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The Man He Became: How FDR Defied Polio to Win the Presidency
With a searching new analysis of primary sources, NBCC award winner James Tobin reveals how FDR’s fight against polio transformed him from a callow aristocrat into the energetic, determined statesman who would rally the nation in the Great Depression and lead it through World War II.
Here, from James Tobin, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award in biography, is the story of the greatest comeback in American political history, a saga long buried in half-truth, distortion and myth— Franklin Roosevelt’s ten-year climb from paralysis to the White House.
In 1921, at the age of thirty-nine, Roosevelt was the brightest young star in the Democratic Party. One day he was racing his children around their summer home. Two days later he could not stand up. Hopes of a quick recovery faded fast. “He’s through,” said allies and enemies alike. Even his family and close friends misjudged their man, as they and the nation would learn in time.
With a painstaking reexamination of original documents, James Tobin uncovers the twisted chain of accidents that left FDR paralyzed; he reveals how polio recast Roosevelt’s fateful partnership with his wife, Eleanor; and he shows that FDR’s true victory was not over paralysis but over the ancient stigma attached to the crippled. Tobin also explodes the conventional wisdom of recent years—that FDR deceived the public about his condition. In fact, Roosevelt and his chief aide, Louis Howe, understood that only by displaying himself as a man who had come back from a knockout punch could FDR erase the perception that had followed him from childhood—that he was a pampered, too smooth pretty boy without the strength to lead the nation. As Tobin persuasively argues, FDR became president less in spite of polio than because of polio.
The Man He Became affirms that true character emerges only in crisis and that in the shaping of this great American leader character was all.
Here, from James Tobin, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award in biography, is the story of the greatest comeback in American political history, a saga long buried in half-truth, distortion and myth— Franklin Roosevelt’s ten-year climb from paralysis to the White House.
In 1921, at the age of thirty-nine, Roosevelt was the brightest young star in the Democratic Party. One day he was racing his children around their summer home. Two days later he could not stand up. Hopes of a quick recovery faded fast. “He’s through,” said allies and enemies alike. Even his family and close friends misjudged their man, as they and the nation would learn in time.
With a painstaking reexamination of original documents, James Tobin uncovers the twisted chain of accidents that left FDR paralyzed; he reveals how polio recast Roosevelt’s fateful partnership with his wife, Eleanor; and he shows that FDR’s true victory was not over paralysis but over the ancient stigma attached to the crippled. Tobin also explodes the conventional wisdom of recent years—that FDR deceived the public about his condition. In fact, Roosevelt and his chief aide, Louis Howe, understood that only by displaying himself as a man who had come back from a knockout punch could FDR erase the perception that had followed him from childhood—that he was a pampered, too smooth pretty boy without the strength to lead the nation. As Tobin persuasively argues, FDR became president less in spite of polio than because of polio.
The Man He Became affirms that true character emerges only in crisis and that in the shaping of this great American leader character was all.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published November 12, 2013
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March 17, 2017
Franklin D. Roosevelt was 39 years old when he was stricken with infantile paralysis (polio). Just one day he couldn’t stand up anymore and the hope for a fast recovery faded fast when he just got worse and the doctor had no clue to what had stricken him and, in the end, misdiagnosed him. Precious time was wasted before another doctor recognized what ailed him and by then it was too late for Roosevelt to be able to walk again properly. He would have to rely on other people to support himself to stand, or a cane, leg braces or a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
Still, he became, in the end, the president of the United States.
Still, he became, in the end, the president of the United States.
I find Franklin D. Roosevelt's life fascinating and this book was a very interesting and well-written account of his life just before he was stricken with infantile paralysis, his period of illness and his struggle to walk again and reclaim his life and career again. I found the best part of the book was 2/3 of the book that focused on Roosevelt and how infantile paralysis struck him and how his life was forever changed because of it. The ending of the book was not bad; it was just a bit too much about politics for me. Besides learning more about Roosevelt was it interesting to learn more about infantile paralysis what a devastating illness it was.
August 1, 2014
The FDR Memorial in Washington DC
This is a vivid portrayal of Franklin Roosevelt when he became afflicted by poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis) in 1921 and his life-long adjustment to it. It covers the period of onset until he ran for President in 1932.
The author gives us an excellent perspective of the individuals surrounding Roosevelt, particularly of his secretary/advisor Louis Howe. Louis attached himself to Roosevelt in the 1910’s and never gave up on him. Both always believed that Roosevelt would one day be President. In many ways it is remarkable that both adhered to this vision after 1921. It was Louis Howe that tutored Roosevelt (and Eleanor as well) politically – and he worked hard to keep him publicly visible after the onset of poliomyelitis. The book explores the many nuances of how Roosevelt continued his governmental endeavors after 1921 – and how he decided to successfully run for New York State Governor in 1928. We see how he out-dueled ex-New York State Governor Al Smith when Smith decided to run for the Presidency in 1928.
The author also examines how Roosevelt handled his illness – he never stopped believing that he would one day regain his ability to walk. However when he decided to re-enter active politics in 1928 some part of him must have realized that he would need to significantly reduce the amount of time he could devote to his rehabilitation. This demonstrates the ascendancy of politics in Roosevelt’s life over his personal drive for better health.
We are given an interesting analogy of Roosevelt trying several different procedures to improve his ability to walk – he never stuck with one methodology. He followed much the same pattern politically, by never following an ideological formula, for example during the depression if one approach was not working out he would not hesitate to introduce new programs.
This is a well written book with many insights of Roosevelt and the era.
July 22, 2014
As a disabled individual with a deep interest in politics and a avid fascination in the study of the American Presidency, Franklin D. Roosevelt has occupied a very special place in my heart for many, many years. It fascinates me just to think that less than a century ago this country faced (what seemed like at the time) two insurmountable obstacles one directly following the other: the Great Depression and World War II, respectively.
A favorite quote of mine is: "When this country was on its knees, it took a man in a wheelchair to bring it to its feet." I don't know who said it originally, but it's a phenomenal quote nonetheless.
President Roosevelt never fully discussed his paralysis with anyone in his administration or (as far as I know) with anyone in general. I think that due to the atmosphere of the times that he lived in, it generally just was NOT talked about. That was one of the highlights of this story for me. The author delves into the stigma of disability and the origins of it (ie: the word cripple). He also starts the story by describing just how the polio virus begins its infection cycle in the host's body.
Eleanor Roosevelt has said that if it weren't for her husband's "trial by fire" (as she described his initial fight with paralysis) that it never would have given him the ability to govern and/or lead the country in its hours of great national peril. For as much as the polio virus had paralyzed him, it gave Franklin Roosevelt a deeper sense of self-worth and empathy with the common people. This book just reaffirmed to me what a great man that FDR was. For that reason alone, I simply cannot recommend this incredible, inspiring story enough! Read this and trust me, you'll be thrilled that you did!
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 2013.
A favorite quote of mine is: "When this country was on its knees, it took a man in a wheelchair to bring it to its feet." I don't know who said it originally, but it's a phenomenal quote nonetheless.
