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The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope

Jonathan Alter (Goodreads Author)

3.93 · Rating details · 3,496 ratings · 244 reviews

This is the story of a political miracle--the perfect match of man and moment.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office in March of 1933 as America touched bottom. Banks were closing everywhere. Millions of people lost everything. The Great Depression had caused a national breakdown. With the craft of a master storyteller, Jonathan Alter brings us closer than ever before to th This is the story of a political miracle--the perfect match of man and moment.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office in March of 1933 as America touched bottom. Banks were closing everywhere. Millions of people lost everything. The Great Depression had caused a national breakdown. With the craft of a master storyteller, Jonathan Alter brings us closer than ever before to the Roosevelt magic. Facing the gravest crisis since the Civil War, FDR used his cagey political instincts and ebullient temperament in the storied first Hundred Days of his presidency to pull off an astonishing conjuring act that lifted the country and saved both democracy and capitalism.

Who was this man? To revive the nation when it felt so hopeless took an extraordinary display of optimism and self-confidence. Alter shows us how a snobbish and apparently lightweight young aristocrat was forged into an incandescent leader by his domineering mother; his independent wife; his eccentric top adviser, Louis Howe; and his ally-turned-bitter-rival, Al Smith, the Tammany Hall street fighter FDR had to vanquish to complete his preparation for the presidency.

"Old Doc Roosevelt" had learned at Warm Springs, Georgia, how to lift others who suffered from polio, even if he could not cure their paralysis, or his own. He brought the same talents to a larger stage. Derided as weak and unprincipled by pundits, Governor Roosevelt was barely nominated for president in 1932. As president-elect, he escaped assassination in Miami by inches, then stiffed President Herbert Hoover's efforts to pull him into cooperating with him to deal with a terrifying crisis. In the most tumultuous and dramatic presidential transition in history, the entire banking structure came tumbling down just hours before FDR's legendary "only thing we have to fear is fear itself" Inaugural Address.

In a major historical find, Alter unearths the draft of a radio speech in which Roosevelt considered enlisting a private army of American Legion veterans on his first day in office. He did not. Instead of circumventing Congress and becoming the dictator so many thought they needed, FDR used his stunning debut to experiment. He rescued banks, put men to work immediately, and revolutionized mass communications with pioneering press conferences and the first Fireside Chat. As he moved both right and left, Roosevelt's insistence on "action now" did little to cure the Depression, but he began to rewrite the nation's social contract and lay the groundwork for his most ambitious achievements, including Social Security.

From one of America's most respected journalists, rich in insights and with fresh documentation and colorful detail, this thrilling story of presidential leadership--of what government is for--resonates through the events of today. It deepens our understanding of how Franklin Delano Roosevelt restored hope and transformed America.

The Defining Moment will take its place among our most compelling works of political history. ...more

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Paperback, 414 pages

Published May 8th 2007 by Simon Schuster (first published April 15th 2006)

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Sep 19, 2011 Stephanie *Eff your feelings* rated it really liked it

Shelves: history, non-fiction, 2011

“We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace—business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering.

They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob.

Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in the ...more

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Jan 18, 2009 Susan rated it really liked it

I admit to reading this one because Obama was reading it and because so many pundits have been citing similarities between the Depression in the 30ies and Roosevelt’s first 100 days of New Deal legislation and the situation currently faced by our new president. I ended up seeing more differences than similarities between the two presidents and between the two situations—which doesn’t mean the book isn’t not only interesting but timely. By the way, I agree with the author that this time around 10 I admit to reading this one because Obama was reading it and because so many pundits have been citing similarities between the Depression in the 30ies and Roosevelt’s first 100 days of New Deal legislation and the situation currently faced by our new president. I ended up seeing more differences than similarities between the two presidents and between the two situations—which doesn’t mean the book isn’t not only interesting but timely. By the way, I agree with the author that this time around 100 days won’t do it. And even with Roosevelt, as Alter says, his most significant legislation, Social Security, passed later in his Presidency.

