Book Description

Robert H. Jackson was one of the giants of the Roosevelt era: an Attorney General, a still revered Supreme Court Justice and, not least important, one of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's close friends and advisers.His intimate memoir of FDR, written in the early 1950s before Jackson's untimely death, has remained unpublished for fifty years. Here is that newly discovered memoir. Written with skill and grace, this is truly a unique account of the personality, conduct, greatness of character, and common humanity of 'that man in the White House,' as outraged conservatives called FDR. Jackson simply but eloquently provides an insider's view of Roosevelt's presidency, including such crucial events as FDR's Court-packing plan, his battles with corporate America, his decision to seek a third term, and his bold move to aid Britain in 1940 with American destroyers. He also offers an intimate personal portrait of Roosevelt--on fishing trips, in late-night poker games, or approving legislation while eating breakfast in bed, where he routinely began his workday. We meet a president who is far-sighted but nimble in attacking the problems at hand; principled but flexible; charismatic and popular but unafraid to pick fights, take stands, and when necessary, make enemies.That Man is not simply a valuable historical document, but an engaging and insightful look at one of the most remarkable men in American history. In reading this memoir, we gain not only a new appreciation for Roosevelt, but also admiration for Jackson, who emerges as both a public servant of great integrity and skill and a wry, shrewd, and fair-minded observer of politics at the highest level. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Everyday Reader
Robert H. Jackson's insightful and previously unpublished observations of FDR in his presidency appear and are notated in Professor Barrett's THAT MAN in a very readable arrangement. Here is a true and objective account by one who was there and witnessed the inside of the FDR years in the White House. These Jackson writing's being posthumous adds rarity and validity to the work, making it a true find for serious Roosevelt and Roosevelt period historians.

Robert Jackson Takes the Measure of FDR
This is a very interesting book which adds something of great value to the ever-growing mound of books on FDR. The fact that the manuscript was uncovered n a closet some 50 years after it was written is something for which students of FDR and presidential power can give thanks. It presents an entirely unique view and highly personal perspective on interacting with Roosevelt. Some of the most interesting discussion relates to interacting with FDR and his circle on an informal basis, such as on those fishing trips FDR savored. Also of great interest is the light the book throws on Jackson's own career--from the Treasury, to the SEC, then to Justice where successively Jackson was in the Tax Division, headed the Antitrust Division, became Solicitor General and Attorney General, and ultimately was elevated to the Supreme Court. Along the way we gain a fascinating perspective on such events as the Court Packing plan. The strongest chapter is on "That Man as Politician;" the most interesting "That ManCompanion and Sportsman." The editor has done an outstanding job in providing extensive notes, material from other sources to supplement the narrative, and in providing a biographical directory. But it is Jackson's own narrative skill that makes the book read so well. With a new major biography of Jackson himself on the horizon, this book becomes even more essential.

A refreshing look at our 32nd President
As a long-time admirer of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, I am always intrigued by new books that are published regarding his life or his Presidency. A book from a contemporary source that has such "insider" knowledge of how FDR operated as Robert Jackson is a marvelous addition to the existing literature.

Jackson does not make any promises at the outset of the book except to be objective, and he certainly does meet this goal. Jackson describes FDR as President, Commander-in-Chief, and a human being, outlining his strengths as well as his weaknesses. Jackson makes no excuses for the President when his policies and knowledge did not seem to be best for the country (Jackson even criticizes FDR for his lack of economic knowledge and business sense).

I enjoyed Jackson's writing style (he is considered by many to be one of the best authors to ever sit on the Supreme Court of the United States), and I found that the book was easy to read.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in President Franklin Roosevelt - the stories and anecdotes given in the text make it highly readable, and the examples Jackson provides to detail his points are always logical and related to the subject at hand. ... Read more

Book Description

Early in 1944, a medical examination of Franklin Roosevelt revealed that he was dying. The war was still not won, and the fourth term campaign was just around the corner. For those and other reasons, the White House physician chose to hide the condition of the president. After extensive research, Matthew B. Wills answers many questions about the incapacity of President Roosevelt during this time. He assesses the effect the president’s failing health had on his ability to perform his elected role. "A Diminished President" opens the door for the reader to see the larger implications of the actions of a few key individuals. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Well written with a fresh perspective.
Illuminating discussion of the relationship between FDR's health and his relationships with others, as well as potential impact on foreign policy. I was particularly impressed with Chapter Seven, "Hull, Roosevelt and the Failure of American Foreign Policy".Well written with a fresh perspective.

