower biography） the number of footnotes break up the narrative too often。 But it's easy to read， covers FDR's achievements AND mistakes， and includes many fascinating details。 An excellent starting point。 。。。more

Allen ，

After reading two of the three Edmund Morris books on TR， I decided to pick this one up。 While being a good overview of the events of FDR's life and the world he helped to repair and shape， it lacked the flow of the Theodore Roosevelt writings， especially in the last third of the book。This often felt more like a statement of facts than a story of FDR'S life。 Details about New Deal legislation were easily digestible by an economic novice such as this reader， but I felt like the events of WWII wer After reading two of the three Edmund Morris books on TR， I decided to pick this one up。 While being a good overview of the events of FDR's life and the world he helped to repair and shape， it lacked the flow of the Theodore Roosevelt writings， especially in the last third of the book。This often felt more like a statement of facts than a story of FDR'S life。 Details about New Deal legislation were easily digestible by an economic novice such as this reader， but I felt like the events of WWII were glazed over。 Informative read， but not always entertaining。 Perhaps a side effect of the sausage making which is politics？ 。。。more

Kenneth Lund ，

Interesting bio throughout。 Covers so much ground that it could be three times in length， but is still relatively comprehensive in breadth。 Heavier on new deal politics than World War II。 Very interesting。

Robin Kuritzky ，

Absolutely excellent book; one of the best books of any type that I have read。 Thorough coverage of all the events of of the era， deep perception into the characters， fascinating anecdotes and excellent footnotes; virtually everyone well worth reading。 What a wonderful writer！ Many chapters I read twice in efforts to fix in my mind all the valuable details and insights。 I have immediately bought his volume of Eisenhower。

Kevin Brianton ，

A solid biography of FDR。 Not quite up to the standard of his work reached with Eisenhower。

Dan ，

FDR avoided further friction simply by refusing to recognize that a problem existed。 That was a trait he would hone to an art form in public life。 “If something was unpleasant and he didn’t want to know about it， he just ignored it and never talked about it，” said Eleanor。 “I think he always thought that if you ignored a thing long enough it would settle itself。This is the 7th biography that I’ve read on FDR and it is the best one。Why this obsession about FDR you might ask？ It’s simply that ther FDR avoided further friction simply by refusing to recognize that a problem existed。 That was a trait he would hone to an art form in public life。 “If something was unpleasant and he didn’t want to know about it， he just ignored it and never talked about it，” said Eleanor。 “I think he always thought that if you ignored a thing long enough it would settle itself。This is the 7th biography that I’ve read on FDR and it is the best one。Why this obsession about FDR you might ask？ It’s simply that there are more award winning biographies written on the man than anyone in history including those written about his distant cousin TR。 And for many years now I have been working my way through the Pulitzer， National Book Award， and Francis Parkman lists。 He is also an interesting figure in history。 So this is the most critical biography of FDR that I’ve read。 There were more quotes sourced in this book than others and perhaps the least emphasis on Eleanor compared with the other books。 Eleanor is a fascinating figure in her own right but she can overshadow him with her quotations。 Since FDR did not write in a journal like Eleanor there is a tendency in many biographies for her voice and opinion to dominate。 This book is excellent in that regard and takes a good neutral path and doesn’t spend much time on salacious details。 It also is a worthy companion to the more personal biography by Joseph Lash called Eleanor and Franklin。 There were a few areas of interesting emphasis and detail here in this book that were lacking in other books。 1。 Eleanor was prone to making many anti-Semitic statements。 I won’t quote them here。 2。 FDR’s background as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for eight long years was important in his role as the future president。 For example， at FDR’s request the U。S。 war budget began increasing ahead of America’s involvement in WWII， it increased in 1939 by four fold and almost all of this increase in money went to the Navy for building ships。 This was fortuitous for getting more ships built especially since the disaster at Pearl Harbor occurred just two years later but the initiative was already pumping out battleships。 3。 When FDR was running the Navy during WWI he encountered an intransigent Joe Kennedy （father of future president JFK）。 Joe was running Bethlehem Steel’s Shipyard in Quincy but Bethlehem Steel was playing hardball with the government。 So FDR sent warships into the harbor and with tugboats the Navy seized four Bethlehem steel vessels for the war effort。 4。 FDR personally rammed through the Civilian Conservation Corps initiative through Congress。 It eventually provided jobs for more than 3 million young men during the Great Depression。 There was a lack of support and indifference in Congress but since it was FDR’s first year as President， he got Congressional approval。 5。 FDR knew who his enemies were。 He outmaneuvered the fascist Father Coughlin and moved forward with his New Deal。 When Charles Lindbergh supported the Nazis years later FDR froze him out from any role in the military。 6。 While defending the New Deal FDR included these memorable words in his speech。Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference。7。 FDR did not have a good civil rights recordDuring the twelve years FDR was president not one piece of civil rights legislation became law。 No federal effort was made to abolish the white primary in the South or overturn the poll tax。 Roosevelt’s closest aides—Stephen Early， Marvin McIntyre， and Pa Watson—were southerners who shared the prejudice of the times。 To the best of their ability they smothered controversial issues that might offend voters in the South。 No effort was made to use the bully pulpit of the White House to advance the cause of racial justice。8。 There were fewer chapters on WWII than other FDR bios which was fine with me。 There was however extensive coverage of FDR’s friendship with Winston Churchill - who adored FDR and once called FDR the greatest man who he ever met。9。 Eleanor was not enamored with Churchill or at least his habits。 Here is FDR’s retort。When Eleanor said she feared Churchill was a bad influence on her husband because of his drinking， FDR cut her short with a reminder that it was not his side of the family that had a problem with alcohol。4。5 stars。 I have read four other biographies by Jean Smith and this is the best one。 。。。more