While the book tends to zero in on the 100 days, the author obviously found that, writing to a general audience, he had to give considerable background on Roosevelt—which he does in a series of short chapters which I found fun to read even though I’m fairly well read on Roosevelt the person and the president and have recently read a good complete biography (Edwards, FDR). In most chapters there was an anecdote or fact that I’d not heard before so I couldn’t accuse Alter of just regurgitating what other writers have written.

Alter makes much of the comment by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes that Roosevelt’s primary asset was not his mind but his “first class temperament”—that the title of the first book I read about Roosevelt (by Geoffrey Ward). However, Alter does honor the suggestion, made by Edwards among others, that it’s not clear whether Justice Holmes was talking about FDR or about Teddy Roosevelt. But temperament is an important issue in the book and timely because so many have noted that one of Obama’s greatest assets is what most call, these days, his “unflappability”. In temperament they may not be all that similar, but for both Obama and Roosevelt, likability is an important part of the appeal and the ability to talk to “the people” (not just the politicians) in a way that clarifies complex issues and involves the listener in solutions is of critical importance.

Alter gives considerable space to Eleanor in this book too: her despair at giving up her privacy to become first lady, her discovery of a new and historically significant role for the first lady, and her function in keeping FDR in touch. Because of his paralysis, the extent of which the American people did not know, Roosevelt was more vulnerable to what we now call the “bubble” the President exists in. In the 30ies Eleanor began traveling the country and the world, going down in coal mines—and eventually into war zones—to talk to “ordinary Americans” and bringing her insights back to the President. From the first, Roosevelt recognized the danger that the President grow “out of touch”, reminding us that Obama’s fight to keep his Blackberry isn’t just his technology fix, but his recognition that Presidents can easily become bubble-dwellers. ...more

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Apr 02, 2010 Dick Tatro rated it it was amazing

This book will give you a view of why FDR was able to save Democracy and capitalism by his progressive reforms. This book puts you at the start of the depression and what FDR did to save America. Good reading in this time of Obama. The President has read this book and many of his Idea's are from the first 100 days of FDR. Since the economy appears to be on the right track and health care has passed, I think we are seeing the earlier stages of what will be come known as a mythical Presidency. Oba ...more

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May 07, 2013 Steve rated it liked it

https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2016...

Jonathan Alter’s “The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope” was published in 2006. Alter is a journalist and author and was a columnist for Newsweek magazine for nearly thirty years. His most recent book “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies” was published in 2013.

Despite its title, “The Defining Moment” is not a book focused exclusively – or even mostly – on FDR’s first one hundred days in office. Nor is it a comprehensive biogra https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2016...

Jonathan Alter’s “The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope” was published in 2006. Alter is a journalist and author and was a columnist for Newsweek magazine for nearly thirty years. His most recent book “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies” was published in 2013.

Despite its title, “The Defining Moment” is not a book focused exclusively – or even mostly – on FDR’s first one hundred days in office. Nor is it a comprehensive biography of Franklin Roosevelt. Instead, it is an enjoyable but perplexing book whose precise mission is never entirely clear.

The first two-thirds of this 337-page book covers FDR’s pre-presidency in a solid but not exceptional manner. These thirty-one chapters define Roosevelt’s personality and character and create the historical context for his election as president. Unfortunately, coverage of this period is uneven and readers already familiar with Roosevelt will grow impatient waiting for analysis of the dramatic early days of FDR’s presidency.

Once the book’s attention does turn toward Roosevelt’s first “Hundred Days” the narrative itself leaves the reader with the impression that this slice of history is not particularly deserving of special focus. This discussion lasts fewer than fifty pages and, like the rest of the book, contains no new significant insights. The book’s final chapter is reserved for a review of Social Security (signed into law two years later) and an Epilogue whisks the reader through the remaining eleven years of Roosevelt’s presidency.

