FDR: The First Hundred Days

by Anthony J. Badger

The Hundred Days, Franklin Roosevelt’s first fifteen weeks in office, have become the stuff of legend, a mythic yardstick against which every subsequent American president has felt obliged to measure himself. The renowned historian Anthony J. Badger cuts through decades of politicized history to provide a succinct, balanced, and timely reminder that Roosevelt’s accomplishment was above all else an exercise in exceptional political craftsmanship. Declaring that Americans had “nothing to fear but fear itself,” Roosevelt entered the White House in 1933 confronting 25 percent unemployment, bank closings, and a nationwide crisis in confidence.From March 9 to June 16, FDR sent Congress a record number of bills, all of which passed easily. From legalizing the sale of beer to providing mortgage relief to millions of Americans, Roosevelt launched the New Deal that conservatives have been working to roll back ever since. Badger emphasizes Roosevelt’s political gifts even as the president and his brain trust of advisers, guided by principles, largely felt their way toward solutions to the nation’s manifold problems. Reintroducing the contingency that marked those fateful days, Badger humanizes Roosevelt and suggests a far more useful yardstick for future the politics of the possible under the guidance of principle.

Genres: Politics, History, Nonfiction, Biography, American History, Presidents, Us Presidents

224 pages, Hardcover

First published February 27, 1998

About the author

Anthony John "Tony" Badger is a British academic and historian. Until 2014 he was Paul Mellon Professor of American History at Cambridge University and Master of Clare College, Cambridge.

Reviews

[Mom · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am exercising the 50 page rule and giving up on this one. I just couldn't get into it. It struck me as argumentative banter and not necessarily unbiased.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great little analysis of the Hundred Days of FDR by a famous New Deal/Great Depression historian, Anthony Badger. Even though this book is fairly short (you can read it in one day), it contains a great deal of information for the reader. There is a bibliography at the end so if the reader wants to look at the sources Mr. Badger used or wants to learn more on the subject the resources are there.

I absolutely loved this book. I read it cover to cover in less than a day. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Franklin D. Roosevelt, the New Deal, or the infamous Hundred Days.

[Allie Pae · Rating 2 out of 5]

prof kevin i love you but this is objectively not a good book. giving it two stars bc it was very informational.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of economics here…. Much of which was over my head….I had to listen to some of this more than once.

If you are not familiar with FDR, I’d recommend reading more general books before reading this one, it will help familiarize you with names, etc... I’ve been reading mostly WWII related books which tend to focus on the war and gloss over all the other many, many problems. How that man managed to run this country is amazing. He did make mistakes, is it possible not to?

The author did make a very interesting observation….the first 100 days has since become a yardstick of sorts for all presidents. How much legislation they can get thru, etc….and it was the author’s opinion it’s gotten out of hand…it’s all about rushing things now, public relations and ratings, etc... The more I read the more distressed I become about the state of the nation and the world!

[Michael Gerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to admit. For a slim book, this was a tough read.

I had to brush up with my economics again, and read a thing or two about finance to be able to understand more the stuff here.

But from what I understood, the New Deal was a bridge for many Americans during the Depression. Though it did not immediately lead to economic recovery, the program eventually led to stability, preserved democracy, left lasting institutions and systems such as environmental conservation and social security, vastly improved America's infrastructure, and prepared it for the struggle and victory in the Second World War.

Perhaps I would understand more about the New Deal with the next book in line.