Stephen Kiernan ，

What can you say about a biography of one of the most consequential Americans in the nation's history， written by a scholar who uses primary sources， correspondence， thorough reporting -- and on certain occasions reveals that she was present when something took place？ Brilliant， encyclopedic， focused on its subject despite the unending temptations to digress （did Eleanor have lovers？ What was Truman like？）。 Now I understand how Roosevelt sped so much legislation through Congress in order to end What can you say about a biography of one of the most consequential Americans in the nation's history， written by a scholar who uses primary sources， correspondence， thorough reporting -- and on certain occasions reveals that she was present when something took place？ Brilliant， encyclopedic， focused on its subject despite the unending temptations to digress （did Eleanor have lovers？ What was Truman like？）。 Now I understand how Roosevelt sped so much legislation through Congress in order to end the Great Depression。 Now I have a better notion of the political forces that prevented him from doing more on behalf of the Jews in Germany。 The FDR in this book is not a saint， though。 Smith quotes without mercy his letter to Eleanor about taking the kids away from Washington's humidity for the summer， which is actually a ruse on behalf of the affair he's having。 Likewise we see his dismissiveness over American citizens with Japanese heritage being forced from their homes into internment camps。 Nonetheless， the courage of this president， facing the worst economy and then worst foe in the nation's history， rings though on every page。 。。。more

Furnison ，

Very readable 1 volume overview of FDRs life。 I thought the war years were not as well described as the earlier years。 Good first book to read on the subject。

Rob Crockett ，

Very well done biography that I really enjoyed。 However， the war years seem to have been rushed to make this a one volume bio。 FDR's relationship with Churchill is always a favorite。 Very well done biography that I really enjoyed。 However， the war years seem to have been rushed to make this a one volume bio。 FDR's relationship with Churchill is always a favorite。 。。。more

Mitchell ，

Great overview。 Not enough internal politicking or personal life material during the new deal， but that is likely covered in other books。

randy ，

this is my first book on fdr。 i wanted to learn more about a 4 term president and this book did not disappoint。 fdr was a very good president but he had his flaws most historians rank him in the top 3。i have more books about fdr that i am looking forward to reading。

Mark Kiley ，

Rendered to tears at the end of a gruelingly inspiring account of one of our nations most illustrious architects。 I never knew quite how much this singular man had done for our nation。