In spite of its structural flaws, this is an easy and generally entertaining read. The book’s tone also reveals its author as a journalist and not a historian or academic. It is written in “plain English” so it can be enjoyed by readers not normally drawn to history texts or biographies. And many of the author’s observations are strikingly cogent and convincing.

The narrative occasionally borders on breezy, but nearly as often it dives into a topic with more rigor and substance than expected. As just one example, Alter’s description of preparations for FDR’s 1933 inauguration (including the drafting of his inaugural speech) is far more detailed and much more fascinating than anything I’ve read elsewhere of those events. And yet his four years as governor of New York seem an unimportant after-thought.

Overall, Jonathan Alter’s “The Defining Moment” will prove refreshing to some readers and frustrating to many others. General readers seeking a bit more than a cursory review of Roosevelt’s pre-presidency will likely be pleased. But anyone expecting to find a “Defining Moment” or who hope to encounter decisive, penetrating coverage of FDR’s first hundred days will almost certainly be disappointed.

Overall Rating: 3½ stars ...more

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May 07, 2019 Shawn Deal rated it really liked it

Shelves: history

I loved everything about this book but the title. The title should be different as it does not accurately describe this book, at least not in my opinion. Only the last section of this book describes FDR’s first hundred days in office. The rest describe the man himself and how he became the man he became. This is great and I loved it, getting quite a bit out of it. Well written and well researched plus easy to read. I recommend it highly. Just know what you are getting.

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Apr 22, 2010 Clif Hostetler rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biography

Those of us alive now have a difficult time understanding the degree of fear and uncertainty felt by people in 1933 when the banks were closing and they had no idea what the future held. One had to live through the time to know how it felt. Even then, some people soon forgot and started complaining about FDR’s efforts to fight the depression. They forgot that before FDR's inauguration may leading thinkers (including the respected columnist Walter Lippman) were encouraging him to assume dictatori Those of us alive now have a difficult time understanding the degree of fear and uncertainty felt by people in 1933 when the banks were closing and they had no idea what the future held. One had to live through the time to know how it felt. Even then, some people soon forgot and started complaining about FDR’s efforts to fight the depression. They forgot that before FDR's inauguration may leading thinkers (including the respected columnist Walter Lippman) were encouraging him to assume dictatorial powers in order to save the nation. Conditions were so bad that some people speculated that the last time the world had a similar crisis it was followed by 400 years of "dark ages." And with the wrong people in leadership it could have turned into a dark age. Instead Franklin Roosevelt was able to lift the confidence of the nation.

I can remember my father telling me about Roosevelt closing all the banks in the United States on his first day of being president. He felt FDR had saved the nation. Roosevelt was able to instill the needed confidence in the banks by promising that the banks that were allowed to open again would be safe. The bank’s conditions were reviewed and only the solvent bank’s were allowed to open. Then within weeks, people who had waited in line to get their money out of the bank were now waiting in line to put their money back in. There was no deposit insurance at the time, so the fear of banks failing was real.

Ironically FDR was opposed to deposit insurance at the time. In hindsight it’s apparent that FDR, and most other people at the time, did not understand very much about economics. He sort of took action by intuition. The early New Deal program was actually operated by left over staff from the Hoover administration. Nevertheless, it is obvious that there is no way Herbert Hoover could have instilled the confidence in the banks the way the FDR did. The difference between recovery and disaster was psychological, but nevertheless it was a real difference.

It’s interesting to note that on paper Hoover was much more qualified to be president than FDR. Which indicates that the most important trait needed to be president is charisma. Experience and administrative skill are not all that important for the top person; Others can do that stuff.

The conclusion of this book is that FDR deserves credit for saving democracy, but not ending the depression. The depression was ended by World War II.
...more

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Jan 15, 2009 David rated it really liked it

(2009 At Least A Book A Week) Week 1

So, I am starting off 2009 trying to at least read a book a week. It isn't a lofty goal, but something I could perhaps pull off.

