737 books
—
273 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt” as Want to Read:
The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt
The long and eventful life of Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) was full of rich experiences and courageous actions. The niece of Theodore Roosevelt, she married a distant relative and Columbia University law student named Franklin Delano Roosevelt; he gradually ascended throughout the world of New York politics to reach the U.S. presidency in 1932. Throughout his three terms,
...more
Paperback, 454 pages
Published
March 22nd 1992
by Da Capo Press
(first published November 30th 1960)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt,
please sign up.
Recent Questions
Community Reviews
(showing 1-30)
This book is a collection of several volumes originally sold separately. Portions of these have been abridged and additional information has been added. All alterations were done by the author herself, in an effort to improve the content. Thus the book is split up into different sections, each having a specific theme. I liked some sections and disliked others.
The first part is about her childhood and familial relationships. This part was excellent. You see how Eleanor develops from an insecure a ...more
The first part is about her childhood and familial relationships. This part was excellent. You see how Eleanor develops from an insecure a ...more
Eleanor lived through very interesting phases of the country's history - World War I, World War II, the suffrage movement, and the Cold War to name a few. She played a significant part of her husband's presidency, being FDR's eyes, ears and legs, so to speak.
I read this book because it was used heavily as a source in Noelle Hancock's "A Year with Eleanor." Hancock was an entertainment blogger who got laid off. One day, she read a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, "Do one thing every day that scares ...more
I read this book because it was used heavily as a source in Noelle Hancock's "A Year with Eleanor." Hancock was an entertainment blogger who got laid off. One day, she read a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, "Do one thing every day that scares ...more
This is a very careful, guarded autobiography, written towards the end of Eleanor's life. And it was an extraordinary life, indeed. It is a challenge for anyone to write a candid autobiography, of course; there are people in everyone's life who deserve privacy and forgiveness and respect despite their failings. But it makes for a sterile book. There is nothing salacious here; no insight at all in to the experience of being married to a serial womanizer, for example, or even acknowledgement that
...more
I got into reading about past Presidents around the time of the inauguration and became very curious about Eleanor Roosevelt when reading about her husband. After reading this three-volume autobiography, I am no longer curious, but I have even more admiration.
If you're very curious about her childhood, then by all means read the first volume, but if not, read the wikipedia article for a summary and skip to the good stuff. The second volume covers her years in the White House and contains many o ...more
If you're very curious about her childhood, then by all means read the first volume, but if not, read the wikipedia article for a summary and skip to the good stuff. The second volume covers her years in the White House and contains many o ...more
Having watched Ken Burns series about the Roosevelts I was interested in learning more about Eleanor Roosevelt. I hoped to get an understanding about their very unconventional relationship of living almost separate lives but being devoted to one another, while cementing their place in history during his political career. I can't say that I have any better understanding of her devotion to Franklin to the extent that she appeared to form fond relationships with one or two of the other women in Fra
...more
Remarkable woman, way ahead of her time. I so admire how she accomplished so much and made her own way at that very tough time in history. She served as a delegate for the first session of the U.N. in 1946! Traveled extensivly throughout the world for different causes, all to try and make the world a better place for the unfortunate.
Interesting but very much "of its time". Unlike today's culture people of Elanor's era did not talk about their feelings so while you get a very good picture of what she did, and some of what she thought you will not walk away with insights into what she felt after reading this.
Eleanor's story is well written, but written at a distance. She is a woman of strong convictions, first puritan-like, later more liberal but the same rigid exterior. What I struggled with in this biography is I felt we never got to HER. She was always supportive of Franklin (nice wife) and it was all about his causes.
A particular thing that stood out to me was the birth of her first daughter and her first son. Daughter came first. She wrote something akin to, I gave birth to a daughter and we n ...more
A particular thing that stood out to me was the birth of her first daughter and her first son. Daughter came first. She wrote something akin to, I gave birth to a daughter and we n ...more
I had actually known very little about Eleanor Roosevelt before reading this book. It was wonderful to both learn about her and view the world through her eyes. She lived to be almost eighty and her life was never dull. One can only aspire to be a fraction as active as she. A biography of Eleanor Roosevelt is fascinating because you really get sense of how she developed as a person. It was a slow process for her and she didn't become the independent person we think of until well into her middle
...more
This book has excerpts and a synopses from Ms. Roosevelt's earlier work; This is My Story, and continues where said book left off; through Mr. Roosevelt's presidency, their years in the White House, her role as his eyes and ears when he couldn't travel due to illness, her leadership in the development of the United Nations Dclaration of Human Rights Bill, up through her personal and political life in the early 1960's. While one gains insight into the development of Ms. Roosevelt's beliefs and pe
...more
Enjoyable read, and it was fascinating to observe how she responded to and was influenced by circumstances at different stages of her life. Given how widely quoted she is and the esteem she seems to be held in, I had assumed before reading this book that she had led a charmed life sheltered from the trials and tribulations faced by us mere mortals. Finding out that this was not the case was a pleasant surprise which made her all the more human and easy to relate to.
