mjsteimle's review against another edition
4.0
Having read Grant and now this book, I can safely say that Jean Edward Smith is one of my favorite biographers. His books are clear and detailed without getting too bogged down in minutia and they're highly readable. I didn't find FDR to be a likable person, but the one thing I do really admire is how gracefully he dealt with polio. He never complained or demonstrated self-pity, even though polio severely impacted his life.
I'd say this is a great overall biography of FDR's life and career. It doesn't delve into all of the details about every subject (WWII is given just a few chapters), but it's a great introduction to the man who held the presidency for more years than any other.
I'd say this is a great overall biography of FDR's life and career. It doesn't delve into all of the details about every subject (WWII is given just a few chapters), but it's a great introduction to the man who held the presidency for more years than any other.
chanman's review against another edition
4.0
There are few Presidents as revered as FDR. Not only is he our longest-serving President, but he also helped us through some of the most trying times in US History. From the Great Depression to WWII, from the Dust Bowl to the Home Front of weapons manufacturing, FDR had a lot (some may say too much) on his plate. Yet, there are those who would contest that his spending of money and government control was too much for the time, and set a dangerous precedent that the government still has to follow today. The nay-sayers for FDR claim that he single-handedly changed the way the federal government responded to a crisis to not ‘if’ they would respond, but when, and to what degree.
It is with all this in mind that I went into FDR by Jean Edward Smith. I wanted to learn more about the President on a personal level, as well as know more about his administration with only details that a book can provide.
This book is perhaps the best single-volume biography of anyone who has served through so much as Roosevelt. Smith traces the birth and personal development of FDR from when he was a child, through his days as President. During that time he explores a host of important people in Roosevelt’s life, from political allies, and personal friends to his wife Elenore. What was most surprising to me was the relationship between Franklin and Elenore. As someone who comes from a ‘traditional’ family unit, their relationship comes off as strange, but perhaps it is meant to. I get the impression that they simply married for money and social class, which they both eventually found inadequate given the tumultuous times they both faced later in life. This led to affairs confirmed and unconfirmed, for both Franklin and Elanore. Since I knew about FDR and his affair, I was surprised about Elanore and her alleged affairs while FDR was president.
This book also offers a solid account of how Roosevelt was a master politician and how he knew to get work done with almost anyone. This culminated into the assembly of his first cabinet, where he seemed to hire as many Republicans as Democrats, because they were good for the job, and not just his friends or people suggested to him. It is little facts and tidbits like this that I personally liked reading about and challenged my view of FDR.
There are, however, some issues with this text, both of which are inherent to the fact it is a one-volume work, and you should be aware of at any rate.
The first is that we are told much of the information about FDR, as in “first X happened, and Y said the following…after which Z occurred.” This isn’t a bad thing, as we have to move at breakneck speed to cover everything Roosevelt did, but those people looking for a more personal portrait of Roosevelt would do well to look elsewhere. (An example would be Goodwin’s book No Ordinary Time, about FDR in the Whitehouse in WWII.) This is one of the reasons why it took me so long to get through, as it was like eating a bland steak or overcooked pasta. Yeah, it’s fine, but there is no flavor in it.
Another issue with moving so quickly is that many of the more negative topics of Roosevelt’s terms are glossed over in this text, or covered very briefly. For example, take when FDR tried to pack the court with Democratic justices, something that, today, could be considered a grab for power. Or the Japanese Internment camps during WWII, where Japanese citizens were forcibly moved from their property and placed into camps for national security. What are moments in time that have whole books written about them, here, are covered in about 5 pages. For both of these negatives, it isn’t really a problem for me, it is just something a reader should know when getting into a one-volume biography.
One flaw that is more of a problem is the ending of the text. It simply ends. In 1945, Roosevelt claims he has a headache then he collapses and is pronounced dead. The author then switches the viewpoint to some American POWs who are told FDR died, they bow their heads and that’s it. It ends with these POWs marching away into the distance. It isn’t that I don’t feel for these men or anything, but it is just so unexpected. We have never been introduced to these men before now, and so to have them simply appear seems strange for a book that was so well laid out. Also, many authors cover the funeral of their President, and where they are buried, as well as their legacy in an ‘afterword’. Not here. Either Smith didn’t think it was necessary, since it is, you know, FDR, or the publisher said he had to cut the word count and he decided to ax a majority of the ending. Either way, this seems a bit abrupt and random for my taste.
My problem with the ending notwithstanding, I still think this is an excellent book about a man who is tasked to turn around the country after the collapse of the world economy. Whether you love him or hate him, this book makes you re-examine the man and the times he lived in, and what can you ask for more than that? I give it a four out of five.
It is with all this in mind that I went into FDR by Jean Edward Smith. I wanted to learn more about the President on a personal level, as well as know more about his administration with only details that a book can provide.