"The Defining Moment" was week 1. I figure it fits right in there with the whole new Presidency thing going on right now. It was an easy read. And quite interesting. For the one thing... did you FDR basically saved democracy? At the time of his inauguration a good majority of newspapers were telling him that he should become a dictato ...more

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Jun 28, 2013 Eric Atkisson rated it really liked it

Enjoyable, light read with a pretty balanced assessment of FDR's strengths and weaknesses, triumphs and failures. The title is somewhat misleading because only the final third or quarter of the book is really about the first 100 days of his presidency. The rest is biographical and sets up the Depression as well as the period between his election in 1932 and assumption of office in March 1933, when the banking and financial crisis hit rock bottom. I would recommend this book to fans and critics o ...more

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Dec 17, 2011 Rachel rated it really liked it

Shelves: history

It's strange to read a book about one of the most well-known figures of the last 100 years and realize you know virtually nothing about them. I really enjoyed this book, which focused much more on who FDR was as a person and how that shaped his life, than on the details of his Presidency.

I was also fascinated to learn about Eleanore Roosevelt, particularly about her intense (and possibly intimate) relationship with female reporter Lorena Hickok. I would love to learn more about Eleanore and Lor ...more

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Jun 08, 2008 Jack rated it really liked it

Shelves: biography, politics, history, nonfiction, presidents

Great introduction to FDR's efforts at responding to the Great Depression upon his entrance into the presidency. Sometimes a bit too much psychoanalyzing, but there should be no doubt that FDR was the great president of the 20th century, not necessarily for finding a domestic economic cure for the Great Depression, but for helping millions of suffering people and giving them hope. His leadership of WWII would take care of the rest, but that's for another book. Great description of FDR's pre-pres ...more

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Dec 20, 2008 Jeff Scott rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, history

This was an excellent book to read during the first weeks of the Obama Presidency. On reading the book, I could tell that Obama was using the same techniques as FDR to manage the banking crisis. Of course, on reading the book, the crisis FDR faced was far more dire than the current one.

Overall, the book showed FDR as more human and politically driven than any type of savior. He did things to make himself look good and manipulated the press for his own interest. His burdens were heavier, dealing ...more

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Aug 21, 2018 Steven Kaminski rated it it was amazing