There were some things I woul ...more
There were some things I woul ...more
Apr 15, 2010
~mad
rated it
liked it
Recommends it for:
Mailed to Jane
Recommended to ~mad by:
one of CMC's books
This is one of my mother's books - she idealized Mrs Roosevelt - so I am looking for some insight. Having read 60+ pages, I see some resemblance already!
This quite a read. I learned more from this book thanI ever would have in a classroom - and I am not a history buff. But I have all of these books!
It dragged 'for me' at the end at the last convention Eleanor attended. Isn't that interesting - I found another time and another place much more fascinating than the time during the first 10 years of ...more
This quite a read. I learned more from this book thanI ever would have in a classroom - and I am not a history buff. But I have all of these books!
It dragged 'for me' at the end at the last convention Eleanor attended. Isn't that interesting - I found another time and another place much more fascinating than the time during the first 10 years of ...more
I'm truly surprised at how interesting and well written this book is; almost a page turner. (Of course not by today's standards.) As with most of us today, we only know Eleanor as an historical figure and a President's wife, but after the PBS series I really wanted to get to know more her as a person. So far her book has not disappointed me.
Also very surprised that she was orphaned at 10 yrs old and raised by her very strict Grandmother. Although she went to a boarding school in England and spo ...more
Also very surprised that she was orphaned at 10 yrs old and raised by her very strict Grandmother. Although she went to a boarding school in England and spo ...more
I would have liked to hear more about Eleanor's early life and more her feelings about her experiences. It read like who's-who in society and politics throughout Eleanor's life and career. It did give good history of the US and an in-depth look at some experiences with world leaders and WWII. The end was a little long and drawn out, giving her opinions on current events, that are obviously no longer current, but it was insightful to hear her talking in her own words about her feelings on the sta
...more
After watching the wonderful Ken Burns series on the Roosevelts, I wanted to know more about them, and this is where I began. This is no tell-all. Not a mention of FDR's affairs, and hardly any detail about Mrs Roosevelts relationships with her intimates. But it's a very interesting and inspiring read, and Mrs Roosevelt's opinions and beliefs are well ahead of their time. I found the latter part of the book the most interesting, but the whole is well worth reading.
Eleanor Roosevelt's voice and personality really shine through! It feels like she's talking to you, not writing something formal. And it doesn't hurt that I agree with many of her views about war, democracy, and human rights!
Eleanor was a very inspiring woman. The dynamic between herself and FDR was interesting. They sacrificed a lot for our country.
This is Eleanor Roosevelt's story in her own words, and since she is the author you will learn only what she wanted told. I thoroughly enjoyed the opening section of the book where she tells about her childhood. She is guarded throughout the book, but this part of the book felt the most open. Her childhood was challenging, and she really managed to overcome so many difficulties that she was initially faced with. She provides very little detail about her courtship with Franklin. There isn't much
...more
There were parts of this book that I absolutely loved, and other parts that left me a little bored. That's the best explanation I can give for only giving this three stars. That said, I'm glad I read this, and it definitely offers a greater insight into the life of a fascinating woman.
This book consists of four parts, each of which was originally published on its own. The first part covers Eleanor's early years, from her childhood through her early marriage to Franklin. The second part mostly co ...more
This book consists of four parts, each of which was originally published on its own. The first part covers Eleanor's early years, from her childhood through her early marriage to Franklin. The second part mostly co ...more
My mother was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen.
Eleanor Roosevelt started out life as an orphan under the care of her strict grandmother. Awkward and painfully shy, her upper class upbringing was oftentimes lonely. She married her cousin Franklin before she was 20, had 5 children, and could have gone down in history as just another quiet politician's wife, but through helping FDR with his campaigns she was exposed to people from many different walks of life. She found her calling ...more
Eleanor Roosevelt started out life as an orphan under the care of her strict grandmother. Awkward and painfully shy, her upper class upbringing was oftentimes lonely. She married her cousin Franklin before she was 20, had 5 children, and could have gone down in history as just another quiet politician's wife, but through helping FDR with his campaigns she was exposed to people from many different walks of life. She found her calling ...more
It was clear when reading this book (or in my case listening to the audio book of Eleanor Roosevelt's Autobiography), she spent most of her time explaining in extraneous detail of things that I thought didn't matter as much to my time. My impression of her, from the story, was that she found this autobiography as a channel to voice her opinions and to defend her positions from oppositions or rumors or what have you that she noted in her time. She poured it all out in this book and I thought that
...more
I was shocked to meet the Eleanor in the first part of this book who was dutiful, obedient, and a woman who never gave any thought to whether she supported women's suffrage. In her words, "the ability to think for myself did not develop until I was well on in life and therefore no real personality developed in my early youth." How depressing...but it gives some hope to those of us about to hit that age at which Eleanor's life really started to get fired up.