President Roosevelt never fully discussed his paralysis with anyone in his administration or (as far as I know) with anyone in general. I think that due to the atmosphere of the times that he lived in, it generally just was NOT talked about. That was one of the highlights of this story for me. The author delves into the stigma of disability and the origins of it (ie: the word cripple). He also starts the story by describing just how the polio virus begins its infection cycle in the host's body.
Eleanor Roosevelt has said that if it weren't for her husband's "trial by fire" (as she described his initial fight with paralysis) that it never would have given him the ability to govern and/or lead the country in its hours of great national peril. For as much as the polio virus had paralyzed him, it gave Franklin Roosevelt a deeper sense of self-worth and empathy with the common people. This book just reaffirmed to me what a great man that FDR was. For that reason alone, I simply cannot recommend this incredible, inspiring story enough! Read this and trust me, you'll be thrilled that you did!
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 2013.
January 7, 2017
"The guy never knows when he is licked." ~ Harry Hopkins on FDR
"Because he had beaten his illness, Roosevelt thought that he could beat anything." ~ John Gunther
James Tobin's new book The Man He Became: How FDR Defied Polio to Win the Presidency covers Franklin D. Roosevelt's life between 1921 when he contracted infantile paralysis and 1932 when the Democratic party nominated him as their candidate for Governor of New York State. Tobin shows how polio brought out amazing strengths of character in FDR and ultimately prepared him to become a great leader.
At age 39 FDR was charming, handsome, rich, and determined to gain the presidency. He had served as Secretary of the Navy and on President Wilson's subcabinet.
Then he encountered the virus that left him crippled. Tobin's narrative accessibly explains the disease, how it is spread, how it attacks the human body, and how the medical doctors treated it. At a time when most children were naturally inoculated through exposure to the virus, FDR's privileged and sheltered life left him vulnerable. Overworked and tired, he arrived at the isolated family summer resort at Campobello and soon after became ill. By the time the doctors knew he had contracted polio, the damage was done.
FDR's mother assumed he would return to his childhood home and live out the rest of his life puttering with his stamp collection and watching the Hudson River flow by. But FDR was not a man to sit and watch life pass him by. He was determined to win the presidency, and he was going to walk to the podium to give his acceptance speech.
His recovery was not a straight or easy path. He did not follow doctor's orders and he avoided painful exercise. He hated the leg braces and crutches. FDR became his own physician, and took to exercising in warm water. So when he read about a polio victim who could walk after therapy at Warm Springs resort in Georgia FDR determined to experienced for himself the properties of the mineral springs. The resort was isolated and in bad repair. FDR was charmed. The warm mineral water enabled him to endure long hours of exercise without pain.
FDR needed a project. He liked to run things. He longed to own something of his own. He needed a source of income. FDR determined to buy the run-down resort, an economical and practical decision that seemed foolish. He imagined a place where polio victims could only heal their bodies but also find acceptance and normality in a world that shunted cripples out of sight.
FDR's ability to walk again was truly due to physiotherapists Helena Mahoney and Alicia Plastridge who taught him how to use his good muscles to compensate for the lost ones. Working with Mahoney at Warm Springs in 1927 FDR was finally able to walk with two canes.
Tobin challenges commonly held beliefs about Franklin's hiding his infirmity. Although FDR did strive to keep the more undignified aspects of his infirmity out of sight, such as being carried up stairs, once he returned to public life he did not, could not, hide that he was handicapped. Republicans had a field day attacking FDR as a cripple, a 'poor man' of pity who was not up to the job.
"The role he must play was a paradox. Normally the actor puts on a mask and becomes someone else. FDR's role now was to play the man he actually was--a strong man capable of leadership in the highest seats of power. The trick was to remove the mask that his audience would otherwise force him to wear. He must persuade the audience to discard its ancient, inherited belief about a man who was crippled. He must persuade them that a crippled man could be strong."
FDR went on the campaign trail, traveling by auto caravan across New York state. He had to change the way society viewed 'cripples'. Two weeks before the election he faced four thousand people and openly spoke about polio. "Seven years ago, through an attack of infantile paralysis, I was completely put out of any useful activity." People in audience were heard crying. "By personal good fortune, I was able to get the best kind of medical care. The result is that today I am on my feet." And in admitting he was a cripple, FDR also declared himself to be a fighter and a man of action.
I think it was a shining moment in American history when a man's ability made voters forget his handicap, that we judged him by the 'content of his character' and not by his physical abilities or disabilities.
James Tobin's first book, Ernie Pyle's War, American's Eye-Witness to World War II won him the National Book Critic's Circle Award. He was able to leave his position with the Detroit News to write full time. He wrote a companion book to the PBS series Great Projects: The Epic Story of the Building of America, From the Taming of the Mississippi to the Invention of the Internet. It was followed by To Conquer the Air: The Wright Brothers and the Great Race for Flight.
To me, each book has at its core the story of men willing to go to great lengths to achieve the goals they hold dearest. Tobin's books are inspiring and dramatic narratives. To learn more visit
http://authors.simonandschuster.com/J...
Note: Tobin used the word cripple purposefully. He explains in his Prologue, "To understand Roosevelt's situation--in his time, not ours--one needs to enter a realm in which the stigma of physical disability was like the presence of oxygen in the air: utterly taken for granted, and therefore terribly powerful."
"Because he had beaten his illness, Roosevelt thought that he could beat anything." ~ John Gunther
James Tobin's new book The Man He Became: How FDR Defied Polio to Win the Presidency covers Franklin D. Roosevelt's life between 1921 when he contracted infantile paralysis and 1932 when the Democratic party nominated him as their candidate for Governor of New York State. Tobin shows how polio brought out amazing strengths of character in FDR and ultimately prepared him to become a great leader.
At age 39 FDR was charming, handsome, rich, and determined to gain the presidency. He had served as Secretary of the Navy and on President Wilson's subcabinet.
Then he encountered the virus that left him crippled. Tobin's narrative accessibly explains the disease, how it is spread, how it attacks the human body, and how the medical doctors treated it. At a time when most children were naturally inoculated through exposure to the virus, FDR's privileged and sheltered life left him vulnerable. Overworked and tired, he arrived at the isolated family summer resort at Campobello and soon after became ill. By the time the doctors knew he had contracted polio, the damage was done.
FDR's mother assumed he would return to his childhood home and live out the rest of his life puttering with his stamp collection and watching the Hudson River flow by. But FDR was not a man to sit and watch life pass him by. He was determined to win the presidency, and he was going to walk to the podium to give his acceptance speech.
His recovery was not a straight or easy path. He did not follow doctor's orders and he avoided painful exercise. He hated the leg braces and crutches. FDR became his own physician, and took to exercising in warm water. So when he read about a polio victim who could walk after therapy at Warm Springs resort in Georgia FDR determined to experienced for himself the properties of the mineral springs. The resort was isolated and in bad repair. FDR was charmed. The warm mineral water enabled him to endure long hours of exercise without pain.
