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FDR

by Jean Edward Smith

4.13 · rating details · 481 ratings · 89 reviews

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...moreOne 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.

From the Hardcover edition.(less)

Paperback, 880 pages

Published May 13th 2008 by Random House Trade Paperbacks (first published May 15th 2007)

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Aug 28, 2008

Krenzel rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: history

"FDR," by Jean Edward Smith (also author of the highly acclaimed biography "Grant"), adds to the long list of biographies of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, one of our greatest presidents. At the outset, Smith makes clear his admiration for FDR – the book is dedicated to his parents, "proud Mississippians devoted to Franklin Roosevelt," and the epigraph states, "He lifted himself from his wheelchair to lift this nation from its knees." In the preface to his b...more"FDR," by Jean Edward Smith (also author of the highly acclaimed biography "Grant"), adds to the long list of biographies of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, one of our greatest presidents. At the outset, Smith makes clear his admiration for FDR – the book is dedicated to his parents, "proud Mississippians devoted to Franklin Roosevelt," and the epigraph states, "He lifted himself from his wheelchair to lift this nation from its knees." In the preface to his book, Smith mentions the biggest riddle for an FDR biographer: to explain how "this Hudson River aristocrat, a son of privilege who never depended on a paycheck, became the champion of the common man." In presenting FDR’s life story, though, Smith keeps to the conventional life story – from FDR’s privileged upbringing through the affair with Lucy Mercy through the bout with polio – covering the basics but never breaking new ground.

Smith, like most biographers, largely attributes FDR’s connection with the common man to his own bout with polio – not just because of the paralysis and helplessness FDR suffered himself but because FDR recovered in Warm Springs, Georgia, where he learned a great deal about rural poverty and strove to better the lives of these ordinary Americans. In addition to polio, Smith cites FDR’s affair with Lucy Mercer as a major factor in his growth as a person, quoting a friend of FDR’s who wrote that, in having to give up Lucy, FDR became a tougher and more resilient person. Smith describes in depth FDR’s accomplishments as president – from the GI Bill which opened up college education to the lower classes to Social Security to solving the housing and banking crises – making the clear case for how FDR "did more to alter the relationship between ordinary citizens and the government than any other American."

However, in making the case for FDR’s greatness as president, Smith sticks mostly to ground that has already been covered and breaks no new ground. In her extraordinary biography, "No Ordinary Time," Doris Kearns Goodwin not only covered the basics, but provided insight into that time by describing letters and thoughts of ordinary Americans – i.e., actually describing the connection ordinary Americans felt to the Roosevelts. Telling the story of FDR’s life through only FDR’s view point, Smith never succeeds in capturing the relationship between FDR and the American people. In addition, by including Eleanor Roosevelt as part of her biography, Goodwin added key insight into FDR’s thinking. While Smith dismisses Eleanor’s role as "tangential," Goodwin attributed great importance to Eleanor’s trips across the country – visiting the poor from the shacks of Appalachia to the sweatshops of Puerto Rico and reporting back to FDR – as something that allowed the Roosevelts to keep in touch with regular Americans. In "No Ordinary Time," the connection between FDR and the American people was personal and one of the great storylines in the book, culminating with America’s tearful reply to his death. In "FDR," Roosevelt’s life is presented more in terms of what he did rather than how he affected others and how they affected him.

As a result, "FDR" succeeds in its straightforward telling of the life of FDR but fails to present insight into his character and evolution from aristocrat to champion of the people. In the preface to "FDR," Smith wrote that it was time to recall "that cheerful man who could not walk, who could not stand unassisted, yet who remained serenely confident as he calmly guided the nation into a prosperous, peaceful future." In fact, FDR succeeds in recalling the life of FDR, but for readers who want to do more than recall his life – but want to get to know FDR and what he was about – the same ground is covered better in "No Ordinary Time," a more personal and compelling retelling of the extraordinary life of one of America's greatest presidents.
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Jan 18, 2009

