Franklin Delano Roosevelt: The American Presidents Series: The 32nd President, 1933-1945

The banks were closed and nobody was able to get cash, not even Eleanore Roosevelt, who wondered how she was going to pay the bill at the Mayflower Hotel, where she and the president-elect were staying prior to inauguration day. The Great Depression had gotten this dire, even for a family with the wealth of the Roosevelt’s. The following day, Saturday, March 4, 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn in as the 32nd President of the United States. The combination of Roosevelt’s reassuring grin, a national bank holiday, and emergency bank legislation enabled confidence to flow back into the system. Given a certificate of health by the government, most banks were able to reopen and trade normally when the obligatory closure came to an end after the following weekend. The process was aided by the first of Roosevelt’s wide-ranging press conferences on March 8, and the first of his Fireside Chats on March 14. It was not easy ending the Great Depression, or leading the nation through the perils of World War II, or having to deal with polio, which left FDR crippled for life. Who would know the demons Roosevelt faced—as a man, as president, as commander in chief of the allied forces? He disguised them behind the facade of an infectious confidence that inspired the nation at a time when it was needed most. “Franklin Delano Roosevelt” by Roy Jenkins—who was a wonderful writer—captures the man and his times in but 170 pages. There are greater biographies—dozens perhaps—but none this good in so few pages. Roosevelt had charisma, loads of it. Journalist Louis Howe—possessed of an exceptionally shrewd political sense, says the author—spotted it in 1911 and thereafter remained FDR’s confidant and cheer-leader, until his death in 1936. Roosevelt was not a liberal as so often is thought, but an activist. “(H)e was much more of an improvisor than an ideologue,” writes Jenkins. “He nudged his way forward. If something did not work, he was always wiling to try something else.” Polio, which struck FDR in 1921, was a devastating setback to his life, never mind to his political career. Somehow, he found the strength within to face the illnesses head on (and never lost faith that someday he would walk again). He never felt sorry for himself, and to prevent others from feeling sorry for him, exuded vigor, stamina, and good humor, and an unsinkable confidence that quite literarily moved mountains. “(C)learly the illness strengthened his tendency to dissimulate, to charm people while revealing little about himself as a possible,” writes the author. “It was not entirely a coincidence that he signaled his return to public life in 1924 by what became famous as his ‘Happy Warrior’ speech, and that eight years later his campaign song for his first presidential election was ‘Happy Days Are Here Again.’” The nation bought into it, and believed this supremely confident man—he of the jaunty fedora, the upward turn of the jaw, and the cigarette holder clenched in his teeth—cared profoundly about their well being and happiness. There followed a flurry of programs: the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which employed young men outdoors to build and refurbish camps, the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which hired millions of unemployed people to carry out public works projects, the National Recovery Administration (NRA), which brought together representatives of government, business, and labor to promulgate codes of “fair practice” and set reasonable prices during the crises, and the Social Security Act, which established what is the primary means of support for retired Americans. Also, the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), which governs the securities trading industry, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which guarantees the safety of Americans’ bank deposits. The economy recovered, only to slump again during FDR’s second term. Roosevelt was troubled by the Supreme Court, which had declared New Deal legislation unconstitutional in seven of the nine cases that had come before the Court. This resulted in Roosevelt’s “court-packing plan,” which was meant to remove, or at least greatly to modify, the court’s blocking power. It was bold but, according to the author, would lead to FDR’s greatest defeat and launch his second term--in spite of an overwhelming reelection victory--on a path of frustration. By the late 1930s, with the economy still slumping, war in Europe and Asia absorbed more and more of Roosevelt’s attention, and caused him to run for an unprecedented third term as president. Well before the attacks on Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt was pushing for American aid to allies, which bore fruit with passage of the Lend-Lease Act that aligned the U.S. with Great Britain and with the man who would become his close friend and ally, Winston Churchill. When Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, Roosevelt rallied the nation with a stirring call to action. Three-and-half years later, having been reelected to a fourth term as president, and on the brink of victory, Roosevelt died, age 63. How great a president was Franklin Delano Roosevelt? Historians consistently rate him as third greatest, behind George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. If you’re seeking a relatively short, comprehensive—and lively—account of FDR’s presidency, this is it. Five stars.

