No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, the Home Front in World War II

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No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, the Home Front in World War II

4.36 of 5 stars 4.36 · rating details · 7,320 ratings · 557 reviews

"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 FD...more

Hardcover, 768 pages

Published October 1st 1994 by Simon & Schuster (first published January 1st 1994)

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Nov 08, 2009 Ed rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone with interest in recent American history.

Recommended to Ed by: The History Book Club

Shelves: history, non-fiction, reviewed

A truly memorable book. Doris Kearns Goodwin is a fine writer who manages to transform seemingly insignificant snippets of data into compelling reading.

This volume covers the period from May, 1939 to April, 1945 and focuses on what was going on in the U.S. through the actions and writings of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and others close to them. It truly deserves its Pulitzer Prize and the four or more other awards and accolades it garnered.

I consider myself reasonably knowledgeable about the...more

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Feb 18, 2009 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Through No Ordinary Time, I loved learning more about the U.S. home front during WWII and the impact FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt made on the nation as President and First Lady. WWII was such a catalytic time in our nation's history. When Hitler was invading much of Europe prior to U.S. engagement in the war, our military ranked 17th or 18th in the world as a result of an isolationist policy felt in Congress and throughout the nation. (Many Americans thought that the oceans dividing us from Europe...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Mark Vogt rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was actually my second reading of this book, having read it originally circa 2000. No Ordinary Time is an easy, enjoyable read for anybody in the Post World War II Generation. In part, the book chronicles the sacrifices of our parents and grandparents on the home front during the Second World War , leaving you with an understanding about the debt of gratitude we owe those remarkable people (not to mention those who actually fought the war). Regardless of your political bent, one instantly r...more

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Jun 30, 2009 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm reminded of the saying, "If you want to learn something, read non-fiction." I am learning the answers to questions I didn't know I had. "Exactly how did the internment of the Japanese get started? When were land mines invented? What was Eleanor Roosevelt really like?" It was around this time that Executive Order 8802 came about, with the wording we are all so used to: discrimination is banned on grounds of "race, color, creed, or national origin." The national origin part was added because t...more

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May 01, 2008 Randy Endemann rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a marathon of a book that I found difficult to put down. Goodwin's depiction of the Roosevelt's during WWII takes on a very narrow timeline that unfolds week by week. Her knowledge of the subject becomes clear in her attention to detail. It is not nearly a chronological history, it is more of a personal portrait which explores the emotions, motivations, and fears of America's greatest president, and those around him.

History has afforded us perspective that the subjects of the book lacked...more

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Mar 04, 2008 Suzanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, american-history

I love Doris Kearns Goodwin. This is by far the very best book (in my opinion) on what it was like to live here in The States during the Second World War. She describes the relationship between Franklin & Eleanor in human terms; their incredible political partnership existing within the tragedy of their lonely, asexual marriage, Eleanor's female attachments and Franklin's renewed relationship with Lucy Mercer. The descriptions of Winston Churchill's visits to the White House and his wanderin...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Marigold rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: award-winners, history, non-fiction, world-war-ii

This is one of the best American history books I've ever read. Doris Kearns Goodwin skillfully weaves together the personal and the political to bring light to the unique partnership of FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt. Though it appears they may have driven each other a little crazy, there was also a lot of love there - and sometimes people are brought together because they can use one another's skills to accomplish things important to both of them - and in this case, important to our country. The boo...more This is one of the best American history books I've ever read. Doris Kearns Goodwin skillfully weaves together the personal and the political to bring light to the unique partnership of FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt. Though it appears they may have driven each other a little crazy, there was also a lot of love there - and sometimes people are brought together because they can use one another's skills to accomplish things important to both of them - and in this case, important to our country. The book brought me into the world of the New Deal and World War II - which gave me some great historical perspective on our recent election process (just ended as I write this)! While others were (dare I say) whining about the discourse & ads & the fact that they have to be confronted with opinions they don't agree with, I just felt appreciative of the fact that we have the freedom to have the discourse at all! I also came to realize that some of the political debate has been the same for years - what is the role of government, etc. From reading this book, though, it sounds like there used to be a greater sense of shared destiny & responsibility; a realization that whatever is happening, the President's job is to lead the country & that alone deserves some respect. I learned more about the press & the agreement they had with FDR to shield his disability from the world. DKG also writes about the relationships FDR and Eleanor had with other men & women - some of which may or may not have been physical affairs - & I was fascinated by the idea that these were not considered fodder for attacks - these relationships happened, & the political life of the country went on, & the world did not come to an end!