FDR needed a project. He liked to run things. He longed to own something of his own. He needed a source of income. FDR determined to buy the run-down resort, an economical and practical decision that seemed foolish. He imagined a place where polio victims could only heal their bodies but also find acceptance and normality in a world that shunted cripples out of sight.
FDR's ability to walk again was truly due to physiotherapists Helena Mahoney and Alicia Plastridge who taught him how to use his good muscles to compensate for the lost ones. Working with Mahoney at Warm Springs in 1927 FDR was finally able to walk with two canes.
Tobin challenges commonly held beliefs about Franklin's hiding his infirmity. Although FDR did strive to keep the more undignified aspects of his infirmity out of sight, such as being carried up stairs, once he returned to public life he did not, could not, hide that he was handicapped. Republicans had a field day attacking FDR as a cripple, a 'poor man' of pity who was not up to the job.
"The role he must play was a paradox. Normally the actor puts on a mask and becomes someone else. FDR's role now was to play the man he actually was--a strong man capable of leadership in the highest seats of power. The trick was to remove the mask that his audience would otherwise force him to wear. He must persuade the audience to discard its ancient, inherited belief about a man who was crippled. He must persuade them that a crippled man could be strong."
FDR went on the campaign trail, traveling by auto caravan across New York state. He had to change the way society viewed 'cripples'. Two weeks before the election he faced four thousand people and openly spoke about polio. "Seven years ago, through an attack of infantile paralysis, I was completely put out of any useful activity." People in audience were heard crying. "By personal good fortune, I was able to get the best kind of medical care. The result is that today I am on my feet." And in admitting he was a cripple, FDR also declared himself to be a fighter and a man of action.
I think it was a shining moment in American history when a man's ability made voters forget his handicap, that we judged him by the 'content of his character' and not by his physical abilities or disabilities.
James Tobin's first book, Ernie Pyle's War, American's Eye-Witness to World War II won him the National Book Critic's Circle Award. He was able to leave his position with the Detroit News to write full time. He wrote a companion book to the PBS series Great Projects: The Epic Story of the Building of America, From the Taming of the Mississippi to the Invention of the Internet. It was followed by To Conquer the Air: The Wright Brothers and the Great Race for Flight.
To me, each book has at its core the story of men willing to go to great lengths to achieve the goals they hold dearest. Tobin's books are inspiring and dramatic narratives. To learn more visit
http://authors.simonandschuster.com/J...
Note: Tobin used the word cripple purposefully. He explains in his Prologue, "To understand Roosevelt's situation--in his time, not ours--one needs to enter a realm in which the stigma of physical disability was like the presence of oxygen in the air: utterly taken for granted, and therefore terribly powerful."
March 1, 2023
Very well written & truly inspiring history of a famous man in the context of his time and associates.
October 10, 2014
I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book on Goodreads:) Honest review:
Since I have long admired and read about FDR, I was excited to read "The Man He Became."
Focus on this aspect of FDR's life is seldom written in detail. The author is on target in doing so and in recognizing how polio and the effects therein were instrumental in helping to shape FDR as both a man and politician leading our country through one of its' darkest times.
As he had done with his disability, FDR focused on what could be done in time of crisis verses what couldn't. He was full of empathy and unflinching resolve.
Thanks to the author for his account of FDR's challenges, defeats, and victories. It should certainly be an example to those who still labor under the false assumption that physical disabilities make for lesser men.
Inspiring reading!
Since I have long admired and read about FDR, I was excited to read "The Man He Became."
Focus on this aspect of FDR's life is seldom written in detail. The author is on target in doing so and in recognizing how polio and the effects therein were instrumental in helping to shape FDR as both a man and politician leading our country through one of its' darkest times.
As he had done with his disability, FDR focused on what could be done in time of crisis verses what couldn't. He was full of empathy and unflinching resolve.
Thanks to the author for his account of FDR's challenges, defeats, and victories. It should certainly be an example to those who still labor under the false assumption that physical disabilities make for lesser men.
Inspiring reading!
July 16, 2021
Interesting book about FDR. Leaving us with the question: did he become president because of polio or in spite of it?
Stricken by the dread disease at 39, he lost the use of his legs. Worked hard to try to get it back. Tobin implies he might have succeeded had he not succumbed to Gov. Alfred Smith's plea for him to run for governor while he ran for president. He had reached the point where he could stand with a cane with a helper, usually his son, standing nearby. He did still need a brace on one leg.
Question is might he have been able to walk on his own if he hadn't gone back to elected office?
And we see a bit of the history of dirty campaigning. Many "whispers" going around about how could a cripple be elected president? He showed by taking a campaign train across the country where people saw him standing. They saw a strong looking young man and he saw how much they needed a change from Herbert Hoover.
Stricken by the dread disease at 39, he lost the use of his legs. Worked hard to try to get it back. Tobin implies he might have succeeded had he not succumbed to Gov. Alfred Smith's plea for him to run for governor while he ran for president. He had reached the point where he could stand with a cane with a helper, usually his son, standing nearby. He did still need a brace on one leg.
Question is might he have been able to walk on his own if he hadn't gone back to elected office?
And we see a bit of the history of dirty campaigning. Many "whispers" going around about how could a cripple be elected president? He showed by taking a campaign train across the country where people saw him standing. They saw a strong looking young man and he saw how much they needed a change from Herbert Hoover.
January 3, 2014
In depth and specific
Well researched, well told
FDR "defied" polio but wasn't "defined" by it ... yet it definitely shaped the President he became. Polio sharpened his character and remodelled his ethics. The argument presented isn't that FDR became President in spite of his polio, or that FDR became President because of his polio, but, as the title says so clearly, the argument is about the man (and President) he became.
The author stays on task and presents a lot of interesting information and statistics about polio, its causes and its effects. There is also a lot of social information about the perception of those with disabilities and how FDR challenged this. FDR had to overcome the illness (physically and mentally) and not waver from his ambition to be President.
Not just a fascinating account of polio and FDR, but also full in interesting insights into the society of the day, this is an excellent read. The book finished with FDRs nomination, but I would have liked a little more of the "man he became" of the title, not just winning the Presidency but an indication of the "man he became" as evidenced in his policies and actions as President.
Well researched, well told
FDR "defied" polio but wasn't "defined" by it ... yet it definitely shaped the President he became. Polio sharpened his character and remodelled his ethics. The argument presented isn't that FDR became President in spite of his polio, or that FDR became President because of his polio, but, as the title says so clearly, the argument is about the man (and President) he became.
The author stays on task and presents a lot of interesting information and statistics about polio, its causes and its effects. There is also a lot of social information about the perception of those with disabilities and how FDR challenged this. FDR had to overcome the illness (physically and mentally) and not waver from his ambition to be President.
Not just a fascinating account of polio and FDR, but also full in interesting insights into the society of the day, this is an excellent read. The book finished with FDRs nomination, but I would have liked a little more of the "man he became" of the title, not just winning the Presidency but an indication of the "man he became" as evidenced in his policies and actions as President.