The early part of the book also offers ...more
The early part of the book also offers ...more
I've always admired Eleanor Roosevelt and after finishing this book, I think I idolize her. Her legacy with the United Nations and her tireless work for human rights and dignity are as strong as her husband's legacy with the New Deal. She decried America's apathy toward democracy and worried that if we didn't foster and cultivate it, we couldn't protect it either. What a great president she would have made. She was committed to her role as public servant and worried that democracy had been overt
...more
Apr 08, 2016
L
added it
Eleanor Roosevelt was a strong woman who stood by her husband, Franklin D. Roosevelt, through all the hard times getting to Washington. The road to Washington was very long and had many stops along the way. The night that they figured out that FDR was the new Assistant Secretary of the Navy "I stayed in New York waiting to hear what our fate would be." (Roosevelt 72) She cared about her husband and supported him but it was a very long process that she seemed to not be fully into. After discoveri
...more
This is probably one of my favorite autobiographies that I have read. The fact that I gave it 3 stars, meaning that I liked it, speaks volumes. It felt truly genuine, not just like she was writing a story to try to get it on the best seller list. I knew next to nothing about Eleanor Roosevelt going into this book, so everything was a revelation. From her nearly parent-less upbringing, her shy awkward childhood, to her feeling as an incapable mother, to her years and years of political engagement
...more
After reading a lot, then setting it down for a year or so- I picked it up last month and finished up last night! I really liked the last part the best. Honestly, Eleanor's best side seemed to come forth after her husband's death. Though I understand that if you are married to a highly political man (ie president for over a decade) that your life revolves around that but it was nice to see her have her own life after his death. Also, she says herself that she really learned to quit fearing doing
...more
I thought this was an interesting book about a fascinating woman. I liked learning about her upbringing and family life. She did not spend a lot of time speaking about her children, it sounds as though they were mostly raised by nannies,nurses and boarding schools, but I think that was the way it was done by wealthy mothers in her time. The way I understand her life focus, is through her work getting to understand and help others, I was impressed by her travel and visits to miners, farmers and p
...more
Sep 07, 2008
Alison Kenney
added it
I'm excited about this...very timely given the upcoming election!
OK, I'm about half-way through now...I've discovered that Eleanor was a daily columnist. She wrote a column a day/six days week for many years. That's the problem with this book: she turns each event into a folksy "here's the deal" column. Meeting Kings and Queens or FDR's relationship with Churchill are all reported the same way - she finds one cute anecdote and focuses on that, and the book misses out on so much "meat" along the ...more
OK, I'm about half-way through now...I've discovered that Eleanor was a daily columnist. She wrote a column a day/six days week for many years. That's the problem with this book: she turns each event into a folksy "here's the deal" column. Meeting Kings and Queens or FDR's relationship with Churchill are all reported the same way - she finds one cute anecdote and focuses on that, and the book misses out on so much "meat" along the ...more
There are already enough reviews about this book so I will be brief. This is an autobiography of an American First Lady. Her writing style is very clear and polished. She is extremely diplomatic (almost the point of absurdity.) For example, I was several chapters in before realizing how awful her mother in law was. She wrote about her so objectively. It is rather like something DATA from Star Trek (an emotionless but lovable android) would write. However, I did find this very enjoyable and infor
...more
A very circumspect autobiography, unlike something that would be written today. Although she shares some insights from her childhood, she always keeps the reader at a distance. She is consistently noncommittal about her mother-in-law, which was probably considered polite at the time, but rings a bit false today, given how much is known about the reality of the relationship. Her work schedule was overwhelming. i lost track of how many times she flew back and forth across the Atlantic or how many
...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eleanor Roosevelt Biography | 4 | 14 | Apr 11, 2014 03:54AM |
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was an American political leader who used her influence as an active First Lady from 1933 to 1945 to promote the New Deal policies of her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as well as taking a prominent role as an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, she continued to be an internationally prominent author and speaker for the New Deal coalition
...more
More about Eleanor Roosevelt...
Share This Book
1 trivia question
More quizzes & trivia...
“Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose a challenge instead of competence.”
—
1072 likes
“He who learns but does not think is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.”
—
44 likes
More quotes…