Susan rated it

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Excellent biography for the general reader. There have been many books on Roosevelt recently, several about his relationship with Churchill specifically, but not a complete biography. Smith sees Roosevelt as, with Washington and Lincoln, in the top echelon of influential American presidents and her book is intended to show why. But she is also sensitive to his faults and doesn’t hesitate to condemn a number of his actions and attitudes, not the least of which was his attempt to "pack" ...moreExcellent biography for the general reader. There have been many books on Roosevelt recently, several about his relationship with Churchill specifically, but not a complete biography. Smith sees Roosevelt as, with Washington and Lincoln, in the top echelon of influential American presidents and her book is intended to show why. But she is also sensitive to his faults and doesn’t hesitate to condemn a number of his actions and attitudes, not the least of which was his attempt to "pack" the Supreme Court by mandating another justice for every justice who turned 70. The reader has a sense of a factual and balanced view of an extraordinary man.
This isn’t a biography with startlingly new information. I’ve read a lot of books about Roosevelt and a lot of histories in which Roosevelt figures prominently and was surprised by nothing but still delighted with the book because of Smith's ability to analyze Roosevelt’s attitudes and actions in detail, free of political and popular bias. The one section of the book that seemed to me particularly good was her analysis of the build up to the attack on Pearl Harbor which revisionist historians recently have construed to suggest that Roosevelt deliberately allowed to happen in order to have an excuse for the US to enter the war. Certainly Roosevelt saw that necessity before the country as a whole was willing to abandon its isolationism, but after reading Smith’s account I’m convinced that the revisionist’s were wrong about Roosevelt. One particularly interesting facet was the attempt of Ambassador Joseph C. Grew to broker a rapprochement with Japan through the Japanese prime minister who did not want war but who was facing an ever-more-militant party within the government. Grew cabled the prime minister’s offer of talks to Roosevelt, but Roosevelt was in Placentia Bay at the time meeting with Churchill and drafting what became the Atlantic Charter. Evidently Grew’s cable was dealt with by more militant and anti-Japanese elements within the State Department.
Smith devoted more attention to the New Deal, both its successes and its failures, than to WWII which seemed odd to me, but after all, those years constituted a larger proportion of FDR’s presidency and the war years have been covered so thoroughly in the recent spate of books on WWII and Roosevelt’s role and influence. I was particularly convinced of Roosevelt’s power as a politician and leader when Smith showed how his positive attitude and ability to communicate with all Americans appealed to the people who had heard nothing but doom and gloom from Hoover who was not an inspiring communicator. In fact, with the US facing a Presidential choice at this time, it reminds me that sometimes the ability to communicate a vision is the most important job of a national leader.

This book clarified in my mind that Obama was the one to support in 2009.
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Mar 15, 2011

Jason Bland rated it

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This book is a delicious meal made up of turn of the century politics and a side order of regret on how modern political discourse (and positions) have reverted. The beginning of the book which covers FDR's childhood and early political career, goes into Wilson's administration which offers an insight to a political party that no longer exists. That being one made up of religious conservatives with socially conscious progressive ideals in foreign relations, taxation, and the role to be played by...more

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Aug 18, 2008

Bap rated it

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Shelves: biography

I can't believe that I have never read a biography of FDR and I was amazed at how much I learned. FDR was a contradiction. A patrician born to old money, established wealth. To get some idea, shortly after he was marriedm, his mother Sara gave the newly weds a beach front cottage at Campabello Island, a cottage with 34 rooms. he was an unlikely candidate to step in to save this country from revolution. The depression was so unlike anything my generation has experienced. Not only malnutriti...more

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Dec 26, 2007

Sara rated it

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Recommends it for: serious FDR fans

Shelves: audiobooks, memoir-biography, nonfiction

I am glad I made the time for this nearly 33-hour, 26-disc audiobook, but listeners who don't have a round trip commute of 150 miles may not feel the same way.

First of all, I now know much more about Franklin Delano Roosevelt than I did when I chose it. However, FDR-related events and people received strangely lopsided and minimal treatment. The author, Jean Edward Smith, went into unnecessarily great detail about how WWI began, but the level of detail on events for which FDR was p...more