July 15, 2018
Increasingly, I have found books that focus on one particular aspect or period of a president's life to be a nice change of pace from the traditional full-length biography (not that there is anything wrong with the latter, because there certainly is not). By honing in on an event or specific place of importance, one may be able to better identify a turning point in the life of someone before he (so far) achieved the highest office in the land. So it is with James Tobin's excellent study of the severe polio attack suffered by a highly energetic and relatively youthful Franklin D. Roosevelt. Tobin seeks to determine, as best anyone can, the profound impact that the crippling disease had on Roosevelt, how it changed him, and what it taught him. The result is informative and entertaining, being neither a dry clinical narrative nor a series of unsubstantiated assumptions.
Tobin begins by taking us to Inauguration Day, March 4, 1933 – describing the elaborate series of actions that Roosevelt had to go through in order to be able to stand up and then “walk”. He then very briefly reviews FDR's early life, going almost immediately to summer 1921 when FDR was stricken with polio. He interweaves medical discussion about the polio virus and how it is communicated between people with snippets of FDR's exact movements over the course of several weeks in July and August 1921. He writes so well that for awhile it almost seems like fiction, following the virus around as it somehow gets into FDR's body, then proceeds to attack his cells. Tobin writes that, realistically, the chances of it affecting FDR the way it did were extremely small. Despite there having been recent outbreaks of the disease, most people were able to fight it off; indeed, most probably never knew that it passed through their bodies as they have had no more than a cold or a fever for a few days.
While I am familiar with the basic conclusion that FDR most likely got the virus from his attendance at a Boy Scout picnic in a New York state park, Tobin makes sure to note other things that have been commonly overlooked by most FDR biographers. Based on how he was raised, FDR was more susceptible to the virus. This is because he never attended any public schools where he could be exposed to and thus immunized against many of the germs that always float around such places. He was raised in an isolated environment with private tutors, and he had few childhood friends. Also, his physical constitution was never robust: he was someone who frequently got sick, even after he grew into adulthood. Another key factor at play here was that he was exhausted, having recently been consumed with defending himself over events that occurred in the Navy Department back when he was the Assistant Secretary. And finally, when the disease struck him full-force, being on Campobello Island which is past the eastern edge of Maine, he was way away from the best medical care, especially in those days before air travel. All of these these factored in enormously in FDR being vulnerable to getting polio in the first place, not being able to fight it off in the second place, and not having top-notch medical care until it was way too late to try to correct any damage (which may not have been possible, but will never be known).
Once FDR is afflicted, Tobin turns to examining how he tried to cope with his paralysis. Physically, he only improved slightly (as far as his legs were concerned – thankfully he retained full feeling and use above his hips), and that mainly from when he went swimming and sunbathing in warmer climates. Tobin notes how Roosevelt alternated between trying to work hard at being able to walk again, to just not really trying once he had built up his upper body. It seems that, at some unknown point, FDR came to realize that he never was going to walk unaided again, and that he would never fully be able to stand on his own power unless he was in a pool of warm water. Yet he went through with plans to buy the grounds of Warm Springs, GA. One wonders if this was as much something for FDR to focus on as far as the ownership and management of the entire complex was concerned, as it was about trying to recover more movement in his legs.
Louis Howe, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Sara Roosevelt are featured prominently in this tale. Howe, Roosevelt's political guru, kept Roosevelt's name alive in political circles, and while not outright lying about his condition, was able to spin things so that people either forgot or most likely didn't think about FDR's affliction. Eleanor was crucial in getting FDR through the first few weeks, and then months, of his illness. One wonders if he would have even made it without her help. Probably not. And Sara, his mother, while providing financial stability, was nonetheless an irritant as she basically wanted FDR to return to his boyhood home of Hyde Park and live the remainder of his life as a semi-invalid country squire. FDR, Eleanor, and Howe were having none of that.
Al Smith also becomes a major player later on in this book. The New York Governor pressures FDR to run to replace him in 1928. FDR does and wins, and his relationship with Smith – never personally close to begin with – deteriorates rapidly. At this point, Tobin speeds up and quickly brings us up to FDR's election as President in 1932. Very little attention is paid to his years in Albany, except to show that FDR managed to do the job of Governor just fine with no issues resulting from his relative immobility. He concludes with a very good epilogue about whether FDR would still have been president had he not contracted polio, and how his triumph in being able to work his way back at least partially from his affliction may have led him to make a terrible mistake in running for reelection in 1944, when he knew he was gravely ill with heart disease.
This book is best for those who are at least somewhat familiar with FDR's life and his presidency. Not that someone who is unfamiliar will not be able to follow it, but rather that reader would be lacking the necessary context and understanding of both FDR's privileged childhood, his personality, and his policies that he instituted while president in order to better appreciate the point that Tobin attempts to convey: that FDR was somewhat of a callous and selfish man whose life was dramatically upended; someone who was used to doing things that he wanted to do (for the most part) but who suddenly had to rely on others for basic needs; someone who for the first time faced intense struggle – both physically and emotionally; and finally, someone whose tribulations helped him ultimately become America's longest-serving president and an advocate for those who were less fortunate in life. Anyone interested in FDR will almost surely find Tobin's book a well-balanced look at probably the most critical period of FDR's life.
Grade: A
Tobin begins by taking us to Inauguration Day, March 4, 1933 – describing the elaborate series of actions that Roosevelt had to go through in order to be able to stand up and then “walk”. He then very briefly reviews FDR's early life, going almost immediately to summer 1921 when FDR was stricken with polio. He interweaves medical discussion about the polio virus and how it is communicated between people with snippets of FDR's exact movements over the course of several weeks in July and August 1921. He writes so well that for awhile it almost seems like fiction, following the virus around as it somehow gets into FDR's body, then proceeds to attack his cells. Tobin writes that, realistically, the chances of it affecting FDR the way it did were extremely small. Despite there having been recent outbreaks of the disease, most people were able to fight it off; indeed, most probably never knew that it passed through their bodies as they have had no more than a cold or a fever for a few days.
While I am familiar with the basic conclusion that FDR most likely got the virus from his attendance at a Boy Scout picnic in a New York state park, Tobin makes sure to note other things that have been commonly overlooked by most FDR biographers. Based on how he was raised, FDR was more susceptible to the virus. This is because he never attended any public schools where he could be exposed to and thus immunized against many of the germs that always float around such places. He was raised in an isolated environment with private tutors, and he had few childhood friends. Also, his physical constitution was never robust: he was someone who frequently got sick, even after he grew into adulthood. Another key factor at play here was that he was exhausted, having recently been consumed with defending himself over events that occurred in the Navy Department back when he was the Assistant Secretary. And finally, when the disease struck him full-force, being on Campobello Island which is past the eastern edge of Maine, he was way away from the best medical care, especially in those days before air travel. All of these these factored in enormously in FDR being vulnerable to getting polio in the first place, not being able to fight it off in the second place, and not having top-notch medical care until it was way too late to try to correct any damage (which may not have been possible, but will never be known).