I learned a tremendous amount about the role of the US in the early days of World War II - a lot that I didn't know previously - & about the internment of Japanese people in the US - and so much more. I learned more about how and why FDR and Churchill were such great leaders - and Eleanor was as well, bringing the stories of real people to her husband through her endless travel schedule, & acting, it seems, as a sort of conscience for him. I learned a lot about the people who surrounded FDR and Eleanor, their friends & fellow legislators, & their family. DKG drew me into the world of the 1940s & I was sorry to leave it when it ended. Yes, I actually got tears in my eyes when FDR died! (So glad Eleanor got the dog!) This is better than any novel, if you are interested in reading about this period in our history. Don't miss it. (less)

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Apr 18, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a great book and it's no surprise why it won the Pulitzer Prize. It is dense, but I like Doris Goodwin's writing style and there is a lot of detail and information contained in this book on President Roosevelt, his wife, and the home front. Not only does Ms. Goodwin tell the story of the American homefront starting in 1940, but she weaves in a biography of both Eleanor and Franklin at the same time so the reader understands what went on prior to 1940 in their personal lives. By weaving i...more

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Oct 29, 2011 Ensiform rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

This monumental, Pulitzer Prize-winning history details the marriage and political partnership of FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt during the war years. Based on primary sources such as White House Diaries, many personal interviews with everyone from FDR’s valet to the man who decided to publish an unflattering picture of FDR late in his career, and newspaper accounts, this 635-page tome is thorough, eminently readable, and fair (with the caveat that biographies are rarely undertaken by those who do no...more This monumental, Pulitzer Prize-winning history details the marriage and political partnership of FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt during the war years. Based on primary sources such as White House Diaries, many personal interviews with everyone from FDR’s valet to the man who decided to publish an unflattering picture of FDR late in his career, and newspaper accounts, this 635-page tome is thorough, eminently readable, and fair (with the caveat that biographies are rarely undertaken by those who do not have admiration for their subjects). Goodwin is clearly a workhorse of great energy and that rare combination of erudite scholar and clear, engaging writer.

What emerges is a portrait of a man who was exactly the president that the world needed, a man not without his political flaws, but who had a clear vision and worked hard to achieve his aims. FDR understood political expediency and the necessity of compromise, while the Eleanor that is depicted here worked tirelessly, almost obsessively, for much more extreme far-left aims, and often could not reconcile her view’s with the president’s. Often, indeed, there was no “partnership” to speak of – the two happened to act in concert but with different aims. Despite all this, Goodwin shows that the two relied on one another politically (FDR depended on her first-hand reports from factories and army posts, for example) and had till the last a lingering affection for one another. Goodwin’s approach is frank but not gossipy; FDR’s infidelities are considered, and Goodwin considers the question of whether Eleanor had lesbian relationships, but has no prurient interest in any details. Instead we get the facts, and they’re dramatic enough: Churchill, demanding brandy and insinuating that Eleanor should stay home and stay out of political affairs; FDR cutting off longtime friends over perceived slights; the continued relationship between the president and the woman he had an affair with early in his marriage, Lucy Rutherfurd; race riots and the questions of human rights at home. Above it all is the war effort, and the tsunami of industry that FDR helped orchestrate, as he cut restriction while at the same time making sure workers were treated fairly. Looking back on FDR’s legacy, it’s easy to see that the wave of prosperity that followed was based primarily on the downward distribution of wealth and government-mandated social safety nets, creating a prosperous middle class out of the steep poverty-wealth gap of the 1920s. In this era of greed disguised as patriotism, a repeat of the past seems unlikely. What a brilliant, thought-provoking book, the best kind of history: in detailing the past, it teaches us something about the present.(less)

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Sep 24, 2011 William rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Packed with information on every aspect of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt during the WWII timeframe, this book is a history lovers dream. Unfortunately, I am no history lover. I became glossy-eyed when fine details were being mentioned about everyday activities. I felt that the book strayed from the main story and gave too much supporting detail. Yet, as is with all of the history books that I marginally enjoy, I learned quite a bit of information that I would never have gained otherwise. I was...more

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Oct 05, 2010 Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010

I loved this book. I purchased it after visiting the Roosevelt homes in Hyde Park, NY and had a really hard time putting it down. It's a LONG book so I read it for many weeks.

I thought I knew the history of the US pretty well but a lot of what I read startled me. I had no idea that racism was so pervasive in our culture then. I was struck by how the arguments that were used THEN to keep society segregated by race are so similar to the ones used today to discriminate against gays. Before the end...more

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Jun 01, 2010 Jonna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love Doris Kearns Goodwin's story telling ability and attention to detail, as well as her ability to interweave personal with public stories.