Patricio Ramos ，

This biography is a good OVERVIEW of Franklin Roosevelt， his life， and his presidency。 However， it is by no means exhaustive and one would probably have to read at least ten or fifteen books to really get an inkling of how important this man was for the United States。 No president since has come close to his cunning and adroitness in politics， his mastery of delegating， and his ability to connect with ordinary people。 One cannot help but notice that the author practically omitted Lucy Mercer's i This biography is a good OVERVIEW of Franklin Roosevelt， his life， and his presidency。 However， it is by no means exhaustive and one would probably have to read at least ten or fifteen books to really get an inkling of how important this man was for the United States。 No president since has come close to his cunning and adroitness in politics， his mastery of delegating， and his ability to connect with ordinary people。 One cannot help but notice that the author practically omitted Lucy Mercer's interactions with the president toward the end of his life。 。。。more

Elizabeth ，

Riveting。 Relevant。 #32••••••••First to visit Canada while in office •First president to take office in January under 20th amendment （1/20/37）•First to fly while in office •Won a record four Presidential elections •Avid stamp collector •Expert sailor •Polio survivor •Smoked 2 packs of Camels per day•Fireside chats •Press conferences in Oval Office twice a week•••••••“Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself。” 3/4/33“There is a mysterious cycle in human even Riveting。 Relevant。 #32••••••••First to visit Canada while in office •First president to take office in January under 20th amendment （1/20/37）•First to fly while in office •Won a record four Presidential elections •Avid stamp collector •Expert sailor •Polio survivor •Smoked 2 packs of Camels per day•Fireside chats •Press conferences in Oval Office twice a week•••••••“Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself。” 3/4/33“There is a mysterious cycle in human events。 To some generations much is given。 Of other generations much is asked。 This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny。” 6/27/36“Religious intolerance， social intolerance， and political intolerance have no place in American life。” 10/44“It was part of FDR’s charm: a good story was sometimes preferable to an accurate one。”“Most Americans want to give something for what they get。 That something， which in this case is honest work， is the saving barrier between them and moral degradation。” 11/29/35“What America does or fails to do in the next few years has a far greater bearing and influence on the history of the whole human race for centuries to come than most of us who are here today can ever conceive。” 12/5/38“We must be the great arsenal of democracy。” 12/29/40“Almighty God， our sons this day have set upon a mighty endeavor。 Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms， stoutness to their hearts， steadfastness to their faith。” 6/6/44 。。。more