[Monte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ironic the progressives at the time criticized FDR for not nationalizing the banks saying "we" would never get another chance...excellent review

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Franklin Roosevelt assumed the presidency as the Great Depression was in force and was becoming solidified as an economic reality and in the minds of the people. In the last years of his presidency, Herbert Hoover seemed clueless regarding what could and should be done to get the wheels of economic progress going again. While Roosevelt had some plans, the reality was that he really did not have a master plan and was forced to make much of what he did at the start up as he went.
The explanations of how it was first necessary to restore public confidence in the banking system are easily understood. Without confidence in the banks, there would be runs and there would be widespread failures. This would end the normal processes of loans for economic expansion, housing and credit purchases. As was the case in the later financial meltdown in 2008, the people with the expertise to fix the problem were the very bankers and financial operators that had to be saved.
Once the banking system was stable, the next things to be done were to get money back into the hands of the public so that they could spend it and create demand for goods. Which would lead to increased production and increased demand for workers. The explanations of how the attempts were made to do this, essentially creating new government agencies and operations are fascinating to read about. No one really knew precisely what to do, Congress was largely a rubber stamp for the Roosevelt proposals, very few people wrote the legislation and sometimes in the matter of a day or two.
The first hundred days of a new presidency is now a fundamental part of every new administration. Rightly or wrongly, all U. S. presidents face this type of benchmark. In reading this book, it is clear that Roosevelt did many things right and some things wrong in his first three months in office. It is also clear that much of Roosevelt’s early success was due to the fact that the American public perceived that he was doing something to get the economic engine moving again.
While there is a bibliographical section, this book is more a popular version of events rather than an academic one. It is also generally even-handed, the criticisms from the left and right are both mentioned and generally given equal amounts of ink.

[William Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cursory evaluation of FDR's major legislative triumphs in his 1st term's 100 days: Emergency Banking Act, Civilian Conservation Corps, Federal Emergency Relief Administration, Agricultural Adjustment Act, National Industrial Recovery Act encompassingly the Public Works Administration, the Glass-Steagall Aact, the Federal Securities Act, the Tennesse Valley Authority, ending prohibition under the Beer-Wine Revenue Act. Badger novely places each major landmark piece of legislation into a comparative context against Hoover's ideology, attempts, and active criticism. A good introductory reading into the powerhouse President and the way the US was dramatically shifted from a virtually non-existent federal state (~25% of the GDP of the US pre 1929 was devoted to the Post Office) to a indebted, relatively interventionist state.

[Benjamin Schauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly quick read and provided some great detail on the first 100 days of FDR’s presidency. That said, some of the economic policy side of things are dense, and anyone not already familiar with the first round of New Deal policies might struggle or need to reread for clarity. This is the fourth book I’ve read on FDR, so a lot of the players and background were pretty familiar, but I still found myself backtracking at times.

I do appreciate that the author does point out areas that the New Deal did not succeed. That said, he was human, and his efforts (even those that failed) to save the country from disaster were monumental and still impact us today. Overall, this is a fair interpretation of the beginning for FDR’s tenure.

[Kisshor Samyrao · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a nice book for those who are interested in the development of public policy with a light shrinking of economic thought.

what I took out of this book is how startled the US administrations were about the issues of the Great Depression: offering at times multiple random potential remedies to the multifaceted issue.

the book is split into an introduction into the causes of the depression, and then on to dedicated chapters outlining major policy changes that the FDR administration tried to address.

I am left thinking of the importance of having a team of smart and forward thinking colleagues around you. I was always thought that FDR saved the day, but upon reading this book, I realise now that he represented a figure head for which more extraordinary minds below him.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tad dense and lacking clear narrative flow (compared to Alter's "Defining Moment"), but Badger's analysis is probably more politically and economically based than Alter's. The former sees the events surrounding FDR's election as restraining his possible responses from the outset. Thus neither right nor left wing critiques of the 100 Days are accurate: FDR had to do take some steps of federal intervention (contra conservative criticism), but radical socialist alternatives were not even on the table. Alter, by contrast, sees the moment as indicating FDR's political genius and adaptability. I learned from both.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains a short overview of the first 100 days of FDR’s presidency. Perhaps, the most interesting question is whether FDR allowed the US and world economies to sink to dangerous levels during the closing days of Herbert Hoover’s administration so that FDR could claim credit for an even larger recovery. Another interesting question is whether the unprecedented legislative package that FDR pushed through in the first 100 days was even necessary, or whether the economy was so strong that it could have (and did) largely recover on its own. The book contains an excellent bibliography on materials related to this 100 day period. JIM

[Jordan gates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, succinct, easy to understand academic look at FDR’s first 100 days in office which explains the key players in and important legislation coming from his administrations approach to governing during the Great Depression.