Once FDR is afflicted, Tobin turns to examining how he tried to cope with his paralysis. Physically, he only improved slightly (as far as his legs were concerned – thankfully he retained full feeling and use above his hips), and that mainly from when he went swimming and sunbathing in warmer climates. Tobin notes how Roosevelt alternated between trying to work hard at being able to walk again, to just not really trying once he had built up his upper body. It seems that, at some unknown point, FDR came to realize that he never was going to walk unaided again, and that he would never fully be able to stand on his own power unless he was in a pool of warm water. Yet he went through with plans to buy the grounds of Warm Springs, GA. One wonders if this was as much something for FDR to focus on as far as the ownership and management of the entire complex was concerned, as it was about trying to recover more movement in his legs.
Louis Howe, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Sara Roosevelt are featured prominently in this tale. Howe, Roosevelt's political guru, kept Roosevelt's name alive in political circles, and while not outright lying about his condition, was able to spin things so that people either forgot or most likely didn't think about FDR's affliction. Eleanor was crucial in getting FDR through the first few weeks, and then months, of his illness. One wonders if he would have even made it without her help. Probably not. And Sara, his mother, while providing financial stability, was nonetheless an irritant as she basically wanted FDR to return to his boyhood home of Hyde Park and live the remainder of his life as a semi-invalid country squire. FDR, Eleanor, and Howe were having none of that.
Al Smith also becomes a major player later on in this book. The New York Governor pressures FDR to run to replace him in 1928. FDR does and wins, and his relationship with Smith – never personally close to begin with – deteriorates rapidly. At this point, Tobin speeds up and quickly brings us up to FDR's election as President in 1932. Very little attention is paid to his years in Albany, except to show that FDR managed to do the job of Governor just fine with no issues resulting from his relative immobility. He concludes with a very good epilogue about whether FDR would still have been president had he not contracted polio, and how his triumph in being able to work his way back at least partially from his affliction may have led him to make a terrible mistake in running for reelection in 1944, when he knew he was gravely ill with heart disease.
This book is best for those who are at least somewhat familiar with FDR's life and his presidency. Not that someone who is unfamiliar will not be able to follow it, but rather that reader would be lacking the necessary context and understanding of both FDR's privileged childhood, his personality, and his policies that he instituted while president in order to better appreciate the point that Tobin attempts to convey: that FDR was somewhat of a callous and selfish man whose life was dramatically upended; someone who was used to doing things that he wanted to do (for the most part) but who suddenly had to rely on others for basic needs; someone who for the first time faced intense struggle – both physically and emotionally; and finally, someone whose tribulations helped him ultimately become America's longest-serving president and an advocate for those who were less fortunate in life. Anyone interested in FDR will almost surely find Tobin's book a well-balanced look at probably the most critical period of FDR's life.
Grade: A
April 13, 2016
GOODREADS FIRST READS REVIEW
Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s dream to follow his cousin’s Theodore to the Presidency seemed to be exactly on course until he was stuck down with polio and appeared to be derailed forever. But as James Tobin recounts in his new book “The Man He Became: How FDR Defied Polio to Win the Presidency”, Roosevelt’s illness and his determination to regain his health and the use of his legs enabled him to make his way to the White House in a quiet unexpected way.
Tobin begins his account at his time period’s end with Inauguration Day 1933 following Roosevelt through the ceremonies of the day and how he proceeded to stand up, walk the new way he had learned, and sit down. Then we are taken back to summer 1921 to an athletic and healthy Roosevelt just before he contracted the poliovirus. The contrast is stark and makes the reader want to see how Roosevelt went from the latter to the former, a task that Tobin skillfully chronicles.
Within the recounting of Roosevelt’s contraction, illness, recovering, and physical rehabilitation from polio Tobin enlightens readers on a number of issues. The first is the mechanics of the poliovirus and how it became major epidemic disease in the early 20th-century. The second is the societal attitudes towards the disabled in the 1920s and early 1930s that many faced and were amplified when Roosevelt returned to politics. The third was political dynamics that the nation and the Democratic party was facing throughout the mid-1920s especially when it came to New York Governor Al Smith and Roosevelt’s relationship towards him. The fourth is Roosevelt’s dealings with the press about his physical condition and how much he actually used a wheelchair.
At 311 pages of text, Tobin for the vast majority of the book is both detailed and efficient in his writing. The only time the text seemed to wander was when Tobin discussed the societal attitudes towards the disabled during the time period, mainly because he continued to show example after example of attitudes and biases after clearly giving the reader ample evidence already. If being given an overabundance of information on a particular issue that Roosevelt had to confront is the only noticeable “glare” then it might come down to the individual reader and not the writer.
Upon finishing the book, Tobin’s view that polio helped Roosevelt win the Presidency does hold up. A polio-free Roosevelt had all the talent to become President, whether he would have succeeded would be another matter. However, it was a post-polio Roosevelt who learned to use his talents in another way like he had to learn to use his muscles in another way that helped create a recipe for a successful return to politics and then ascension to the Presidency.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s dream to follow his cousin’s Theodore to the Presidency seemed to be exactly on course until he was stuck down with polio and appeared to be derailed forever. But as James Tobin recounts in his new book “The Man He Became: How FDR Defied Polio to Win the Presidency”, Roosevelt’s illness and his determination to regain his health and the use of his legs enabled him to make his way to the White House in a quiet unexpected way.
Tobin begins his account at his time period’s end with Inauguration Day 1933 following Roosevelt through the ceremonies of the day and how he proceeded to stand up, walk the new way he had learned, and sit down. Then we are taken back to summer 1921 to an athletic and healthy Roosevelt just before he contracted the poliovirus. The contrast is stark and makes the reader want to see how Roosevelt went from the latter to the former, a task that Tobin skillfully chronicles.
Within the recounting of Roosevelt’s contraction, illness, recovering, and physical rehabilitation from polio Tobin enlightens readers on a number of issues. The first is the mechanics of the poliovirus and how it became major epidemic disease in the early 20th-century. The second is the societal attitudes towards the disabled in the 1920s and early 1930s that many faced and were amplified when Roosevelt returned to politics. The third was political dynamics that the nation and the Democratic party was facing throughout the mid-1920s especially when it came to New York Governor Al Smith and Roosevelt’s relationship towards him. The fourth is Roosevelt’s dealings with the press about his physical condition and how much he actually used a wheelchair.
At 311 pages of text, Tobin for the vast majority of the book is both detailed and efficient in his writing. The only time the text seemed to wander was when Tobin discussed the societal attitudes towards the disabled during the time period, mainly because he continued to show example after example of attitudes and biases after clearly giving the reader ample evidence already. If being given an overabundance of information on a particular issue that Roosevelt had to confront is the only noticeable “glare” then it might come down to the individual reader and not the writer.