Fascinating book that takes us back in time right before FDR took office and a lot of the strategy that FDR used to bring the country together and to calm the country down. I mean I know I talked to my grandparents who were alive then but this book creates and describes vividly the absolute terror that people in America were experiencing. Before FDR took office...30% of ALL the banks in the country collapsed or were failing. Most businesses that were small business went right behind them and rig Fascinating book that takes us back in time right before FDR took office and a lot of the strategy that FDR used to bring the country together and to calm the country down. I mean I know I talked to my grandparents who were alive then but this book creates and describes vividly the absolute terror that people in America were experiencing. Before FDR took office...30% of ALL the banks in the country collapsed or were failing. Most businesses that were small business went right behind them and right after that the jobs of the people in those cities. So many of these towns small towns with one bank...the family that owned the bank got wiped out, the bank was run on, everyone who got their money stuffed it in a mattress and those who didn't get their money lost everything. Everyone was holding their breath because they literally were convinced society was falling apart in front of their very eyes.
Alter points to a few big things at the time that helped Roosevelt emerge as a leader that the country needed, restored confidence and got the country back up and rolling. The first truly beneficial thing Roosevelt had going for him was he was replacing a man who although he was seen as intelligent...was absolutely clueless in Herbert Hoover.
Hoover approached the financial crisis of 1929 very much like a deer in the headlights. And compounding the problem was he didn't want to take responsibility for any decision. He didn't know what to do and was paralyzed by the crisis. He also wanted Roosevelt to sign on to every decision he was going to make to combat the crisis. Roosevelt refused. Roosevelt argued very persuasively that there only one President at a time. He would look favorably on decisions Hoover made but left those choices to Hoover. Hoover dithered and did nothing. Even his most ardent supporters who were bankers were ripping their hair out screaming for him to do something. The inaction by the federal government put forward an idea that the government had no control over what was going on and was a helpless bystander. It cemented the correct perception that Hoover was not in command. It also gave FDR the ability to show a clean break when he came into office.
Second, FDR realized that half of the country's problem with the Federal government and Hoover was about the perception government wasn't involved and wasn't doing anything. So this led to the first 100 days. Every day of activity was frenzied. It was about rolling out possible solutions. It was about the willingness to be able to try anything to help the common man. FDR got everyone involved in projects often assigning the same project to multiple people just to see who could come up with the better solution. It got the buy in of the America people. It gave them confidence that government was trying to work to make their lives better.
The third and I think most crucial thing that happened was FDR developed and created the 'fireside chat'. He knew that he needed to speak directly to the American people in a way that was soothing, calming, confident and gave them real updates on what his administration was trying to do. FDR worked for hours on each address. He emphasized sayings like 'my friends' to make it feel like he was with those people in those small towns. That decision was fundamental in restoring confidence to the American people but also to them having confidence in the institutions that were so dangerously close to falling apart.
After the crash 80% of all Americans had pulled all their money from banks in fear that they would collapse...A month after he was elected FDR went on the radio, reassured them that solutions were coming and that everything was going to stabilize and be all right. Americans put 40% of the money back in a banks a week after that happened. He became their champion. And even though the great depression was underway his voice was in many ways a connection to them in their homes that they felt was tangible. The words he spoke reassured them, gave them the confidence to get through and gave him time to put the programs in place to life the country up again.
Really interesting stuff... ...more

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Apr 13, 2020 Joe rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction, history, politics

Reading about Roosevelt has me feeling Absolutely Dee-lighted!
Man, what a crafty politician. Never one to get pinned down on a firm position, willing to try anything to get the country moving again. He knew it was his executive responsibility to instill confidence in the people. Jonathan Alter weaves the narrative of FDR's life, from a pampered childhood, to his days as student editor of the Harvard Crimson, to his entry into NY state politics, onset of Polio, and his triumphant return to politi Reading about Roosevelt has me feeling Absolutely Dee-lighted!
Man, what a crafty politician. Never one to get pinned down on a firm position, willing to try anything to get the country moving again. He knew it was his executive responsibility to instill confidence in the people. Jonathan Alter weaves the narrative of FDR's life, from a pampered childhood, to his days as student editor of the Harvard Crimson, to his entry into NY state politics, onset of Polio, and his triumphant return to politics as NY governor, then onto the Presidency. Alter make good use of letters between Franklin and his mother Sara and Franklin and Eleanor to reveal the importance these strong women had on his life. Additionally, telegrams, speech drafts and White House memos illustrate the process of FDR and his Brain Trust during the First Hundred Days. Alter includes newspaper stories from prominent national columnists as well as small town papers to tell what was happening in Appalachia and LeMars, Iowa. Alter discusses the importance of the Bonus Army that led to Herbert Hoover's declining popularity, and FDR's adoption of the radio and his Fireside Chats to calm the public and later instill confidence while attempting to repair the fragile economy.

This book offers a lesson in executive leadership - if only Trump would learn to read and open a book.
To quote Alter in the Epilogue:
Our template for crisis leadership in the media age comes from Roosevelt. The idea of strong presidential authority extended from Washington through Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Wilson. They established that effective presidents dominate the public debate, with the help of what TR called the 'bully pulpit.' But FDR was the first to understand how that notion could be harnessed to technology and magnified in ways that transformed the office. The refinement of presidential stagecraft comes from him, with its mixed legacy of image-making and media manipulation.
For all of his transformative influence, FDR was, at bottom, a vessel president -- a carrier of all the qualities, admirable and less so, that presidents need to chart a course in choppy waters. The vessel hold not just personality but the essential elements of the American character: our faith in ourselves, our spirit of experimentation, and our hope for the future. ...more