I read all the Biographies of the Presidents by way of the Presidential series. If you are going to do it, read John Hancock first because he was the first Continental Congress President. You will find as you read these how the lives of each President intertwined with the next. The job is a lineage.

This very brief biography by a British politician, an entry in the American Presidents Series, attempts to capture the personality of FDR. This book is very light on the details one might expect in a biography. In the first place, FDR’s presidency had to contend with two of the dramatic periods in American history, that is, the Great Depression and WWII. There is simply no way to provide the context and details of those years in a very short book. However, the author could have done more. In a way, FDR is a throwback to the earliest American presidents. He was a patrician, but had the common touch. His transformational New Deal program rescued the US from a depression largely by helping ordinary Americans over the objections of the rich. His handling of the American entry into WWII and the conduct of the war effort was both subtle and effective. All of this was done while suffering from polio, which he contracted at age 39. By far FDR’s greatest asset was his buoyant personality and the confidence that he exuded. He had enough sharp assistants to get his programs implemented, though he was not without inconsistencies and mistakes. One thing that is overwhelmingly obvious is that FDR was a towering figure in the 20th century. It is not always the case that a great leader comes along when needed. American history has several examples of incompetent leaders arriving at the wrong time. Fortunately, for the US, FDR did emerge. We lived off his legacy for decades, though forces of reaction have gained strength in the 21st century.

I’ve almost finished reading this short biography and it has been a chore doing so. The author’s writing is such that it is not a pleasant read as others in this series has been. The use of words that no one normally speaks, excessive description of FDR’s administration staff, and the lack details on FDR the man was disappointing. The latter is what I was expecting.

As described and arrived on time

The publishers need to publish the few remaing presidents missing in this series. Otherwise should be required reading for all.

good book, being passed around I'm told

Certainly one of the most important political figures of the 20th century. The problems that he was faced with including the Great Depression and the Initial war in Europe and then Japan certainly strained him and his abilities to their limits. FDR had a very special relationship with Winston Churchill and clearly had Japan not bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941, our entrance into WW II might have been greatly delayed and the world as we see it today might have appeared far different than it appears today. The Germans were certainly a challenge but the Red Menace heading towards Berlin with nearly unlimited feet on the ground would have been a major challenge had America, England and France along with Canada and Australia not drew a line in the sand concerning Stalin and his march. You read about and gain a helpful insight into the Roosevelt's as a family many generations deep and greatly embedded in the fabric of America in the 19th and 20th century. Their family reminds me much of the influence of the Kennedys and recently the Bushs. A real dynasty of immeasurable importance to the United States. The manner in which FDR conducted his affairs with world leaders as well as military Caesars helped forge the democracy that many nations enjoy today as well as the unrest that took place immediately after 1945. His authorization of the development of the Atomic Bomb led to our trumping Japan and threatening the remainder of the world with instant annihilation if they dare tread on the Allies. This I a very revealing book about he man FDR as well as the world he lived in. Had it not been for his ledership during the many ordeals that America faced, our role in world affairs would have been far different. This is a fine book written by a very informed and articulate author. Read and enjoy.

Sehr informative! Gut geschrieben!

very informative

I like Roy Jenkins political biographies, and looked forward to an interesting read. I found this was not up to the standard of some of his other works, maybe because it was his last work. Jenkins writes stylishly, but does not go into as great depth as his other works. He skates over some issues and does not examine peripheral characters such as Eisenhower and Trueman sufficiently.

This was an absolute disappointment. Conrad Black's biography is the one to buy, in my view.