This book is great for anyone interested in financial crises or FDR.

[Elias · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably wasn’t the right audience for this because it was pretty dense and detailed. I wanted to learn more about FDR and it did a good job of explaining his main programs from the first 100 days, but it spent a lot of time describing the people involved with it. I think its a good book for someone doing research on this time.

[Sydney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual star rating: 2.5. For what the book was, it was probably closer to 2.5-3. However, this book was much heavier in the economic issues than expected and a lot of it went way over my head or just wasn’t interesting like I was hoping for!

[Nathanael Mickelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid overview of the first 100 days of FDR’s presidency. Nothing special, some interesting characters, but the last chapter summarizes mostly classic arguments regarding the New Deal.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love when I learn something new ! Even if I don't like what I learned

[Hello · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uncharitable

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, and thought the final chapter was an especially good summary of the accomplishments and challenges the changes posed in the first hundred days of FDR’s administration.

[Gary Schantz · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the second book I have read about FDR and this is the second book that hasnt educated me beyond giving factual information along the likes of reading an encylclopedia. I read about 30 pages and found myself wondering when the background information was going to start contributing to this book. It never happened.

Numerous names were thrown into the book but very little indepth information on any of them could be found. For example...one minute a man is selected to be the new attornery general and a paragraph later he is dead. Aside from mentioning that he passing was sudden...the book just moves right on to the replacement attorney general.

There is little mention of the FDR's background aside from the prologue describing his wealhty upbringing and his loveless marriage.

I must admit I gave up after the 2nd chapter as it didnt seem worthwhile to continue reading this dull, descriptionless essay about FDR's 1st Hundred Days.

This is another lesson learned that its not the best idea to read about one segment of person's life without having all the segments mentioned as well. In FDR's case, the man would preside over the country for 12 more years after these 100 days so the focus on the 1st 100 days may be very important...so it needed it due attention beyond this 174 page run-on sentence encaptured within full-page paragraphs.

The book is just dull.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things I probably could have used coming into this:

- A better knowledge of basic macroeconomics
- Any knowledge of agricultural economics
- Foreign trade policy background

It was a decent look at the first hundred days of FDR's presidency, and it did a nice job of revealing a more nuanced take on the crisis. It wasn't all government takeover/neener neener socialism, and it wasn't one long round of Let's Put The Businessmen In the Stockade. (Alas.)

More importantly, it seemed like every story or every inference of an event would have been better learned in a more comprehensive history of the time, a big honkin' Robert Caro-type affair of narrative intrigue and nuanced statesmanship. This assumes a lot of prior knowledge, but does an OK job of giving you the basic signposts of the time. It's up to you to do the extended reading.

[Warren Dunham · Rating 4 out of 5]

FDR was one of the most popular presidents in American history he was president for WW2 but almost as important was how he handled the depression. This book focus's on that first 100 days when Roosevelt with the help of a mostly pliant congress furiously rolled out bills many of which challenged what was constitutional. Ever since the results have been controversial some saying that these actions brought the us out of the depression others saying it never really came out until world war 2. Some have said its creation of large government project made a better world, others think that's a bad thing. This book takes the route of the being a good thing even while reconizing things were done so fast that many mistakes were made.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite type of reading but once again a book club book that I wouldn't have picked on my own but am glad I read it. Interesting time in our history with a lot of relevance to the last decade.

[Adam Townsend · Rating 2 out of 5]

I believe this book was well written, but I also found it to be full of names I couldn't keep straight and technical. I think it was an accurate representation of the first hundred days of FDR's presidency and very informative, but I didn't necessarily enjoy the read.

[Colleen]

One of these days, I might get around to finishing this, but holy cow, it's incredibly drab.

[Tommy Gonzalez · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine little history.

[Jason Riemens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not an FDR fan, but I enjoyed this book.