Mr。 Matt ，

FDR is one of those figures that towers over American and to some extent world history。 Yet， I was surprised at how little I knew about the man。 Despite having a degree in history， my knowledge of him could be summarized in a very short list: only four term President of the U。S。， sponsored the New Deal， and led the States through the Great Depression and the Second World War。 True， that's a big list of accomplishments for any leader， but I just knew it must only scratch the surface。 Part of what FDR is one of those figures that towers over American and to some extent world history。 Yet， I was surprised at how little I knew about the man。 Despite having a degree in history， my knowledge of him could be summarized in a very short list: only four term President of the U。S。， sponsored the New Deal， and led the States through the Great Depression and the Second World War。 True， that's a big list of accomplishments for any leader， but I just knew it must only scratch the surface。 Part of what led me to read this monstrously huge biography （it clocks in at a modest 1164 pages！） was to flesh out my superficial understanding of the man。 The other part was my disgust at the events on January 6， 2021。 How did we go from the progressive， forward looking policies of the 30s （that gave us Social Security， the SEC， the WPA， brought electricity to much of rural America， and more） to a set of regressive politics that led directly to the storming of the capital？ What was I missing？Long story short， I'm very glad I read this book。 It was an excellent and comprehensive survey of the man's life and times。 Like any good biography， you feel as if you know the subject by the time you are finished reading。 It also expands your knowledge of their life and times。 At times you will feel great respect for them， and at other times disappointment。 Critically for me， I think it helped answer some of my questions。FDR was a charismatic， visionary man。 Sometimes branded a "traitor to his class，" he saw the poverty and struggles of the ordinary people around him and wanted to do something about it。 Much of rural America （especially in the South） was without electricity and plumbing。 Most people could not afford to retire and lived in abject poverty。 His fundamental desire to resolve these and other problems led directly to solutions that improved the lives of ordinary people。 It also galvanized support behind the his party leading to years of Democratic domination of Congress and the Presidency。 So what happened？ Fundamentally， to get his agenda passed， FDR had to make a deal with the more repressive side of US politics。 In particular， he had to placate the Dixiecrats （Southern Democrats）。 This is why he could get some things done but not others。 For example， the Tennessee Valley Authority was created because what Southern Senator or Congressman didn't want to bring electricity to their constituents？ On the other hand， shaking hands with Jesse Owens or cracking down on lynchings （"states' rights！"） was not possible as it would've cost his coalition the support of those same Dixiecrats。 I think it is this dark seam in US politics that we saw on January 6th。 There are， sadly， those people that are threatened by change。Looking at this bind FDR was in also led to a series of engaging （often heated） discussions with friends and family。 （Definitely a sign of a good read！） Does FDR's refusal to do more for the African American community make him less of a great man？ Personally， I don't think so。 You can't evaluate people who lived in the past by the standard's of today。 It doesn't make his inaction right， but it makes it understandable。 To confront the racism of his day （and the 30s are significantly closer to the Civil War than to the present） would've destroyed the Democratic party and spelled the end of the New Deal。 He was in a bind and he played the cards he was dealt。 Further， he did what he could when he could。 Millions of African Americans were directly benefited by his programs， and， as the US war machine was ramping up in the late 30s， he ended racial discrimination in any company that did business with the Federal Government。 （Additionally， it is worth noting that his wife， Eleanor， was very active in advocating and working for the rights of African Americans。） The war is another gargantuan aspect of his Presidency。 Unlike so many other leaders （both inside and outside the US） he saw the storm clouds gathering over Europe and Asia。 Despite the strong isolationist movement， he quietly began re-arming the US and preparing to assist Britain （and the USSR）。 It is not an understatement to say that his at the time controversial Lend-Lease program saved the United Kingdom from capitulating to Nazi Germany in 1940 （and the USSR in 1941）。All of this only touches the man。 He was an inventive， charismatic campaigner。 For example， he won his first election by driving around upstate New York。 At the time， the law required cars to stop for carriages。 So he stopped for every carriage and used it as an opportunity to personally connect with a voter。 He also connected directly with voters via his Fire Side Chats on the radio。 Layered on top of this， he was a master of the political machine and used political patronage like a scalpel。 I could go on and on with more accomplishments and firsts， but I'm getting tired of writing （and you might be getting tired of reading my thoughts）。In summary， this was a very good biography of FDR。 If you want to learn more about the man， this is a good read。 It was thick， but well written and engaging。 I appreciated the use of letters and telegraphs to flesh things out。Four stars out of five。 。。。more

Kieran ，

Captures the human Franklin Roosevelt， and his remarkable achievements in dragging America out of the Great Depression， and setting it on the path to victory against Nazi Germany。 All of this by a man who was confined to a wheelchair for most of his adult life。But no summary of the man can better that of Mario Cuomo， speaking to the Democratic Convention in 1984:“Ever since Franklin Roosevelt lifted himself from his wheelchair to lift this nation from its knees—wagon train after wagon train—to n Captures the human Franklin Roosevelt， and his remarkable achievements in dragging America out of the Great Depression， and setting it on the path to victory against Nazi Germany。 All of this by a man who was confined to a wheelchair for most of his adult life。But no summary of the man can better that of Mario Cuomo， speaking to the Democratic Convention in 1984:“Ever since Franklin Roosevelt lifted himself from his wheelchair to lift this nation from its knees—wagon train after wagon train—to new frontiers of education， housing， peace; the whole family aboard， constantly reaching out to extend and enlarge that family; lifting them up into the wagon on the way” 。。。more