A Cover-up That Likely Influenced World Events
FDR died in 1945. Immediately thereafter, his medical records disappeared from the Navy files, never to surface again. Admiral Ross T. McIntire, FDR's personal physician for twelve years continuously denied FDR's health problems and, in fact, wrote a book in 1945 assuring the public that the President never had any serious heart condition. He clearly withheld information about FDR's health and, thereby, misled the American people. The truth came out in 1970. The evidence of secrecy and cover-up is there for all to see. FDR was a sick man for years, and, particularly, in 1944, when he attended the Teheran Conference. He did not fully consult with Churchill and did not stand up to Stalin's demands. Fifty-eight years after the fact we learn how the irresponsibility of one man, Admiral McIntire, likely influenced the aftermath of World War II. Mr. Wills leaves us to speculate how many lives would be different today and what ways these lives could be different. Could a cover-up of this magnitude happen again?
Mr. Wills has written an engaging history full of drama building to an inescapable conclusion that in 1944-1945 FDR was a very sick man who was not able to reprsent the ideals of the American people to the best of his ability. It is authoritative and well documented. A DIMIMISHED PRESIDENT, FDR IN 1944 is highly recommended.

Couldn't Put It Down
Matthew Wills' book "A Diminished President - FDR In 1944" is outstanding.It is well researched and documented and brings to light little-known facts that clearly demonstrate that President Roosevelt was, in fact, a diminished President during the last months of his life.This may have led to some fateful decisions and actions that impact our Country even today.While the book presents many historical facts, Will's style is crisp and reads like a mystery novel.Once I started, I couldn't put it down.All who are interested in this period of our history must read this book; and, those who have not had any earlier interest could be highly enlightened and entertained.I heartily recommend the book. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the story of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and the influence their summer home on Campobello Island had upon them. It is a personal history that examines the Roosevelts' background and traditions and explores their public trials, tragedies, and triumphs, as well as the frustrations and disappointments of their private lives. Campobello played a vital role in the formation of character for both Franklin and Eleanor, and provided them with physical challenges and emotional solace. It was at Campobello that Franklin was felled by polio, the most defining event in both their private lives and public careers. This story is peppered with anecdotes, personal letters, and the reminiscences of the aides, friends, and family who played important roles in their lives. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Move Over, Stephen Ambrose
This is a well-researched and well-written glimpse of one of the most famous and influential couples of the 20th Century. It reads extremely well while casting new light on two already-much studied lives but from an entirely new perspective. Jonas Klein proposes that FDR and Eleanor were in some measure defined by the Campobello experience and makes a credible case for it.

Before picking up Beloved Island I had just finished reading one more of Stephen AmbroseÕ books on World War II and, quite frankly, had tired a little of the rhythm and predictability in his technique of stringing together many individual Òoral historiesÓ to create a coherent whole. He does it very well, of course, but Jonas Klein does it better. Working mostly from snapshot detail in correspondence, I presume, Klein succeeds in portraying the larger portraits of personality, emotion, relationships, and other intangibles that make figures from history what they really are.

Though not quite a Òone sittingÓ experience, this little book leads us gently to further thought and deeper understanding about Franklin and Eleanor. ItÕs a good book.

Exceptionally well researched & well-written
Beloved Island: Franklin & Eleanor And The Legacy Of Campobello examines how the Roosevelt summer home on New Brunswick's Campobello Island (a remote Canadian location) had a significant physical and emotional influence on their lives and the events of their day. While acknowledging the Roosevelt's' traditions and background, Jonas Klein presents a fresh perspective on their public trials and triumphs as well as their personal frustrations and private disappointments as showcased by their Campobello residency. It was at Campobello that Franklin was stricken with polio, that Eleanor found peace and refuge from a demanding and unsympathetic world, and that their personal and political relationship as formed in a manner that would serve them both to the end of their lives. Exceptionally well researched, well-written, insightful, informative, and totally engaging biography.

FDR, ER & Campo
I was excited when I first saw this book advertised. Anyone who has studied the Roosevelts knows the fundamental emotional foundation this island provided the family. However, when I began to read the book, I quickly became disgruntled. There was little to no new information, insight or perspective offered. The author seems to mainly cover the same formulaic roads covered before-- early marriage, polio, governor, president, & Eleanor on her own. The only difference was this books focuses on those same paths through the lens of Campobello. The problem, besides offering little new, is this lens is restrictive, rather than encompassing. If you're looking for an introduction to the Roosevelts, this may be a good selection. However, if you have studied this couple with any kind of attention, nothing profound or enlightning is likely to be found here. ... Read more

Book Description

Foreword by Christopher du P. Roosevelt. This behind-the-scenes look at Franklin D. Roosevelt's extraordinary skill as a blue-water sailor explores how his love of the sea shaped his approach to public service and even influenced the course of events in World War II. Family and friends, Secret Service agents, and others reveal never-before-told stories of their days afloat with America's greatest seafaring president, including how he escaped injury when fire broke out aboard his small schooner, how ships were modified to accommodate his disability, and details of his wartime rendezvous with Winston Churchill. Sailing pals discuss his abilities as a skipper along with his enjoyment of an evening cocktail at sea during the days of Prohibition. Letters and other documents illustrate how the sea was never far from Roosevelt's thoughts.