Some of my favorite parts:

Eleanor worked for a while for the Office of Civilian Defense. Just after Pearl Harbor, she and Fiorella La Guardia were on a trip to the west coast, which was believed to be in imminent danger of attack. "They met with the governor of California, the mayor of the city, and the State Counsel of Defense. 'I am not here to give yo...more

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May 29, 2010 Judy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-autobiography, history, read-in-2010

It was interesting the parallels in the relationship of Eleanor and Franklin when she discovered his infidelity and he couldn't divorce her because his mother forbade it and the stigma and scandal it would cause the family. Hillary never left Bill but they don't appear to be close as man and wife. Both Eleanor and Franklin used each other as a platform for their agendas and as I see it so do Hillary and Bill.

I also saw some similarities in Eleanor's stoic front after Franklin died to the stoic f...more

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Dec 31, 2010 Tej rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was very well-written with lots of detail and many amusing anecdotes. A very in-depth look at the public and private lives of the Roosevelts during 1939 - 1945. I learned a lot. Unfortunately, I couldn't help feeling that the two "protagonists" were shown in the best light possible. I'm not saying it was false, just that bias can appear as much in what you don't say as in what you do. Nonetheless, a very worthwhile read.

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Jan 08, 2012 Kyle Kerns rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2005, own

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt have taken on a mystical standing in or culture since FDR's death and the end of World War II. However, with all of this, he seems to be one of the best-known Presidnets that many Americans know little about. This book changed that for me. Doris Kearns Goodwin takes you deep into the lives of FDR and his quite famous wife, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Oftentimes too detailed, you learn a lot about this relationship, the couple's friends and associates, what made t...more

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Jan 30, 2009 Lightreads rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: disability, history, nonfiction, politics

What it says on the tin – 800 pages on Eleanor and Franklin, personal and political, from 1940-1945. The thing that's good about it is the same thing that's frustrating: this is a book about their marriage, their friends, the war, race relations, the rise of organized labor, the new women's workforce, etc. etc. So it's wide-ranging and densely woven, but because it's so diverse, it occasionally lacks cohesion and true depth. Her Team of Rivals did better, there.

Also, I was quite put off by the h...more

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Nov 22, 2008 Judy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love this book. I'm fascinated by the changing social attitudes and conditions during World War II in the United States. I'm also captivated by the personalities of both Franklin Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor and so I was a happy camper while reading this book. It is a detailed examination of the marriage of Franklin and Eleanor and their ability to overcome emotional distance to create a unique partnership. Both realized that the United States could not emerge from the war if it was a unifie...more

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Sep 15, 2009 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

No Ordinary Time is so deserving of all the praise it's received, including the Pulitzer Prize. It's truly an enthralling read, bringing the Roosevelts and those surrounding them to life and painting an incredibly vivid portrait of the WWII years in the White House and in the country as a whole. The great, sweeping saga of that time in history is there, but so are myriad small, well-chosen details that make FDR and Eleanor real living, breathing human beings.

Doris Kearns Goodwin is a fabulous wr...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Lynn Dolven rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This title was the first book by Doris Kearns Goodwin that I have read, and it was by no means a disappointment. It is entirely different from historical fiction. The extensive use of quotes from diaries and letter gave the dialogue and context credibility. For many adult Americans, this period of time, roughly 1940 to 1945, is fascinating because it formed the basis for the modern America we now recognize with women working, a integrated society and military, and an economic middle class. Frank...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Bob rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A two-semester history class lies within the covers of "No Ordinary Time," Doris Kearns Goodwin's Pulitzer Prize winning work subtitled "Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II."
I've never known as much about my country as I have after reading this book. I'd learned about all the battles of the war, but I never really knew all the effort it took back on the home front to make winning those battles possible. And this inside look into the effort that FDR had to put forth t...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked up this book in an attempt to make my reading a tad more scholarly than it has been as of late. I have to admit, I figured I would get about 50 pages in before putting it down and reaching for a different - and lighter - book, but to my surprise after turning the first page I didn't put it down until 100 pages later! Besides being very easy to read and follow, this book was exceptionally interesting and full of human-interest goodness. I adored learning more about Eleanor and FDR during...more

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May 23, 2011 Richard rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Doris Kearns Goodwin won the Pulitzer Prize for this book. When you turn the first page, you'll immediately know why. This book puts you in the White House with Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. They aren't historical figures to be admired from a distance. Instead, in Goodwin's telling, they're real people made all the more remarkable for what they accomplished during the most difficult times.