Brian ，

An engaging narrative that gives a good overview of FDR's life。 The writing is engaging， and I never felt bored while reading， despite the length。 This is my first biography of Roosevelt， and it feels like a complete overview， though I have nothing to compare it to。Reading this book made me quickly realize that really understanding the dominant forces and actions in FDR's life （his relationship to Eleanor， his relationship to his mother， his governorship， the two world wars， his reaction to the An engaging narrative that gives a good overview of FDR's life。 The writing is engaging， and I never felt bored while reading， despite the length。 This is my first biography of Roosevelt， and it feels like a complete overview， though I have nothing to compare it to。Reading this book made me quickly realize that really understanding the dominant forces and actions in FDR's life （his relationship to Eleanor， his relationship to his mother， his governorship， the two world wars， his reaction to the Depression， etc） would require reading a lot more books that go more into detail on each of these topics。 One can imagine that a book covering a single year in FDR's later life could be engaging and still feel like it missed key details。 This book has an immense amount of text already， but it at times feels like certain topics were not covered satisfyingly。 Eleanor Roosevelt， for instance， is heavily covered in the first half of the book， but becomes more of a bit character in the back half of the book。 The coverage of WWII feels quite spotty in what it discusses at length， but I realize that I am asking for an impossible task in a single volume biography。 I don't think there is any way to realistically and satisfyingly cover each key aspect of this book in a satisfying way。 The author also does a good job in showing that FDR's success is ultimately dependent on the many people who inspired and surrounded him。 Eleanor， Missy LeHand， Grace Tully， T。R。， Louis Howe， James Farley， and many many other names which I am forgetting are all an essential part of FDR's legacy and success。 It becomes clear that FDR's extraordinary life was made possible by the extraordinary circumstances he found himself in， namely being an extremely wealthy man from an American dynastic family。 This book also spends quite a bit of time developing the surprisingly deep friendship between Churchill and Roosevelt， which I thought was quite interesting。 I had not realized the extent to which the two men corresponded or the depth of their friendship。 I get the sense that this book leans towards praising FDR and shies away from heavy criticism。 The author does discuss FDR's hostility towards civil rights marches and anti-lynching legislation， his seemingly complete indifference towards Japanese internment， his failed implementation of austerity politics in the 1930's， and his failed attempt at court packing as his major political failures。 I also get the sense that the presentation in this book is mostly in line with the consensus academic view of Roosevelt's presidency， though I do not know enough about the subject to really be able to tell。 The portrait of FDR in this book isn't completely rosy， and I think the author does a good job to illustrate his immense privilege， his political blind spots， and his stubborness and at times political ineptitude。 The book obviously leans more towards praise than condemnation but it never feels like fawning。 Parts of FDR's legacy that I thought were quite interesting and were not apparent to me before reading was the contemporary criticism of him as being a dictator while he greatly expanded Presidential power， the extent to which isolationism was extremely popular， his desire to hold the "New Deal coalition" together by not alienating Southern voter， his expression of political will and optimism， and his extremely interesting and nuanced partnership with Eleanor。 I also quite enjoyed the many specific anecdotes that make it into the book。 Ones that come to mind are FDR scaring the hell out of Winston Churchill while driving around Hyde Park， and FDR's 2 week dissapearance and replacement with a body double during a fishing trip to conduct secret meetings that was unknown to the cabinet or to the secret service during WWII。 I think this book does a good job negotiating and illuminating the complexity of FDR as a person and I appreciated learning about lesser-known parts about him， including his stubborness and lack of nuanced understanding of law or at times political negotiation， his relationship to his illness， and his ability to inspire other differently-abled groups， his personal and romantic relationships， and his deep desire to leave the presidency in 1940。 I think this book feels especially relevant as I write this in 2021 and I am almost shocked at the parallels between the two eras。 I believe many of the solutions to the United States' current spiraling crises （Climate breakdown， Pandemic Fallout， Economic Depression， Civil Rights， Rising Fascism and Nationalism， etc。） will have to similarly draw from FDR's social-democratic political approach to successfully overcome。 It is amazing to hear how successful New Deal programs were， how much they influenced the infrastructure of this country and thinking about how far the neoliberal/conservative order has moved away from what were proven， massively successful policies。 The "Green New Deal" seems like the logical， （if not underwhelming） extension of these types of policies for the modern age and yet it is branded as if it is a "radical" absurd proposal in today's political landscape。 I think about how far the country has moved to the right in the decades since the 1940's， and how the idea of a government-sponsored program to build a massive interstate highway or national library system would be received as insane or idealistic today。 I hope that in much the same way that austerity politics failed in the 19202-1930s， the socialist/social-democratic left will be able to push the Biden administration into arriving at similar large solutions to large problems。 In a sidenote， I also enjoyed how much this book took place in the area surrounding me in the Hudson Valley。 When I drive through Hyde Park， I have a much greater understanding of the historical echoes that took place there。 I also like to imagine Winston Churchill in fear for his life as FDR drives him around as I drive past the FDR historical home。 Ultimately， I think the United States owes a great deal to FDR's presidency and he is among the most consequential presidents we have ever had。 I would recommend this book to anyone interested in US politics or political history。 I picked up Jean Edward Smith's book on Ulysses S。 Grant and look forward to finishing it。 I would also recommend the audiobook version of this book。 。。。more