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Apr 20, 2010

Joyce Lagow rated it

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Shelves: biography

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a political genius and arguably the best President of the United States in the 20th century. [return][return]FDR came from a family that could trace its beginnings in the New World back to the early Dutch settlers of New York, making him a member of the "Knickerbocker aristocracy". However, an upbringing surrounded by wealth and privilege did not prevent him, through a combination of circumstances, personal adversity and a compassionate nature, from ident...moreFranklin Delano Roosevelt was a political genius and arguably the best President of the United States in the 20th century. [return][return]FDR came from a family that could trace its beginnings in the New World back to the early Dutch settlers of New York, making him a member of the "Knickerbocker aristocracy". However, an upbringing surrounded by wealth and privilege did not prevent him, through a combination of circumstances, personal adversity and a compassionate nature, from identifying with the underprivileged--the ill-fed, ill-housed, ill-clothed of Depression America. The series of social programs that he launched in his first term as President to deal in an immediate and pragmatic fashion with the economic collapse and consequent suffering of millions collectively became the New Deal. Some of those programs, such as Social Security, Federal deposit insurance, and others, form the bedrock of what social safety net the US possesses today.[return][return]Yet in their time, many of these programs were predicted to be the end of democracy, the end of society, the beginning of dictatorship and worse. Roosevelt was a controversial president particularly in his second term. Crippled by a major error in attempting to change the composition of the Supreme Court, he faced serious opposition to his social agenda at that time. The outbreak of World War 2 and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor united the country behind him. He was the most effective leader in time of war since Lincoln. When he died on April 12, 1945, the world mourned.[return][return]Roosevelt's life was so rich, so complex that this is but a bare bones synopsis of the book's coverage of just his public life. His private life was no less involved. According to Smith (and others), Roosevelt's life was shaped and influence by four women: his mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt; his wife Eleanor (ER); Lucy Mercer (probably the great love of his life); and Missy LeHand--secretary, devoted companion, and one of the two people in FDR's life who was never afraid to confront him with what they saw as reality.[return][return]Smith is not an exciting writer, but he presents his material well and shows flashes of sardonic humor at times. Given the thorough scholarship and the material itself, that's all that's needed; particularly in the early phases of FDR's political career, including hiis time in albany as state senator and later governor, the book reads like a page-turning thriller, as you race along, marveling at the details of the life of a man who has passed almost into myth. Smith obviously has great affection for Roosevelt; this shows, but does not prevent him from thoroughly exploring Roosevelt's mistakes as well as his successes. Given FDR, those mistakes were not trivial. Some have had negative consequences almost to this day.[return][return]The names associated forever with FDR--Louis Howe, Harry Hopkins, Cordell Hull, Jim Farley, Henry Morgenthau, Jr., Frances Perkins and others--come alive in Smith's treatment. The reader gets a real feel for who these people were and what their contributions were. Through it all, FDR himself stands as a self-confident leader of tremendous vision who had incredible intuitive insight into people, instinctively choosing those of talent and putting them to work in areas perfectly suited to their abilities. This was especially true in wartime--again, he had an uncanny ability to select the right men for the job. Marshall, Eisenhower, Nimitz all appear as they rose to influence and leadership under FDR.[return][return]This is a biography of FDR. Yet, Smith deals extensively with Sara Roosevelt and ER. Both played prominent roles in FDR's career. Smith goes into the affair with Lucy Mercer and shows how that influenced FDR's public and private life for over 40 years. ER's life is documented as appropriate, but Smith rightfully doesn't attempt her biography. Yet, he gives enough detail to give the reader more than a glimpse into an immensely complicated, productive, and influential life.[return][return]Basically, Smith presents FDR's family life as a remarkable political partnership between FDR and ER, but a dismal failure in both the marriage itself and as far as their 5 children were concerned. FDR ahd the interest in his children, but no time; ER is portrayed as having neither, just a sense of duty.[return][return]The run-up to World War 2 and American entry is breathtaking. The tension, as events unfold, is as good as any best-selling mystery thriller, probably better.[return][return]The pace of the book slows down somewhat after American entry into the war. Personally, I think that's due simply to the task of trying to select and condense the enormous amount of relevant material into what was meant to be a one-volume biography of FDR and not a detailed exploration of everything he did as Commander-in-Chief. I believe Smith has suceeded admirably.[return][return]The photos included in the book are excellent. Partiicularly striking are the ones taken in July and August, 1944. Comparing the two, the difference in Roosevelt's appearance is shocking, showing the rapid decline in his physical health. Roosevelt's death was probably preventable, and was due to a combination of medical ignorance and arrogance and incompetence on the part of his personal physician.[return][return]There is one flaw in the book as far as I'm concerned, although it's a very minor one. In the chapter "Heritage", Smith goes into the geneology on both sides of FDR's family. Given the number of ancestors involved, there are a LOT of names. Family trees would have been extremely helpful--can't tell the players without a score card--but unfortunatley there aren't any. However, I consider this lack a trivial annoyance.[return][return] One of the overwhelming impressions a reader takes from the book is Roosevelt's confidence in the American people. When I read possibly the most famous sentence among many he uttered during his career, given towards the end of his first Inaugural Address:[return][return] "So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself--nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."[return][return]When I asked myself which of today's leading political figures in 2007 has the faith in the American people and the American system to make such a statement, I couldn't think of one.[return][return]There is almost no way to adequately convey the excitement of this book. Suffice it to say that there has to be something engrossing about it if the account of FDR's attempt to pack the Supreme Court and the political battle that followed is gripping enough to keep a reader up past 1 am![return][return]Highly recommended.(less)