This book is perhaps the best single-volume biography of anyone who has served through so much as Roosevelt. Smith traces the birth and personal development of FDR from when he was a child, through his days as President. During that time he explores a host of important people in Roosevelt’s life, from political allies, and personal friends to his wife Elenore. What was most surprising to me was the relationship between Franklin and Elenore. As someone who comes from a ‘traditional’ family unit, their relationship comes off as strange, but perhaps it is meant to. I get the impression that they simply married for money and social class, which they both eventually found inadequate given the tumultuous times they both faced later in life. This led to affairs confirmed and unconfirmed, for both Franklin and Elanore. Since I knew about FDR and his affair, I was surprised about Elanore and her alleged affairs while FDR was president.
This book also offers a solid account of how Roosevelt was a master politician and how he knew to get work done with almost anyone. This culminated into the assembly of his first cabinet, where he seemed to hire as many Republicans as Democrats, because they were good for the job, and not just his friends or people suggested to him. It is little facts and tidbits like this that I personally liked reading about and challenged my view of FDR.
There are, however, some issues with this text, both of which are inherent to the fact it is a one-volume work, and you should be aware of at any rate.
The first is that we are told much of the information about FDR, as in “first X happened, and Y said the following…after which Z occurred.” This isn’t a bad thing, as we have to move at breakneck speed to cover everything Roosevelt did, but those people looking for a more personal portrait of Roosevelt would do well to look elsewhere. (An example would be Goodwin’s book No Ordinary Time, about FDR in the Whitehouse in WWII.) This is one of the reasons why it took me so long to get through, as it was like eating a bland steak or overcooked pasta. Yeah, it’s fine, but there is no flavor in it.
Another issue with moving so quickly is that many of the more negative topics of Roosevelt’s terms are glossed over in this text, or covered very briefly. For example, take when FDR tried to pack the court with Democratic justices, something that, today, could be considered a grab for power. Or the Japanese Internment camps during WWII, where Japanese citizens were forcibly moved from their property and placed into camps for national security. What are moments in time that have whole books written about them, here, are covered in about 5 pages. For both of these negatives, it isn’t really a problem for me, it is just something a reader should know when getting into a one-volume biography.
One flaw that is more of a problem is the ending of the text. It simply ends. In 1945, Roosevelt claims he has a headache then he collapses and is pronounced dead. The author then switches the viewpoint to some American POWs who are told FDR died, they bow their heads and that’s it. It ends with these POWs marching away into the distance. It isn’t that I don’t feel for these men or anything, but it is just so unexpected. We have never been introduced to these men before now, and so to have them simply appear seems strange for a book that was so well laid out. Also, many authors cover the funeral of their President, and where they are buried, as well as their legacy in an ‘afterword’. Not here. Either Smith didn’t think it was necessary, since it is, you know, FDR, or the publisher said he had to cut the word count and he decided to ax a majority of the ending. Either way, this seems a bit abrupt and random for my taste.
My problem with the ending notwithstanding, I still think this is an excellent book about a man who is tasked to turn around the country after the collapse of the world economy. Whether you love him or hate him, this book makes you re-examine the man and the times he lived in, and what can you ask for more than that? I give it a four out of five.
grifen87's review against another edition
4.0
I have been curious to learn more about FDR for some time now, and this biography did not disappoint. Smith seems to provide a balanced, engaging viewpoint of FDR in terms of his family background, personal relationships, career development, leadership abilities, etc., and he discusses both FDR's failures and his successes. Through this biography I found FDR to be a fascinating, inspiring figure. He, like several in his family, faced personal struggles and was able to use those experiences to bring people together to overcome larger challenges on the national and international level. I was impressed with his decisive takeover of the presidency in 1933 - how did he know what had to be done to bring the nation out of the Depression? This required a thorough economic and historical understanding.
I also like how Smith discussed the context of the attack on Pearl Harbor. I have been reading about WWII for some ten years now, and this is the first historian/biographer that actually gave some background on events leading up to the attack, explaining both the Japanese and American side of things. It has increased my curiosity to learn about Japanese history.
I found it interesting that FDR and Winston Churchill both had backgrounds in naval management in WWI, and they presumably both shared an enthusiasm for the navy. Perhaps this led to their discussions of navy resources in WWII. On that topic, FDR was gravely disappointed in the Navy's negligence at Pearl Harbor.
These are just a few brief thoughts, but overall I enjoyed the biography and thought it was very well-written. Smith seems to like FDR but I think he provided a balanced view. I will say that I found the parts about his campaigns least interesting, but those were important stages of his career. The book was also certainly not short, but it did feel a little rushed considering the scope of the topic. I agree with others that it could have been split into multiple volumes to afford more adequate coverage of subtopics. Even so, this book raised several questions for me which will lead to other books!
As a supplement to this biography, I would recommend The Roosevelts: An Intimate History with Ken Burns (on Netflix). I don't usually like documentaries but this one isn't terrible.
[SPOILERS BELOW]
I will list some of my main questions below. Feel free to comment with your thoughts.
- What led to the mindset of Woodrow Wilson and Neville Chamberlain of going alone because they believed they were divinely ordained?
- How did FDR maintain an appearance of coolness and confidence despite circumstances?