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Jun 17, 2008 Miranda rated it liked it · review of another edition

This is an interesting history of FDR that details his pre-presidential life and career and the 100 Days once he was elected (and significant treatment of Eleanor too). Much of the focus is on his style and personality. He is alternately portrayed as a bit of a flip-flopper, to use a modern term, manipulative, a bit less than fully forthright, not necessarily an intellectual yet wide open to new ideas, a natural politician with the right instincts, a leader, and probably a few more. It's no fawn ...more

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Feb 27, 2009 Sam rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2009, best-reads, finished-government-at-work

When will Jonathan Alter write a second book? The Defining Moment is a great non-comprehensive biography of how FDR became the FDR responsible for his historic first hundred days, the measure to which all presidents are now held.

The majority of the book is a narrative of the essential events and encounters in FDR's life prior to his election. Alter spends so much time leading up to the book's main subject because he rightfully believes that FDR's life was crucial to the decisions he made as pre ...more

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Jan 06, 2010 Jessie rated it really liked it

This was a very easy and fascinating read recommended to me by both my mother and my aunt. It takes a unique look at FDR by focusing on his rise to the presidency, what life events helped develop his winning personality, and how he handled his first 100 days in office. The writing style is much like a magazine article - probably because that's the author's background. All of the chapters are very short (one is only 1 page long!) - and each is focused on a particular topic. This, unfortunately, m ...more

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May 03, 2020 Louis Picone rated it it was amazing

Well researched & very engaging. Atler mixes an accurate, unvarnished history of FDR & the first 100 days interspersing personal & policy and the broad story with fascinating details I had not known before (for instance - the black arm band FDR wore when he gave his "day of infamy" Pearl Harbor address was to honor his deceased mother, not the soldiers who perished). The author does seem to have a predilection for Reagan that pops up occasionally, but is more a curiosity than a distraction. I re ...more

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Oct 12, 2008 Ken Elser rated it really liked it

An interesting look at FDR's rise and his personality, as it pertained to his performance during his first 100 days. Certainly not comprehensive in its scope of policy, but enlightening in terms of the mood of the country in at the start of FDR's term and the ways in which his mere presence and attitude helped lay the groundwork for a recovery from the Depression. Parallels abound with present politics and economics and, although they shouldn't be taken to an illogical extreme, it's interesting ...more

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Dec 04, 2020 Meredith McDermott rated it really liked it

The author gets psychoanalytical at places & maybe would’ve done better staying more in his lane, but this is a good overview of what made FDR distinct & arguably a great leader. The book is ostensibly about FDR’s first 100 days, although that analysis makes up only the last quarter of the book. What it really does is argue that FDR was able to leave an enormous stamp on history not so much for his intellect or many policies, but his ability to project & instill confidence. This is a good study ...more

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Dec 07, 2008 Michael VanZandt rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: american-history

Alter does an exceptional job of capturing FDR's temperament and character. He spends sufficient on Roosevelt as the snob and the invalid, that we gain a greater appreciation for him as the man who raised America out of its depression, if not the Great Depression. It took a couple of decades, but at last there is an adequate historical account of FDR assuming the presidency amidst the economic crisis. The perfect read for our contemporary political-economic situation. ...more

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Oct 01, 2020 Noah Goats rated it really liked it

Jonathan Alter reminds us that although he looms large and immutable in the history of the United States today, FDR's election to the presidency was far from a foregone conclusion. Before his election people in his own party were irritated by his duplicity, and many Americans considered him to be something of an empty suit. But he did become president, and in the view of Alter he used his power to steer the United States away from the temptation of dictatorship and towards a future of hope and r ...more

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Nov 08, 2016 Doug Mitchell rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It’s funny how time works. Ask almost anyone to name the best U.S. presidents, and you will get a predictable list. Along with the ubiquitous Washington and Lincoln, you will more than likely get a lot of responses that include Franklin Delano Roosevelt. And why not? Roosevelt was elected a record four times, is widely credited for getting America out of the Great Depression, and helped defeat Nazi Germany. Pretty good stuff.