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Feb 09, 2009

Martin Lesser rated it

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Shelves: general-non-fiction, biography

The period of the great depression and the second world war marks the beginning years of my existence. As a child in this period I only had a vague understanding of what was happening, thus inducing a strong interest in the history of these events. Early on I read the fictional description of the era in the "Lanny Budd" series of Upton Sinclair. Smiths excellent biography has supplied me with both an entertaining and extensive description of what happened from the viewpoint of FDR. The...more

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Feb 05, 2009

Bookmarks Magazine added it · review of another edition

The legacy of FDR is safe in the hands of Jean Edward Smith, a renowned academic and author of a dozen books, including the acclaimed biographies Grant (a 2002 Pulitzer Prize finalist), John Marshall: Defender of a Nation (1996), and Lucius D. Clay: An American Life (1990). FDR, which captures the energy, courage, and contradictions of a full life well lived, is considered by many here as the best one-volume biography of that president to date. Several critics comment that in making exhaustive u

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Nov 25, 2011

Jeremy Perron rated it

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Franklin D. Roosevelt was the most important person of the twentieth century, he helped the United States shake off bonds of the nineteenth century and prepared the nation to accept it's new role as a global superpower. When he came to power of March 4, 1933 after the stunning November 1932 election, the nation was at its weakest point since the dark days of the Civil War. The nation had been crippled by the devastation of the 1929 crash, and a man, who was himself disabled, was going to show th...more

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Sep 01, 2011

Lisa rated it

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This is the only biography of FDR I have read (there apparently are very many), and I highly recommend it. WOW. I knew very little about FDR before reading this. I was very surprised to learn of his patrician background (the Delano and Roosevelt families were both very wealthy, old money families) and that Eleanor Roosevelt was his cousin. I felt this was a balanced portrait of the man who became president in 1932, continuing to service in office until his death in 1945. FDR certainly had an ind...more

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Jun 22, 2009

Rich DiSilvio rated it

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FDR is a titanic figure that some reviewers of this book believe should have been more thoroughly dissected and ripped apart. Others just seek to tarnish and degrade this godlike icon for his human faults, while overlooking his immense contributions to our nation and Western civilization.

We're all aware of Lucy Mercer and that burning question that many raise...how could a rich dandy be the man of the common people? As such, they assume that FDR was a poser or cheap politician. Well,...more

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Jul 23, 2011

Jordan Gomez rated it

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Shelves: politics-and-history

I have had the pleasure of reading two single volume biographies of FDR back to back, so my views on one was affected by how I contrast it with the other. Any student of political history would be well served by reading either of these books. They are FDR by Jean Edward Smith and Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt by H.W. Brands. They are both of a similar length but the emphasis of the two books felt different, probably more different f...more

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Sep 08, 2009

Richard rated it

Jean Edward Smith acknowledges that there is no lack of biographies of Franklin Delano Roosevelt or histories of the time period in which he lived, but he wanted to bring something new to current readers who have not realized the importance of this president who led the nation in times of the worst economic catastrophe and most momentous war in history. Smith attributes this hazy memory of FDR not only to the passage of time since the Roosevelt era, but to the efforts of conservative leaders f...more

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Dec 01, 2008

Amy rated it

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This was a really interesting look at Franklin Delano Roosevelt. We all assume we know this president, but this book makes clear that there were essentially three Roosevelt presidencies: the Depression president, the Court-packing screw up, and the war president. He was a person who grew tremendously from his days in the state assembly of New York, started testing his Depression fighting ideas as New York governor, and then served as our only four-term president. In a time when we just elected o...more