- How did he maintain such a difference between his inner and outer self? This perhaps came from his early school days
- How did he know what had to be done to save the banking system?
- FDR and Herbert Hoover both showed great promise during World War I. Why did their careers take such drastically different directions?
- What did Bismarck mean by "The most important geopolitical fact of the modern era was that the Americans spoke English?" Perhaps that they could easily collaborate with Great Britain.
- Smith mentions the "aggressive imperialism of Germany and Italy." How is this imperialism similar or different from the British, French, etc. imperialism of the previous centuries?
- Why did the State Department refuse/prevent efforts to rescue Jews from Hitler?
I also like how Smith discussed the context of the attack on Pearl Harbor. I have been reading about WWII for some ten years now, and this is the first historian/biographer that actually gave some background on events leading up to the attack, explaining both the Japanese and American side of things. It has increased my curiosity to learn about Japanese history.
I found it interesting that FDR and Winston Churchill both had backgrounds in naval management in WWI, and they presumably both shared an enthusiasm for the navy. Perhaps this led to their discussions of navy resources in WWII. On that topic, FDR was gravely disappointed in the Navy's negligence at Pearl Harbor.
These are just a few brief thoughts, but overall I enjoyed the biography and thought it was very well-written. Smith seems to like FDR but I think he provided a balanced view. I will say that I found the parts about his campaigns least interesting, but those were important stages of his career. The book was also certainly not short, but it did feel a little rushed considering the scope of the topic. I agree with others that it could have been split into multiple volumes to afford more adequate coverage of subtopics. Even so, this book raised several questions for me which will lead to other books!
As a supplement to this biography, I would recommend The Roosevelts: An Intimate History with Ken Burns (on Netflix). I don't usually like documentaries but this one isn't terrible.
[SPOILERS BELOW]
I will list some of my main questions below. Feel free to comment with your thoughts.
- What led to the mindset of Woodrow Wilson and Neville Chamberlain of going alone because they believed they were divinely ordained?
- How did FDR maintain an appearance of coolness and confidence despite circumstances?
- How did he maintain such a difference between his inner and outer self? This perhaps came from his early school days
- How did he know what had to be done to save the banking system?
- FDR and Herbert Hoover both showed great promise during World War I. Why did their careers take such drastically different directions?
- What did Bismarck mean by "The most important geopolitical fact of the modern era was that the Americans spoke English?" Perhaps that they could easily collaborate with Great Britain.
- Smith mentions the "aggressive imperialism of Germany and Italy." How is this imperialism similar or different from the British, French, etc. imperialism of the previous centuries?
- Why did the State Department refuse/prevent efforts to rescue Jews from Hitler?
mcmulroy's review against another edition
4.0
Listened to the audiobook for most of it on 1.2-1.5x speed.
Good beginning to end biography of FDR's life. Though it literally just ends when he dies. No wrap up or epilogue to tie things up or anything.
I found some of the events covered to be more of a history play by play than giving much insight into what Roosevelt was thinking or why he was doing something. The first time I thought that was during the court packing incident. Later in during the war some of it played the same way. I don't know if this is just because we don't know what he was thinking or if it's because the author was trying to cover so much in one book.
My other nitpick with the book was the early focus on Eleanor and then pretty much abandoning what she is doing. In the first half of the book there are at least a couple of chapters devoted to her and what she is doing, FDR builds a house for Eleanor and two of her friends. Later in the book she isn't mentioned much. It is a book about FDR and Eleanor and him were living separate lives at that point so I suppose it makes some sense?
Overall I liked this book and it gave me insight into this vast span of time that FDR was president, the New Deal, the preparations for WWII and our actually entry into the war.
Good beginning to end biography of FDR's life. Though it literally just ends when he dies. No wrap up or epilogue to tie things up or anything.
I found some of the events covered to be more of a history play by play than giving much insight into what Roosevelt was thinking or why he was doing something. The first time I thought that was during the court packing incident. Later in during the war some of it played the same way. I don't know if this is just because we don't know what he was thinking or if it's because the author was trying to cover so much in one book.
My other nitpick with the book was the early focus on Eleanor and then pretty much abandoning what she is doing. In the first half of the book there are at least a couple of chapters devoted to her and what she is doing, FDR builds a house for Eleanor and two of her friends. Later in the book she isn't mentioned much. It is a book about FDR and Eleanor and him were living separate lives at that point so I suppose it makes some sense?
Overall I liked this book and it gave me insight into this vast span of time that FDR was president, the New Deal, the preparations for WWII and our actually entry into the war.
nvcdesi's review against another edition
5.0
A great story told well
Capturing so many nuances of a momentous time led by a fascinating man is difficult. The author does this with incredible ease, painting the narrative of various aspects while keeping you attuned to the facts, mysteries, and complex personalities involved.
Capturing so many nuances of a momentous time led by a fascinating man is difficult. The author does this with incredible ease, painting the narrative of various aspects while keeping you attuned to the facts, mysteries, and complex personalities involved.
bookitmik's review against another edition
5.0
Best book ever...maybe cause we helped write & review early versions.