Robert Cross examines Roosevelt's great affection for the sea in the context of an era dominated by the Great Depression and two world wars. While some criticized Roosevelt for taking too many seagoing trips-he logged hundreds of thousands of miles at sea and was sometimes out of touch with the White House and the Secret Service for hours-FDR was quick to explain that his lengthy voyages allowed him to personally assess the world situation instead of relying solely on White House briefing books. The author argues that the skills required to be a good sailor have much in common with those needed to be a successful politician: the ability to alter courses, make compromises, and shift positions as the situation warrants. Cross describes FDR as a master at dealing with the unexpected, allowing him to excel in the Navy department, the governor's mansion, and the White House, as well as on the open sea. From luxury ocean liners and presidential yachts to submarines and kayaks, this book lists all of the vessels on which FDR sailed and includes some never-before-published photographs. 28 photographs. 2 maps. Appendixes. Notes. Glossary. Bibliography. Index. 6 x 9 inches. ... Read more

Book Description

A short concise examination of the most dominate U. S. President of the 20th century, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

• Examines how FDR led the country thorugh the Great Depression and World War II
• Describes how FDR's years in office transformed U. S. Politics and America's place in the world
• Fresh and vividly written account

In the 1930s and 40s America was ravaged by unemployment, poverty and conflict. Franklin D Roosevelt led the country through the two great crises of mass unemployment and the Second World War in a style that persuades the author to call him 'the most important President of the Twentieth Century'. His New Deal and decisive leadership during the war made him the greatest vote-winner in the nation's history and a key figure in twentieth century history. This fresh and vividly written account of FDR's life covers his early days in one of the nation's oldest and richest families, and the effect of the polio that ravaged him in his prime. The role of his early political career and his 12-year presidency is investigated, and his fascinating relationship with his wife Eleanor explored. Patrick Renshaw explains how and why FDR came to power and with what effect he exercised it. He argues that FDR used the Second World War to make America the greatest power on earth and that his twelve years in the White House transformed American politics and America's place in the world. Original interpretations of his life career in relation to his illness and private life make this a fascinating biography.An important addition to the Profiles in Power series, this critical biography views the most significant twentieth century US President from a fresh perspective in the twenty-first.

Patrick Renshaw was as a journalist for seven years before a 30 year teaching career universities in Britain and America. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Unprecedented Look at Roosevelt
Gallagher explains eloquently the impact that poliomyelitis had on Franklin Roosevelt and the various aspects of his life. The crowning achievement is the wealth of photographs (18 in all) that depict the struggles and tribulations being crippled cost Roosevelt. The photographs might stand alone as a photo essay to explain the various ways Roosevelt moved around and tried as best he could, with the effort of his team, to hide his affliction from the general public. The two known photographs of Roosevelt in his wheelchair appear in this book, which male this book a gem in any Roosevelt researcher's collection.

Aside from the photographs, Gallagher cleverly explains in the text the circumstances of poliomyelitis, the various treatments Roosevelt underwent initially and ultimately the course of therapy at Warm Springs, Georgia. The necessity to hide FDR's debilitating degeneration from the average voting public was so prominent and preeminent in Roosevelt's mind that he went to great lengths to do so, including walking on his own with heavy steel braces or leaning on his two strong sons. This work is a masterful examination of Roosevelt and his administration's, both as Governor of New York and President of the US, efforts to erase forever polio from the public perception of Franklin Roosevelt. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

"The Democrats ran a dead man"
The canard that the Democrats ran Roosevelt in 1944 knowing he was desperately ill is a canard. Obviously he wasn't in the best of health as any newsreel of 1944 showed plainly. He was in a wheelchair, suffered extreme hypertension and was under the crippling stress of running a World War and winning it for the Allies. Roosevelt himself was well aware that he was deteriorating physically and went to considerable prains to disguise his condition. He strained the limits of his endurance by riding in the rain in a covertible from the streets of NYC in Novemeber, 1944, to show the world he still had it. The after-effects of this little folly were significant. Of course FDR also traveled halfway around the world to Yalta to meet Churchill and Stalin, exposing himself to the extreme rigors of travel under adversity. The salient point is, you don't change horses in the middle of the stream, especially under the epic conditions posed by World War II.