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Feb 23, 2009

Jeff rated it

Shelves: 2009

A well-balanced and informative biography of FDR, this book focused both on his triumphs and failures. I learned a lot I didn't know - about his political aspirations to be president early in life, about the 15 pieces of legislation passed in his first 100 days to bring the country out of the Great Depression, about the 'Roosevelt' recession caused by him cutting federal spending after the country rebounded from the first recession, about his reluctance and preparedness for getting into WWII an...more

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Jan 22, 2012

Gary Schroeder rated it

· review of another edition

Walking through FDR'S estate in Hyde Park, New York, I was intrigued by the exhibits that I saw there, particularly a display of letters written by desperate Americans petitioning the White House for support in light of extreme hardship. These letters were posted in a room dedicated to explaining the origins of the social security program. I needed to know more. I went in search of a well-rated FDR biography and this is the one I chose.

Jean Edward Smith's biography covers every perio...moreWalking through FDR'S estate in Hyde Park, New York, I was intrigued by the exhibits that I saw there, particularly a display of letters written by desperate Americans petitioning the White House for support in light of extreme hardship. These letters were posted in a room dedicated to explaining the origins of the social security program. I needed to know more. I went in search of a well-rated FDR biography and this is the one I chose.

Jean Edward Smith's biography covers every period of Roosevelt's life, from childhood through his fourth term as president of the United States. The account is well paced and very accessible, but I felt it suffered a bit from trying to fit too much in a small space. Even though it clocks in at over 600 pages, it seems to leave much out by necessity. Roosevelt's life was so full and spanned so many years in American politics that any book which aims for anything less than a fully comprehensive account must be selective in what it documents. Either that, or you wind up with a three volume tome that many readers would find too daunting to to approach.

So, given all of that, I rate Smith's biography as a competent overview for the interested casual reader. This account is certainly complete enough to provide the reader with a good understanding of the facts. From the influence of FDR's overbearing mother in his early life, to his governorship in New York, his adult-onset polio and terms as president through the Great Depression and World War II.

What's missing is a lot of backstory and context-setting. While Smith relates details surrounding each major historical point, the background is often missing. By that I mean, for example, I didn't get a good explanation of one of the programs that originally inspired me to pick up the book: the origins of social security. Smith doesn't cover much of the mood of the country or how such a monumental program came about. Smith gives a lot of the what, but not so much of the why. I could have used a bit more of that.(less)

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Apr 25, 2011

Tori rated it

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Shelves: for-genj-book-club-2010, biographies

Many people might think that a biography is a biography; they all contain facts about someone’s life. They might think that the only thing important is the quantity and credibility of the facts contained in the biography. To a point, yes, the facts that back up a biography are important. But there are several other factors that can make even a well researched book a not so good one; writing style, the author’s bias (while it is pretty much inevitable for a biography to have a bias, there is a po...moreMany people might think that a biography is a biography; they all contain facts about someone’s life. They might think that the only thing important is the quantity and credibility of the facts contained in the biography. To a point, yes, the facts that back up a biography are important. But there are several other factors that can make even a well researched book a not so good one; writing style, the author’s bias (while it is pretty much inevitable for a biography to have a bias, there is a point where it can get in the way of the story) and the way the author presents the facts, to name a few.
The reason for the preamble? I needed it to explain my opinion of Jean Edward Smith’s FDR. The book had a lot of good facts that helped to give a picture of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and as someone who knew little about him before I learned quite a bit about our 32nd president, but it missed on so many other notes that in my opinion the book failed.
For starters, the writing style was one that I really didn’t care for. Smith broke one of the principle rules of writing, which is not to use a cliché phrase while writing narrative. FDR was filled with them, and once or twice I stumbled over his words because I was trying to take what he said literally when he didn’t mean it that way. Also, he used some language in his narrative, which I disliked completely. It made it almost unprofessional.
Also, his bias was overpowering. Even when you admire a man, which obviously Smith had deep admiration for FDR, you can still show the side of him that has his flaws. Yet any flaws FDR had I had to read between the lines of the narrative. And major flaws that the author couldn’t avoid he didn’t condemn; it felt like he either justified them or termed them “mistakes”.
I have trouble respecting Franklin Roosevelt as much as the author did. Yes, FDR helped the country through some hard times (whether his choices have helped us in the long term is a different discussion), but he had some deep character flaws. Roosevelt would put the votes he needed for reelection over important issues that should have been resolved (i.e. not trying to institute anti-lynching legislation in the South to protect people because he would loose votes there), or how he was consistently being disloyal to his wife and was never sorry for it.
So it really only boils down to this: is the book worth reading, and would I recommend it? My answer on both accounts is no, I really wouldn’t. Yes the book had plenty of facts, but none that you probably couldn’t find in other biographies. If you really want to learn about Franklin Roosevelt, I would recommend you try to find another biography besides Jean Edward Smith’s FDR. It just had more issues than I could handle.
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Jun 20, 2010