Upon finishing the book, Tobin’s view that polio helped Roosevelt win the Presidency does hold up. A polio-free Roosevelt had all the talent to become President, whether he would have succeeded would be another matter. However, it was a post-polio Roosevelt who learned to use his talents in another way like he had to learn to use his muscles in another way that helped create a recipe for a successful return to politics and then ascension to the Presidency.
December 26, 2013
Well-written, thoroughly researched story of FDR's fight with polio and its aftermath. As a polio survivor myself (I was two when I contracted the disease in the last big US epidemic in 1955) I found the descriptions of the illness right on the money, as well as FDR's physical, mental, and emotional struggles to regain some of what he'd lost. But this book should resonate with anyone, not only those who struggle with disability, but who struggle, period. FDR's courage and determination served him well in leading this country during the dark days of the Big Depression. I think he continues to encourage those who read about him today. Yes, he's the guy who told us that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
Hearing about FDR inspired me as a child, and I connected with his drive for people to see him as a vibrant, capable person. What disabled person does not? But let's change that sentence: What person does not? Whatever your personal difficulties, whether they are clearly visible to others or not, it helps to have someone wiling to inspire us by getting on with the business of living, of doing whatever it takes to become the person you want to be. FDR had presidential aspirations long before polio struck; the fascination of his story is how he refused to let it change the true direction of his life.
Highly recommended.
Hearing about FDR inspired me as a child, and I connected with his drive for people to see him as a vibrant, capable person. What disabled person does not? But let's change that sentence: What person does not? Whatever your personal difficulties, whether they are clearly visible to others or not, it helps to have someone wiling to inspire us by getting on with the business of living, of doing whatever it takes to become the person you want to be. FDR had presidential aspirations long before polio struck; the fascination of his story is how he refused to let it change the true direction of his life.
Highly recommended.
January 23, 2021
Disappointing. The best nonfiction writers avoid packing lines with facts and tell a narrative. The title appealed to me and I had hoped to learn more about how FDR coped with a devastating illness at such a young age. Unfortunately I will have to wait for another book to understand in more depth what factors helped FDR survive polio with such extraordinary resilience.
September 27, 2014
On one hand, this book is narrow. It concentrates only on Franklin Roosevelt's polio case, how he responded to it, and how it affected-- Tobin thinks it perhaps made-- his political career. Narrow isn't good, usually. But on the other hand Roosevelt's polio is an aspect of his life which has been downplayed, if not ignored. It is part of his life which is vital to understand if you wish to understand him. It is time to study it in detail, then, and that's exactly what Tobin sets out to do.
Today the United States is a nation of publicity worshipers. Otherwise rational members of small groups and subcultures agonize about explaining themselves to the nation, never considering whether or not they have anything to gain from it. There are always ready supplies of freaks and geeks eager to make fools of themselves on so-called reality TV. The public and politicians alike are so used to having the most trivial details of the lives of political leaders exposed to idle curiosity that a young person could take her one chance to ask a presidential candidate a question on a national news program and blow it by asking "Boxers or briefs?" and not only did the watchers think it clever, but the candidate actually answered the question.
Looking back on FDR from this viewpoint, it seems the only reason his handicap wasn't shown in excruciating detail in newspapers and newsreels must be a "magnificent deception" to hide it from the people. The truth, to our eyes, is far stranger. The people were fully aware that FDR was crippled. But they had somehow reached the benighted conclusion- or so our news, or noise, channels of today would call it- that even a politician was allowed to keep some of the uncomfortable details of his life out of the public view. The public knew FDR was handicapped. They took up collections on his birthday to pay for polio research. But they had decided the details of his disease and the difficulties it caused him were none of their damned business. Amazing!
But if the public didn't seek photos of FDR falling off his crutches, they were still fully aware he used them. They admired him for his efforts in fighting the disease. They feared it had destroyed his health, so that he would be unable to serve if elected to political office. Political spin and tricks of all kinds pivoted on the fact of FDR's polio, tricks and spin both in his favor and against him.
If you want to know about FDR, about how he struggled, and about a strange era when politics was as dirty as today and yet the people thought that even politicians deserved some privacy, then you should read this book.
Today the United States is a nation of publicity worshipers. Otherwise rational members of small groups and subcultures agonize about explaining themselves to the nation, never considering whether or not they have anything to gain from it. There are always ready supplies of freaks and geeks eager to make fools of themselves on so-called reality TV. The public and politicians alike are so used to having the most trivial details of the lives of political leaders exposed to idle curiosity that a young person could take her one chance to ask a presidential candidate a question on a national news program and blow it by asking "Boxers or briefs?" and not only did the watchers think it clever, but the candidate actually answered the question.
Looking back on FDR from this viewpoint, it seems the only reason his handicap wasn't shown in excruciating detail in newspapers and newsreels must be a "magnificent deception" to hide it from the people. The truth, to our eyes, is far stranger. The people were fully aware that FDR was crippled. But they had somehow reached the benighted conclusion- or so our news, or noise, channels of today would call it- that even a politician was allowed to keep some of the uncomfortable details of his life out of the public view. The public knew FDR was handicapped. They took up collections on his birthday to pay for polio research. But they had decided the details of his disease and the difficulties it caused him were none of their damned business. Amazing!
But if the public didn't seek photos of FDR falling off his crutches, they were still fully aware he used them. They admired him for his efforts in fighting the disease. They feared it had destroyed his health, so that he would be unable to serve if elected to political office. Political spin and tricks of all kinds pivoted on the fact of FDR's polio, tricks and spin both in his favor and against him.
If you want to know about FDR, about how he struggled, and about a strange era when politics was as dirty as today and yet the people thought that even politicians deserved some privacy, then you should read this book.
January 24, 2014
At the age of 39, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a rising star in Democratic politics. Handsome, charming, ambitious and liberal, he was able to navigate the tricky waters of the Democratic Party. Then on an outing he went swimming, came home feeling unwell and was never able to walk unassisted again. The story of how he worked to strengthen not only his body, but also the public's perception of what it means to be "crippled" is inspiring. In this period, being "crippled" meant being pitied and shunned. Some were convinced that a "cripple" would become as "twisted" as their legs. Roosevelt was, for many years, determined to walk like a normal person again. That didn't happen. Becoming in incapacitated meant that he would, for the rest of his life, have to rely on others to help him. The fact that he learned to accept help graciously and with his beaming smile and good humor says a lot for a man who had pretty much seen almost everything come easily. His determination to get well took him to Warm Springs, GA where he learned about the problems of the South which was, at the time, deeply mired in poverty. That experience stood him in good stead when he decided to seek the Presidency. The author takes considerable time to explain how polio is spread including the fact that sanitation inadvertently led to more polio. In addition, there were recognized treatments for polio at the time which, tragically, Roosevelt did not receive as a result of misdiagnoses. Would Roosevelt been elected President if he had NOT had polio. The author doubts it. Polio shaped him, not only physically, but also mentally. It's an important lesson for everyone.