Ravi Iyer ，

While it is a lengthy book， I found it to be a very interesting read giving a detailed view of the life of one of the most consequential men of the 20th century - Franklin D。 Roosevelt， 32nd President of USA from 1933 till his death in 1945。 I also found it very inspiring to read about how FDR overcame the great handicap of being "permanently paralyzed from the waist down" from 1921。For more on my views of the book please read my blog post: Finished reading FDR by Jean Edward Smith book; List of While it is a lengthy book， I found it to be a very interesting read giving a detailed view of the life of one of the most consequential men of the 20th century - Franklin D。 Roosevelt， 32nd President of USA from 1933 till his death in 1945。 I also found it very inspiring to read about how FDR overcame the great handicap of being "permanently paralyzed from the waist down" from 1921。For more on my views of the book please read my blog post: Finished reading FDR by Jean Edward Smith book; List of related posts https://ravisiyermisc。blogspot。com/20。。。 。 。。。more

Tom ，

Smith has written a fine biography of FDR

Shaun Belliston ，

FDR was — as we all are — a flawed individual。 Nevertheless， bless him！ For he literally worked himself to death in service to the American People。 He united us as a country in a way that has never since been replicated and his legacy reaches deep into the everyday lives of all of us， even to this very day。This book is a perfect introduction to the life of an extraordinary American leader。 I’d recommend it to anyone， regardless of political affiliation or nationality。

Tom Dougherty ，

An in-depth biography about a giant in American history， as well as world history， that reads well and covers a lot of ground without it being overwhelming。 It’s a solid read and provides a steady understanding of the president for further investigation。

Charity Tinnin ，

With 636 pages of text， Smith’s biography serves as an overview of the basics， but both The New Deal and WWII seemed glossed over because of it。 I also found Smith too fond of his subject。 His inability to directly address FDR’s flaws as they were took away from the book for me。

Theodore Vasilic ，

I cannot say I liked this book wholeheartedly。 It is a good book in historic terms， and it lays out the facts well。 It also has comic elements that I enjoyed。 It is informative， and I learned a lot more about FDR than I knew before。 I got to know the New Deal in detail， what Roosevelt thought of foreign leaders， and what his relations with his family and staff were like。 But the book did not hold my interest。 To be clear， it is not written badly， but it is not written well either。 Good writing i I cannot say I liked this book wholeheartedly。 It is a good book in historic terms， and it lays out the facts well。 It also has comic elements that I enjoyed。 It is informative， and I learned a lot more about FDR than I knew before。 I got to know the New Deal in detail， what Roosevelt thought of foreign leaders， and what his relations with his family and staff were like。 But the book did not hold my interest。 To be clear， it is not written badly， but it is not written well either。 Good writing is required in history books， but even more so in a book such as this， which describes economics， and diplomacy， and war。 So instead of a five-star rating， I’m giving this one four stars。 Very informative， but not very attention-grabbing。 。。。more