Mike rated it

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Overall, this was an excellent read. Smith ably rises to the challenge of producing a comprehensive biography that also manages to be (relatively) brief. At close to 900 pages including the very interesting end notes, it’s as brief as a single-volume biography can be about a person with such a long and storied career. Smith lays plenty of groundwork for the emergence of FDR the president, detailing his crucial relationship with his mother, with his famous cousin Theodore Roosevelt, and his ye...moreOverall, this was an excellent read. Smith ably rises to the challenge of producing a comprehensive biography that also manages to be (relatively) brief. At close to 900 pages including the very interesting end notes, it’s as brief as a single-volume biography can be about a person with such a long and storied career. Smith lays plenty of groundwork for the emergence of FDR the president, detailing his crucial relationship with his mother, with his famous cousin Theodore Roosevelt, and his years as Assistant Secretary of the Navy before and during the First World War: in all of these experiences, we can see traits and attitudes emerging that will serve Roosevelt well during the crisis years of his presidency. But this is no hagiography- FDR is presented warts and all, as an adulterer and distant parent and a ruthless, sometimes petty partisan politician. Nonetheless, FDR became the indispensable man during the worst years of the Great Depression and the Second World War, personally shaping and overseeing the United States’ response to these two existential threats.
FDR’s tenure with the Navy, his Depression/New Deal presidency, and his World War Two leadership each merit (and have received) independent biographical treatment. Smith’s book balances all of these phases of FDR’s career-and more- in a way that maintains an even narrative, while providing plenty of references for the curious reader to pursue further.
It’s difficult, with such a subject, to limit the scope of a biography- context is always needed. Smith provides useful and informative background in detailing the legislative battles over various New Deal programs, and I found the details of the pre- WWII diplomacy fascinating. However, I could have done without the extensive play-by-play treatment of FDR’s early political races and the various Presidential nominating conventions. But, it is from details like these that Smith crafts a complete portrait of FDR… I can’t imagine how our nation would have fared without his leadership during those critical years.
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Mar 10, 2011

Steve Van Slyke rated it

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Recommends it for: Those wanting a comprehensive look at FDR

Shelves: history

This was my second book by the author, the first being John Marshall: Definer of a Nation, which I enjoyed a great deal. I think FDR received a fair and balanced appraisal. His mistakes in both his personal and political lives are not overlooked. And at the same time we see that he was the right man, at the right place at the right time. The parallels between the Hoover-Roosevelt and Bush-Obama transitions are interesting, although Roosevelt clearly had more serious problems to deal with and...more

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Jun 06, 2008

Paul rated it

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Shelves: american-history

This is a very abbreviated bio (I was sure I had an abridged copy and looked more than once on the dust jacket for some indication). From the beginning of FDR’s 3rd term until his death spans roughly 100 pages. His death is discussed in the closing paragraphs. After reading the last sentence, I just scratched my head and thought, “well, I guess that’s that.” In dealing with the War, I can appreciate Smith placing a greater emphasis on Roosevelt, rather than bogging the reader down with yet anoth...more

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Mar 24, 2011

Nick rated it

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Shelves: biography

In this account, Roosevelt rose to the occasion in the two most important periods of his presidency. First, immediately after taking office, Roosevelt’s administration acted with incredible speed in drafting legislation and making decisions which stopped the slide into disorder. Second, prior to U.S. participation in the war, Roosevelt stretched his authority to provide aid to the allies and secure Atlantic shipping while steadily steering public opinion behind him. He acted with discretion and ...more

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Mar 22, 2008

Brian rated it

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Recommends it for: U.S. history buffs

I've read several books on Eleanor Roosevelt and one book about both Franklin and Eleanor (No Ordinary Time by Doris Kearns Goodwin - a phenomenal book, by the way), but I had never read a book about Franklin Roosevelt. FDR was certainly one of the greatest, if not the greatest, American president (even though some of my diseased relatives would probably roll over in their graves at my statement of this!).