December 24, 2013
Riveting, uplifting, and amazing. What FDR accomplished, the man he became, the life he lived and, most of all, the millions of lives he touched vaults Tobin's book to an easy five star.
Tobin writes with verve and you-are-there realism, that for me, turned this story into impulse reading. I tore through this book in four days. I planned extra time so I could have long stretches to better absorb how FDR defied this "fool disease of infantile paralysis" and achieve the mantle of a world leader.
Tobin places the reader at the dinner table discussions at the family estate in Hyde Park, the beneficial warm springs in Georgia, the endless half-day physical therapy sessions. I felt as if I was a delegate, on the floor, cheering his words at the Democratic conventions of 1924, '28 and, whoa, 1932, the big one.
Tobin culminates his treatise with what FDR's saga did, and still does, to uplift the morale and well being of physically challenged humans.
Yes, Franklin Roosevelt continues to touch--I am making better changes to my nutrition and fitness regimens as a result of this book. If this man can beat a cruel crippling disease, go on to achieve greatness, surely I can lose 15 pounds and run a 10K.
Tobin writes with verve and you-are-there realism, that for me, turned this story into impulse reading. I tore through this book in four days. I planned extra time so I could have long stretches to better absorb how FDR defied this "fool disease of infantile paralysis" and achieve the mantle of a world leader.
Tobin places the reader at the dinner table discussions at the family estate in Hyde Park, the beneficial warm springs in Georgia, the endless half-day physical therapy sessions. I felt as if I was a delegate, on the floor, cheering his words at the Democratic conventions of 1924, '28 and, whoa, 1932, the big one.
Tobin culminates his treatise with what FDR's saga did, and still does, to uplift the morale and well being of physically challenged humans.
Yes, Franklin Roosevelt continues to touch--I am making better changes to my nutrition and fitness regimens as a result of this book. If this man can beat a cruel crippling disease, go on to achieve greatness, surely I can lose 15 pounds and run a 10K.
December 10, 2013
This book did an excellent job focusing on the topic, which was how FDR's disability affected his life and his political life. The author really hit some key elements of the disabled experience, admirably for an able-bodied person. I especially appreciated his organization, and his citation of other works he read as he researched. This gives me more to read on the topic. It also made me think about my life in terms of my disability, which I don't often consider. While I try my best to just ignore the facts of my situation, and just go, I was happy and sad to see very similar attitudes in both FDR's story and mine. Some things really haven't changed in 60+ years, but many more things have changed for the better. Anyway, for anyone interested in this subject, this was a fast read, because it is so well-structured. Very enjoyable and enlightening.
February 26, 2014
In no way comparing a back injury to Polio but bits of the agony and trying to fight back and stand up is difficult.
I've never read such detailed and awe inspiring deeper realty. My love of FDR on this reason alone is accentuated. Our nation was different but also the same.
I've never read such detailed and awe inspiring deeper realty. My love of FDR on this reason alone is accentuated. Our nation was different but also the same.
December 17, 2013
It's a good read for someone who is trying to come to terms with their own disability!
February 13, 2018
If you find FDR fascinating, as I do, you won't want to miss this book, which focuses on the period during which he contracted polio and then recovered, both physically and mentally, and ultimately decided to run for president in 1932. Tobin's argument is that FDR became president not in spite of his polio, but because of it.
Some quotes I found particularly interesting:
"The anthropologist Robert Murphy, struck by a congenital disorder of the spine when he was forty eight, wrote: 'The price for normal relations with the able-bodied is that the disabled must comfort others about their condition. They cannot show fear, sorrow, depression...or anger, for this disturbs the able-bodied."
"The particular way in which Roosevelt came back from his illness exhibited the essential habits of mind and action that he would deploy during the Great Depression and World War II: improvisation, experimentation, and perseverance in the face of enormous trouble. His assertion in 1933 that fear was agreater obstacle than any material peril was not just a rhetorical trick. Through personal experience, he had come to believe it. The way he fought against his paralysis, trying one thing, then another when the first thing failed, and then a third, was perfectly reflected in his pragmatic response to the crises of his presidency."
"If a person's sense of self - his belief about who he really is - is the story of his own life that he carries in his mind, then FDR, as president, must have drawn power from the turn his story took between 1921 and 1932. He knew he had done something terribly difficult. Through exercise, practice and compromise with his own highest hopes, he had recovered some of the strength and mobility he lost to the poliovirus. But more imporant and more difficult, he had defeated the stigma that prevented people with disabled limbs from participating fully in life's struggles. That vistory required a fierce will, many wiles and a lot of help. The wiles and the will lay somewhere inside the thirty-nine year old man at the moment he became ill. He might have retreated into a comfortable retirement [as his mother urged]. Instead he chose to exert his will and exercise his wiles, and that act of choosing, more than anything else, revealed who he was."
And one last great quote - from FDR's own mouth: An aide, listening to him spin another grand plan, said "Mr. President, you can't do that!" to which FDR replied, "I've done a lot of things I can't do."
Some quotes I found particularly interesting:
"The anthropologist Robert Murphy, struck by a congenital disorder of the spine when he was forty eight, wrote: 'The price for normal relations with the able-bodied is that the disabled must comfort others about their condition. They cannot show fear, sorrow, depression...or anger, for this disturbs the able-bodied."
"The particular way in which Roosevelt came back from his illness exhibited the essential habits of mind and action that he would deploy during the Great Depression and World War II: improvisation, experimentation, and perseverance in the face of enormous trouble. His assertion in 1933 that fear was agreater obstacle than any material peril was not just a rhetorical trick. Through personal experience, he had come to believe it. The way he fought against his paralysis, trying one thing, then another when the first thing failed, and then a third, was perfectly reflected in his pragmatic response to the crises of his presidency."
"If a person's sense of self - his belief about who he really is - is the story of his own life that he carries in his mind, then FDR, as president, must have drawn power from the turn his story took between 1921 and 1932. He knew he had done something terribly difficult. Through exercise, practice and compromise with his own highest hopes, he had recovered some of the strength and mobility he lost to the poliovirus. But more imporant and more difficult, he had defeated the stigma that prevented people with disabled limbs from participating fully in life's struggles. That vistory required a fierce will, many wiles and a lot of help. The wiles and the will lay somewhere inside the thirty-nine year old man at the moment he became ill. He might have retreated into a comfortable retirement [as his mother urged]. Instead he chose to exert his will and exercise his wiles, and that act of choosing, more than anything else, revealed who he was."
And one last great quote - from FDR's own mouth: An aide, listening to him spin another grand plan, said "Mr. President, you can't do that!" to which FDR replied, "I've done a lot of things I can't do."
June 11, 2018
The Man He Became is an in-depth look at Franklin Delano Roosevelt's reaction to contracting polio (and the reactions of those around him), with an emphasis on how that challenge helped to mold him into the president he became.