The thing is, and what we forget over time, is that FDR almost didn’t b ...more

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May 14, 2020 Pat rated it really liked it

The night before Franklin Delanor Rosevelt’s inaugural address on 4 March 1933, American society was at near total collapse.

Unemployment was at 25%, reaching 80% in some particular regions. Many people couldn’t buy petrol, milk or bread. Thousands of cars were abandoned on the side of the road having simply run out of petrol. Billions in cash had been withdrawn from the banks and hidden under people’s mattresses, prompting banks in 34 of 48 states to be closed indefinitely. Foreclosure lawyers
The night before Franklin Delanor Rosevelt’s inaugural address on 4 March 1933, American society was at near total collapse.

Unemployment was at 25%, reaching 80% in some particular regions. Many people couldn’t buy petrol, milk or bread. Thousands of cars were abandoned on the side of the road having simply run out of petrol. Billions in cash had been withdrawn from the banks and hidden under people’s mattresses, prompting banks in 34 of 48 states to be closed indefinitely. Foreclosure lawyers were murdered. Civil unrest was edging closer to exploding into anarchy.

The Defining Moment seeks to explain the first hundred days of FDR’s presidency and delve into how FDR began the process of turning American society around. I read this because I wanted to understand precedents of what effective progressive political leadership is like in a national crisis. It’s not an understatement to say we are currently experiencing a similarly sized crisis and facing many of the same economic problems.

The book was entertaining. Atler is a journalist and brought a level of vitality to the prose that makes it very readable.

The greatest thing I learnt from the work was the role of providing hope to people. So much of our economy is driven by expectation about what will happen in the future. If political leadership can bring hope to a troubled populace and make them think things will be better, that is already the first step to bringing about improvement. In many respects, FDR’s approach adopts William James’ pragmatism in Will to Believe (i.e. whether something is true depends on you willing it to believe without any initial evidence, a la, if you think the economy is getting better, then it will get better).

However, his portrayal of FDR was painted in very broad brushstrokes and I didn’t get a deep sense of his psychology and motivation for action during those 100 days. Alter’s explanations about FDR’s political decisions fell back on platitudes, i.e. “he was a good listener”, “he didn’t trust experts”. For me, the gold standard of political biographers is Robert Caro. Caro’s description of LBJ’s first 100 days in power after Kennedy’s assasination in the Passage of Power is the exemplar. Alter didn’t reach those dizzying heights. Knowing the way that Caro works, I think that’s probably too much to ask for any other human alive.

It was an interesting and entertaining read, but definitely not featuring on a list of my favourite biographies.
...more

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Feb 05, 2009 Ryan rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: all Americans

I read this when President Obama let it out that he was reading this book right before taking office.

And it is a fantastic book. The author brings alive FDR as if we were living in the 1930s. From his personal history to his strenghts and weaknesses, and I really feel like I got to know President Roosevelt through Alter's writing.

I basked in the background info there is here about The New Deal, and the history and circumstances of Social Security, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the CCC, etc. T ...more

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Aug 29, 2007 R.Joseph rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: everyone

This book is a very easy read and serves the purpose of reintroducing people to one of our greatest presidents! During FDR’s terms as commander in chief he saved capitalism by introducing a socialism balance! FDR gave us the trickle up economic approach that puts cash in the hands of those who needed it most, which in turn assures the money will flow through the economy and not be stashed away in an offshore money market account. Alter is a great report and did a great job in making a book about ...more

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Apr 09, 2018 Nancy rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobook, nonfiction, politics, history