I enjoyed the author Smith's perspective on FDR's role as Commander-in-Chief...moreI've read several books on Eleanor Roosevelt and one book about both Franklin and Eleanor (No Ordinary Time by Doris Kearns Goodwin - a phenomenal book, by the way), but I had never read a book about Franklin Roosevelt. FDR was certainly one of the greatest, if not the greatest, American president (even though some of my diseased relatives would probably roll over in their graves at my statement of this!).

I enjoyed the author Smith's perspective on FDR's role as Commander-in-Chief during World War II. FDR's shrewd judge of character served him well in his selections of George Marshall as Army Chief of Staff, Eisenhower as Supreme Allied Commander, and Admiral Nimitz as head of the Naval Forces in the Pacific. In making all of these selections, these three military men leaped over dozens and dozens of similar or more highly ranked officers with years and years of more seniority. But these picks proved worthy and lived up to FDR's confidence in them.

Smith was clearly enamored of FDR (and not nearly as impressed with ER). Nevertheless he did not pull any punches in pointing out and criticizing FDR for his mistakes, including the Court-packing scheme and attempting to balance the budget in 1938 (thereby creating the depression within a depression). He was also critical of FDR in delegating the negotiations with the Japanese in 1941 to his cabinet officers, who were biased by feelings of racial superiority in the dealings with the Japanese. FDR's greater attention to the European theatre and the naval skirmishes in the North Atlantic with German submarines were largely responsible for his lack of attention to the Japanese negotiations.

I was a bit surprised that Smith was not very critical of FDR and ER as parents of their children. As grown adults, most of the Roosevelt children seemed quick to take advantage of their father's position as President and not as responsible with their own lives and families as they could have been.

I was also quite surprised to read of how much FDR patterned his early career after that of his famous cousin Teddy Roosevelt. I had known about how they were each NY State Assemblymen, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and Governor of New York state. I did not know that FDR pursued these positions simply because his cousin had held them previously.

I learned a lot about FDR by reading this book. I have always been interested in FDR's life. My wife and I have visited and greatly enjoyed the FDR homestead at Hyde Park and to the FDR Presidential Library and Museum several times. We also made it to the Roosevelt summer cottage in Campabello, which is also a treat. Someday we'll make it to Warm Springs, GA, where FDR tried valiantly to regain the strength in his legs lost from his bout with polio.(less)

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Mar 13, 2008

Jack rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: biography, nonfiction, politics, presidents

This was a remarkably readable account of the 20th century’s greatest president. Lord knows FDR wasn’t perfect, and Smith doesn’t shy away from discussing those points, which include FDR’s court packing plan, the effort to squeeze out conservatives in elections, backing away from government assistance in the midst of recovery, and most importantly signing off on Japanese internment after the Pearl Harbor attacks. Stunning mistakes indeed. But FDR’s successes were far grander. It’s easy to r...moreThis was a remarkably readable account of the 20th century’s greatest president. Lord knows FDR wasn’t perfect, and Smith doesn’t shy away from discussing those points, which include FDR’s court packing plan, the effort to squeeze out conservatives in elections, backing away from government assistance in the midst of recovery, and most importantly signing off on Japanese internment after the Pearl Harbor attacks. Stunning mistakes indeed. But FDR’s successes were far grander. It’s easy to recite the standard litany of Roosevelt successes, which Smith does well, but we also learn that FDR was a more caring, intelligent, and involved person than he has often been described as. Of some things that FDR has been criticized for, Smith offers evidence to support the need for a more nuanced appreciation of FDR’s skills. First, though people often claim that the New Deal didn’t end the Great Depression – it was WWII that did that – Smith accurately points out that millions of Americans benefitted from the New Deal. Second, realizing that everyone wishes FDR did more for black suffering in the US, Smith makes an interesting point in noting that FDR’s true base of support for lending support to the British cause against Nazi aggression was Southern conservative Democrats. That is, if FDR pushed civil rights, he could not have taken important steps to help the Brits against Hitler. Third, though Smith didn’t really go after the claims that FDR allowed Pearl Harbor to be attacked, it’s clear from Smith’s excellent summary of the lead up to the Japanese attack that FDR clearly allowed no such infamous thing to happen. Finally, Smith forcefully defended FDR’s handling of the Holocaust. Ultimately there wasn’t much more FDR could have done.
If I had to point out any flaws in the book, I guess the last couple of chapters seemed to be more rushed than necessary. It’s as if Smith became a bit tired of the project. I suppose there’s some legitimacy to the approach, for FDR himself was worn down at the end of his presidency – and life. A nice epilogue summing up FDR’s achievements would have also been sweet, but it wasn’t necessary.(less)