As a bonus, there are also wonderful tales of Winston Churchill as he travels to Washington to plan the w...more

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Sep 15, 2010 Kathleen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This summer, a friend and I went to visit the FDR Museum/Library. We took the train from Grand Central and a Park Guide picked us up at the Poughkeepsie Train Station. Very interesting. Worth a two day visit. Need to go back to see Val Kill - Eleanor's home. Realizing that that I knew very little about FDR/ER, I picked up Goodwin's book (I've read her book on the Fitzgeralds and Kennedy's). For me this was a great book to read - a combination of biography and history. Learned a lot. Eleanor did...more

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Jun 24, 2009 John rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great book, way more interesting than it looks. This sat on my shelf for ever, and when I finally picked it up I was really glad I did. It's easy to feel a little WWII-ed out, you know? We figure we know everything about that because of all the movies and TV, but we really don't often get a close look at what was going on at home, in the white house. This provides some great context. Particularly good were the little moments she touches on, the ebb and flow of ER and FDR's relationship, and how...more Great book, way more interesting than it looks. This sat on my shelf for ever, and when I finally picked it up I was really glad I did. It's easy to feel a little WWII-ed out, you know? We figure we know everything about that because of all the movies and TV, but we really don't often get a close look at what was going on at home, in the white house. This provides some great context. Particularly good were the little moments she touches on, the ebb and flow of ER and FDR's relationship, and how she would pester him and pester him about something until he ordered the staff to keep her away, and then a week later he would put her plans into action. You really get the sense that he kept her around because he knew she would never shut up about the women and the blacks, and he knew that he needed someone who would never let those subjects die, even when he wanted to ignore them. I also love the moments of Churchill running around the white house in his nightgown at the height of WWII, demanding cigars and sherry and brandy and keeping FDR up until 3 in the morning drinking and smoking and planning this whole war, to the point that once he left FDR would have to go to Hyde Park and sleep for 14 hours straight to recover.
It's also interesting to note that this is really where the civil rights movement started. It's so easy for teachers in school to start with Rosa Parks and MLK in the 50s, because there's so much else to cover about the war years, but this is really where black leaders started to make demands and fight for integration, and start to make progress. It makes sense, because at the start of the war they weren't letting black soldiers fight, they were making them be custodians and ditch diggers, and they weren't letting blacks work in the factories either, even when they were qualified. Since neither of those positions makes any sense at all, especially in the midst of the biggest war in history, black leaders were able to pressure the white house to make changes, and it actually worked. By the end of the war a lot had changed. You can really see the seeds of the civil rights movement of the 50s, when the black leaders could point to the war years and say that it was actually possible to make progress and get Washington to pay attention.
It's also astounding that the president could be in a wheelchair and also be seeing lots of ladies who were not his wife, and the national press corps NEVER said even one word about any of it. The reporters sent to follow FDR around would just play poker and drink while he entertained women and they would only report on official statements. Purely out of respect. That's amazing.(less)

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Jan 14, 2010 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-favorites, history

Fantastic! One of the best written, most immediate history books I've read. Absolutely disserving of the Pulitzer. I actually cried in the last chapters as all the primary individuals were dying off. I especially cried at the description of the country mourning Roosevelt. Such a great book. Well worth the time to read all almost 700 pages!

I learned that FDR and Eleanor were complex, truly great people who had what would now be considered an open marriage. FDR cheated emotionally (even if there i...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Mike McKay added it · review of another edition

This is a remarkably researched story of leadership by a courageous, determined and humanly flawed world figure. Biographies of great historical figures are a very accessible way to learn (or relearn) about complex and challenging times. They also often provide engaging examples how leaders work through ethical, practical and political dilemmas and how they coordinate efforts of the individuals and teams they rely on for success. In Roosevelt's case, complexity layers upon complexity as he deals...more

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Jan 27, 2011 M. Newman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-history

This was a very well-written biography of, arguably, our greatest President and certainly our greatest First Lady, set mostly during World War II. In addition to chronicling FDR's expert handling of the U.S.' response to the war in Europe and in Japan, particularly his ingenious Lend-Lease program and his development of the so-called Military-Industrial Complex and Mrs. Roosevelt's tremendous contributions to Women's Rights and Civil Rights, the book also delves into their personal lives, reveal...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Sue Pit rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

This book provides the reader with a much clearer understanding of the remarkable couple of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt during the years of World War II. I was not up to the challenge of reading Reid's volume 3 of the Last Lion (re Winston Churchill) thus I decided to hop across the pond whilst keeping in temporal and subject matter order! The book is very complete as to covering both parties and as to the myriad of issues of that time. Most interesting and amazing is how calm (a...more

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May 17, 2011 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

No Ordinary Time chronicles the relationship of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt during their time in the White House. As a political science major, I am pretty ashamed to admit that I really did not know a lot about FDR, and I found him fascinating. While he definitely had his flaws, what struck me was his constant calm and his sense of balance even while having the most stressful job in America, during arguably the most stressful time in American history.

Yet for me, the book was not really abou...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Greg Enloe rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Really enjoyed this book. I come from a political family and parents lived through this time. It was nice to read a different spin on some of their stories. Learned a lot of things I was not aware of. My mom is 93 now, and when I told her some of the tidbits she was surprised.
Only thing keeping me from four or five stars was hearing a little too much about Eleanors sexual inclinations and gender neutral implications. The causes she worked for were admirable, but talking about same sex partners...more

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