I really found this book to be interesting and I learned a lot, but it wasn't riveting. I enjoyed it, but I also really enjoyed its brevity. It was interesting to learn how FDR was known as a happy, ebullient man and was able to charm people and put them at ease. He was skillful at directing a conversation and could manipulate people into accepting posts they didn't want and forgetting to ask for things they did want. He was always aware of how he was viewed by others and rarely lost his temper ...more

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Mar 28, 2021 Richard Thompson rated it liked it

Shelves: history, biography

This is an OK biography of FDR. It purports to focus on his first 100 days as president, but it doesn't really do that. The first 100 days felt like less than a fourth of the book, and I didn't feel that Alter made a strong case for a defining moment, not even a moment that last for 100 days. In fact, I thought that he made a better case for the opposite - that the thing that defined Roosevelt's presidency was that it was elusive, inconsistent and improvised. No moment defined it because each da This is an OK biography of FDR. It purports to focus on his first 100 days as president, but it doesn't really do that. The first 100 days felt like less than a fourth of the book, and I didn't feel that Alter made a strong case for a defining moment, not even a moment that last for 100 days. In fact, I thought that he made a better case for the opposite - that the thing that defined Roosevelt's presidency was that it was elusive, inconsistent and improvised. No moment defined it because each day was different from the day before. In the end that was part of what made him a great president and the right person for the time because it allowed him to keep trying different things when a flexible approach was needed for strategies to get out of the unprecedented Depression and to be hard for his opponents to pin down.

Before reading this book, I was aware of some of FDR's well known failings - his duplicity, his unfaithfulness, his lack of any sort of plan or consistent ideology. The interesting question to me has always been whether these core negative qualities were part of what made him a great president or things that he had to overcome to succeed. I think that the answer is that in different ways both are true.

The main new thing that I learned from this book was how FDR was generally considered to be a lightweight who was lacking in strength of character before he got to the White House. It wasn't just his perceived physical weakness from polio. It was embedded in his persona from his high voice to his lighthearted joking manner and apparent eagerness to please to his lack of consistent substantive policies. Hoover looked like a stronger presidential candidate, even in the face of his abject failure to deal with the Depression. It was amazing how FDR managed to rise to the task and become one of our greatest presidents, leading us through Depression and war and changing the our society from the old laissez faire capitalism to one in which the government takes at least some measure of responsibility for the welfare of the people. ...more

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Oct 18, 2018 Max Moilanen rated it liked it

Wasn't my favorite, felt very inundated with background information (facts related to a wide variety of advisors and personal connections, as well as a focus on the time leading up to FDR's 1932 election, rather than the time period emphasized in the title - "Hundred Days").

Overall though, it was a great window into the time period and what the United States was experiencing during the time of the Great Depression, and how many different parties were reacting. Atler also gave deep insight into t ...more

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Jan 18, 2021 Jim Vander Maas rated it it was amazing

Shelves: history

I write this before Joe Biden’s inauguration in an unprecedented time in American History. Although Biden has a huge task in bringing the country together again it isn’t bigger than what Franklin Roosevelt faced on March 4,1933. The countries moral may have been the lowest in history. Some people wanted a dictatorship and some wanted socialism to get them out of the depression. FDR faced the task with great courage, bringing together his brain trust to try anything to move a country that was par ...more

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Apr 22, 2021 Bill Shannon rated it really liked it

Shelves: audible

A terrific survey of FDR's early life and his first hundred days in office that doesn't commit the cardinal sin (in my opinion) of overdoing the background and origin story. There is enough of FDR's childhood and early days to give a glimpse into his psyche and why he was the way he was, but it doesn't try to make his early years into a thing into itself.

The portrait of FDR we get is one of a person who could be both a bon vivant and a caustic tyrant, but never petty or mean, at least not in his ...more

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About Jonathan Alter

Jonathan Alter

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Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, political analyst, documentary filmmaker, columnist, television producer and radio host. His new book, published in 2020, is "His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life." He is the author of three New York Times bestsellers: “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies”(2013), “The Promise: President Obama, Year One” (2010) and “The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Da ...more