In many respects, Mr. Tobin has written an admirable book. He provided a thorough layman's explanation of the pathology of poliomyelitis and is at his best at the beginning of the story when he speculated on how Roosevelt contracted the disease and the mistakes that FDR, his family, and the medical professionals around him made at crucial moments, most of which probably made the disease worse than it might have been had it been diagnosed and treated promptly and correctly. Mr. Tobin also delved into how some of those failures prompted FDR to turn both inward (in terms of asserting control over the treatment of his disease) and outward (in terms of how he came to see others in need).
Mr. Tobin has a writing style that is very readable and he held my interest throughout. My only regret is that (other than a brief epilogue) he only carried the story as far as the nomination for governor of New York in 1928. It could be that by that point there was nothing more of substance to relate, but it gave me a slight feeling of incompleteness.
At any rate, if you have an interest in FDR, The Man He Became is probably a book that should find its way onto your reading list.
In many respects, Mr. Tobin has written an admirable book. He provided a thorough layman's explanation of the pathology of poliomyelitis and is at his best at the beginning of the story when he speculated on how Roosevelt contracted the disease and the mistakes that FDR, his family, and the medical professionals around him made at crucial moments, most of which probably made the disease worse than it might have been had it been diagnosed and treated promptly and correctly. Mr. Tobin also delved into how some of those failures prompted FDR to turn both inward (in terms of asserting control over the treatment of his disease) and outward (in terms of how he came to see others in need).
Mr. Tobin has a writing style that is very readable and he held my interest throughout. My only regret is that (other than a brief epilogue) he only carried the story as far as the nomination for governor of New York in 1928. It could be that by that point there was nothing more of substance to relate, but it gave me a slight feeling of incompleteness.
At any rate, if you have an interest in FDR, The Man He Became is probably a book that should find its way onto your reading list.
August 4, 2021
This book was an ableist disappointment. In his enthusiasm to position FDR in his own time, Tobin elects to describe the former president as "crippled." This would be reasonable if he consistently contextualized description with recourse to sources and circumstance wherein the term was originally applied, but Tobin doesn't do that. Instead he inserts the offensive term as often as he likes, wherever he likes with what appears to be a kind of glee. I came away utterly unconvinced that his use of the term "cripple" was necessary. In most cases, he could have easily replaced it with "disabled" without losing the general historical thread. While Tobin provides reasonable evidence that acquiring a disability changed FDR permanently (no surprise there) and likely changed the path of his political career, the author's historical analysis of the relationship between disability and FDR's career is not rigorous enough to be considered groundbreaking. The book's conclusions ultimately amount to a dressed-up statements of the obvious, although certain historical details provided by Tobin, such as the specifics of his rehabilitative exercise program, constitute a contribution to FDR's biography.
April 18, 2020
I picked this up on a whim, thinking to pass it on to my Mom so she could read it to my Nana at some point. I don't know a lot about FDR and political figure biographies aren't usually my thing. However I decided to give it a quick read before passing it along and I'm glad I did. Not only was it really well written with a clear narrative voice but it also felt organized and focused, covering the time just before polio and then just before the first Presidential run. A handful of years, really, but busy and important and interesting. Plus the author alternated FDR's experience with scientific information on the virus - both as it was understood then and how we understand it now. He also touched on the concept of disability, the classism, the prejudices, etc of the time as he sought deeper meanings and insights into FDR's actions. I am incredibly pleased, too, how the book skirted feelings of so-called "inspiration porn" - that uncomfortable, tasteless way of telling the story of someone handling a disease or disability while doing great things in a way that comes across as patronizing, pandering to an able-bodied "norm"
September 22, 2017
Much more interesting book than I expected! It covers his life from having polio up to his winning of the 1932 presidential election. Gives interesting facts about his marriage and relationship with his wife, describes his disease and the early diagnosis and treatment, and then describes how hard he worked for years to become well enough to run for president. Many people think FDR deceived the American Public because he rarely had pictures of him in a wheel chair. The author thinks it was not really a deception, but his way of making people feel comfortable about his disability. Much room for discussion there!
I also learned more about Warm Springs, GA and how important it was to FDR's recovery. FDR bought the place and opened it to polio victims from across the country.
I also learned more about Warm Springs, GA and how important it was to FDR's recovery. FDR bought the place and opened it to polio victims from across the country.
March 29, 2018
Excellent and engrossing account of FDR's battle with polio from the summer he came down with the virus until his swearing-in as President. Interweaves his poor initial treatment and diagnosis with his relationships to his doctors and physical therapists, the role of his aide Louis Howe, his enjoyment and purchase of Warms Springs and its conversion to a polio treatment center, his means of support during this period, his eventual return to public life with Al Smith and their longtime alliance and rivalry in NYS politics, his election to the governorship, and analysis of the effect of polio on his personality and career. Hard to put down !!
November 16, 2022
This piqued my interest, as FDR has always done, because my Mon’s polio. This book has taught me more about what polio does to the body then any other book I have read. The introduction made me a little weepy explaining what it took FDR to stand (stretch legs, lock braces, aide there to pull up, resting on cane plus aide). My mom did something similar, but constantly adapting to ability. Highly recommend if you know someone who has overcome something for their dream. Tobin details how FDR influenced the people around him and around the world what it meant to be crippled and how to treat them. It was not a disability of the mind and he could be and was the President of the United States.
January 17, 2021
FDR had three tactics that allowed him to overcome his bout with polio. First was to create a positive bubble around him, cutting out any negativity around his foreordained recovery.
Second, he used his political ambitions as his motivation for moving forward. And third, he took control over his own recovery, giving himself full agency for solving his predicament.
Combined with his natural optimism, talent for experimentation, and his small but dedicated support group, this book speaks to how FDR used his condition as a catalyst for his eventual political success.
Second, he used his political ambitions as his motivation for moving forward. And third, he took control over his own recovery, giving himself full agency for solving his predicament.
Combined with his natural optimism, talent for experimentation, and his small but dedicated support group, this book speaks to how FDR used his condition as a catalyst for his eventual political success.
June 2, 2020
A riveting read detailing FDR’s life from 1921 to 1932 through the lense of Polio. The author provides ample information about the disease itself, the people surrounding FDR and the politics of it all, forming a uniquely vivid picture of the circumstances. Truly a fantastically structured and presented insight into the former President, sparking almost inevitable respect and regard in every reader.
August 17, 2018
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected. Tobin takes a unique look at the period of time in FDR's life when he contracted polio and how he recovered and coped with the disease. He then shows how it affected his political career, possibly for the better. It enabled me to take a completely different look at the man Roosevelt became.
August 4, 2024
Rotary International is striving to eradicate polio and has made great strides. Polio is now restricted to Afghanistan and Pakistan. As a Rotarian, I read this book because I wanted to learn more about how polio had affected FDR. I learned so much more about the man and politics at that time. This is a well researched and well written book.
April 3, 2019
This is a very good book especially for readers unacquainted with the story of FDR's battle with polio. For a more personal account of polio and FDR's challenge, Hugh Gallagher's FDR's Splendid Deception is a classic.
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