Douglas Trent ，

Wow， another great book by this author。 I have never been an FDR fan， but his importance in US history is arguably unsurpassed by any President or possibly any historical figure。 This is a very long book but it seems to go by so fast。 Thoroughly researched， this book goes into great depth FDR’s entire life and his incredible journey from his wealthy family and childhood， to his political start， his devastating polio to his incredible role as President of the United States。 I learned so much abou Wow， another great book by this author。 I have never been an FDR fan， but his importance in US history is arguably unsurpassed by any President or possibly any historical figure。 This is a very long book but it seems to go by so fast。 Thoroughly researched， this book goes into great depth FDR’s entire life and his incredible journey from his wealthy family and childhood， to his political start， his devastating polio to his incredible role as President of the United States。 I learned so much about this important figure and was impressed with the pace of the story， it kept me wanting to read on。 If you are a fan of US History you must read Chernow’s biography on Washington， Meacham’s biography on Jefferson， Ronald White’s biography on Lincoln， Chernow’s biography on Grant， Isaacson’s book on Truman， Kroll’s biography of George Marshall and this book on FDR。Easily in the top five best biographies I have ever read。 Must read。 。。。more

Joseph ，

Easily the best single volume presidential biography I've read this year。 The author details the struggles FDR faced in his fight to conquer polio， and how he led a nation back from the brink of disaster。 The book covers FDR's political rise and personal life as well。 The only complaint I had about the book was that it was heavily footnoted， and also that it didn't have much of a conclusion。 Other than those two things， I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone looking to learn mo Easily the best single volume presidential biography I've read this year。 The author details the struggles FDR faced in his fight to conquer polio， and how he led a nation back from the brink of disaster。 The book covers FDR's political rise and personal life as well。 The only complaint I had about the book was that it was heavily footnoted， and also that it didn't have much of a conclusion。 Other than those two things， I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about a true 20th century icon。 。。。more

Patrick Ma ，

Pretty good。 Not much investigation into FDR himself--just the stuff he did。 And unexpectedly little on the first one hundred days。 Highly readable， though。

H。 J。 ，

During the US election time I wanted to read about a real President and this is what arose from this magnificent book。 This man shaped history and many lessons can be learned from his life and his leadership。 The book is very well written， but for a foreigner a bit too detailed about internal American politics。 I missed a bit some analysis about why FDR was who he was。 But these are details。 I can recommend this biography of a great President to anyone interested in world history。

Jordan Wright ，

This is probably in the top 5 Presidential biographies I have read on my journey through the Presidents。 Smith does an excellent job covering the gamut of Roosevelt’s life。 Given that FDR’s career spanned from the Assistant Secretary of the Navy， to the Governor of New York， and then to four elections to the Presidency that had to deal with the Great Depression and World War 2; the book is not able to cover all the details。 His relationships with Eleanor and the other women of his life are prese This is probably in the top 5 Presidential biographies I have read on my journey through the Presidents。 Smith does an excellent job covering the gamut of Roosevelt’s life。 Given that FDR’s career spanned from the Assistant Secretary of the Navy， to the Governor of New York， and then to four elections to the Presidency that had to deal with the Great Depression and World War 2; the book is not able to cover all the details。 His relationships with Eleanor and the other women of his life are present but they do not get much space in the book。 Some parts of his Presidency are glossed over。 However， Smith does do an excellent job in laying out FDR’s personality， his struggle with polio， and his dealings with Congress。 The chapters on the New Deal and World War 2 were definite high points in the book and so were the chapters on his various campaigns。 The only criticism that I would give the book is that， like many presidential biographies， the author definitely views FDR through rose colored glasses and gives the reader only the positive view of his presidency。 His legacy is given as completely positive and no negative aspects of it are highlighted。 When any moral failings or bad policies are discussed they are almost always glossed over or blamed on something outside of FDR’s control。 Other than that， this book is an excellent read for anyone interested in Presidential biographies， the 30s and 40s of American political life， or just someone who enjoys a good biography。 。。。more

Jeffrey Thompson ，

The pacing is excellent。 It kept my interest all the way。 Her narrative style is engaging as well。 The footnotes provided great background。

Jim Thomas ，

Not great prose but constantly riveting thru 700 pages。 Many excerpts about political topics， shortfalls and quotes。 Quite enjoyable。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=FDR

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=FDR&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,FDR&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0