Robert Dallek

"While Robert Dallek's [book takes] a fresh look at the many compelling questions that have attracted all his biographers--How did a man who came from so privileged a background become the greatest presidential champion of the country's needy? How did someone who never won recognition for his intellect foster revolutionary changes in the country's economic and social institutions? How did Roosevelt work such a profound change in the country's foreign relations?--the focus ... is on Roosevelt as a man dedicated to public affairs, a master politician who skillfully and cannily used the presidency to advance a remarkable national agenda"--Provided by publisher.

A Political Life

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Jeremy Anderberg

There’s a ton of literature on FDR, much of it focused on the war years, but with plenty of options for cradle-to-grave bios too. So the process for choosing one came down to having one on my shelf that a publisher sent my way a few years ago. I really enjoyed Dallek’s bio of JFK, so I was eager to jump into this one too.

Over the course of 600+ pages, the reader is treated to a blow-by-blow account of how Franklin navigated his complicated life and presidency. Though his bout with polio is pretty well known, I’m not sure I realized it came so late in life — he was 39 when he lost the use of his legs. And then went on to the most grueling presidency in our nation’s history. Taken alone, that part of FDR’s story is remarkable. As Dallek notes, even though Franklin was always calculating the politics of any big decision, he did the right things during the Depression and WWII and fundamentally changed the course of American history.

His personal life left me a little soured (and made me want to read more about Eleanor) and Executive Order 9066 was egregious to say the least, but it’s hard not to admire FDR’s leadership in the face of two great national crises.

Dallek oddly relays too many polling and public opinion numbers throughout the book, but that’s my only complaint. For a one-stop-shop on FDR, this book is a great place to turn to. I can’t wait to read more on POTUS (and FLOTUS!) #32.

In an era of great national divisiveness, there could not be a more timely biography of one of our greatest presidents than one focusing on his unparalleled ability as a uniter and consensus maker. Robert Dallek takes a fresh look at compelling questions that have attracted all FDR's biographers. How did a man who came from so privileged a background become one of the greatest champions of the country's needy? And how did someone never recognized for his intellect foster revolutionary changes in the country's institutions and foreign relations?

Franklin D. Roosevelt A Political Life

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