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Apr 19, 2008

Bill rated it

· review of another edition

Excellent read as far as it goes. However, I think that the author for various reasons felt compelled (or was compelled) to keep this to 1 volume. Given the scope and impact of the subject's life, it's impossible to do that while still giving a thorough accounting of FDR's life and times.

This was especially apparent to me in the final chapters. For example, the entire period from D-Day to FDR's death takes only 70 pages; FDR's relationship with Stalin only warrants a few sentenc...more

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Aug 29, 2010

Kevin Scott rated it

· review of another edition

This is a very good but not particularly analytical biography--it covers all of the terrain, but engages in very little reflection (and no assessment) of FDR's political career and his impact and legacy. I'm not sure how honest Smith's assessment of the internment of the Japanese is, but it's pretty cursory. Same for his record on civil rights and the Holocaust (though a little better on the latter), and I think it's reasonably fair to expect the modern biographer to cover that terrain more so...more

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Jan 18, 2009

Billcorcoran rated it

· review of another edition

This is a great one volume biography on FDR. I was never bored. If you like history or politics I would recommend this book.

FDR was President during one of the most difficult time periods in American History. He had to deal with the near total American economic collapse of the Great Depression as well and WWII the most devastating war in human history. Let's just say this makes compelling reading.

Most experts agree he was one of our greatest Presidents. He had all th...more

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Dec 09, 2008

Beth rated it

· review of another edition

This is a long book, over 700 pages, but very well written. The story moved mostly chronologically but did move slightly out of order when necessary.
I thought it did a very good job of really giving me a feeling for FDR's personality, not just his actions or life timetable. I felt a sense of his confidence, a sense of his comfort with his place in the world.
I had obviously heard all kinds of things about him during the Great Depression and his years as president but I did not kno...more

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Sep 12, 2007

Gregg rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: presidents, politics

On first glance, this book seemed pretty quick-paced. Four or five pages after Roosevelt's inauguration, and Edwards is already on the Good Neighbor Policy. Maybe I'm spoiled from Ambrose's day-by-day account of Watergate, I'm thinking, but hell, couldn't you spare just a little more room for a four-term presidency?

Then I realize the copy I had was abridged. Hell.

Still, the book was worthwhile for two reasons: to bone up on what I should have remembered from high school...more

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Jan 07, 2011

Lynda rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, biographies-memoirs, presidential-collection, read-in-2011

This book was wonderful. I learned so much about Franklin Roosevelt, and it was written in an engaging, interesting way. There were a quite a few times when I wished Smith hadn't moved on to the next topic so quickly; I wanted more detail about FDR's relationship with Churchill and Stalin, his relationship with Einstein, his choices for vice presidents, the way the country mourned after his death...I could have read another 800 pages.

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Oct 10, 2008

Dan rated it

· review of another edition

Usually when you get a "warts and all" political bio, the warts are revealed in the politician's personal life while the politics are either praised or damned, depending on the author's biases. This biography is much more nuanced, sympathetic but critical of FDR in both public and private personae. It reveals how FDR's illness transformed him (or gave him the opportunity to transform himself) from a selfish prima donna into someone who could empathize with anyone's problems or obstac...more

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About Jean Edward Smith

Currently he is the John Marshall Professor of Political Science at Marshall University and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto after having served as professor of political economy there for thirty-five years. Smith also currently serves as professor of history and government at Ashland University.

A graduate of McKinley High School in Washington, D.C., Smith received an A....more

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