There is no conspiracy element to any of this. His doctors concealed from him the truth of his medical condition because Roosevelt wanted it that way. When physicians discovered his blood pressure was dangerously high, they merely doused him with medication without informing him of his malady. The same rationale was used in concealing his heart failure from him. Roosevelt was an extremely concealing man and didn't want to be burdened with "superfluous" medical bad news when he was consumed with the gargantuan task of defeating Hitler and Tojo.

A point to consider is this: it was imperative to run FDR in 1944, to conclude the war and win the peace. Tragically, FDR died in April, 1945, and it was left for Harry Truman to preside over the fall of Germany and Japan. I would argue that even a health-impaired Roosevelt was head and shoulders above the two candidates the Republicans offered up in 1940 and 1944. Is there anyone who thinks Wilkie or Dewey could have led America in this crisis as well as the inimitable FDR? This is an interesting, informative book. It's well-written and not laden with medical or technical jargon. Highly recommended.

Very disturbing...
The Hidden Campaign by Hugh Evans is a very disturbing book. The goal of The Hidden Campaign is to investigate the cover-up that occurred among the doctors of Franklin Roosevelt to keep his serious health problems from the American people--especially during his campaign for a 4th term in office. The book raises many questions including: 1. Why was ENT (ear nose and throat) specialist Vice Admiral Ross McIntyre allowed to serve as FDR's primary physician? 2. Why didn't McIntyre treat FDR for chronic hypertension when it first appeared in 1937? 3. Why was FDR or his family never notified that he had congestive heart failure in 1944? 4. When a cardiologist was finally called in, why were his recommendations not followed? 5. Why didn't FDR's doctors tell him that he probably wouldn't survive a fourth term? This book tries to answer these questions and many more. It is obvious that FDR's life was sacrificed for the sake of the war effort, the nation and perhaps even for the benefit of his cronies.

Ross McIntyre is definitely the villain in this story, although Evans never really tells the reader who was calling the shots here. Even years after FDR's death, McIntyre was still trying to perpetuate the lies that FDR suffered from nothing more serious than bronchitis and sinusitis, and that his death took his doctors by complete surprise.

While I found this story fascinating, two things kept me from giving it five stars. First, parts of it read like a doctoral dissertation with actuarial charts of life expectancy of presidents, parents of presidents, FDR's children, vice presidents and cabinet members. Medical records in the appendix contain medical jargon that will not be understood by a novice. Second, at only 134 pages for the body of this book, I thought it was a little light. Still, it is an eye-opening story that shows how the life of perhaps the greatest leader in the 20th century was sacrificed (without his knowledge) on the whim of his doctors. This cover-up truly ended up being a tragedy for us all.

A must read!
A must read for students of the American Presidency, World War II and the role of the media, especially with regard to famous patients' right to privacy. The cover-up that this details is frightening in its implications - would it happen again in this current age of information?

A fine book
This is a very scholarly book on what FDR's life was like from the medical point of view. Although that is the focus, and it is very authoritative in that respect because the author is a physician who has studied FDR's medical records and interviewed his doctors,the book is of more than medical interest. There is a policy aspect, and a moral aspect, that raises questions. What rights do we have to know about personal matters of our elected officials. Suppose a candidate would not reasonably be expected to live out a term of office. Should this be made public? Why? Why not? Is it unethical for FDR and his crew to have kept these matters secret? Isn't the U.S. better off for FDR's leadership during World War II, despite the fact that today's newspapers would have made mincemeat of him if his condition had been known?

The book is wonderfully written, and of interest to anyone who has a curiosity about the history of the War, or about politics in America. Of course, for FDR fans it's a must; but it's good and important reading for just about everyone else as well. ... Read more

Book Description

A "truly moving . . ". ("Houston Chronicle") biography of our 32nd president. "Roosevelt is brought to life once again in a clear, concise and well-documented story from beginning to end . . . it is a pleasure".--"Washington Post Book World". "The definitive popular Roosevelt biography"--"Library Journal". *Lightning Print On Demand Title ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Pop Biography of FDR
This is not a bad book, but is a breezy and non-scholarly look at the most important President of the 20th century. Miller's research is haphazard and he puts too much weight on witnesses who were unreliable and discredited by better historians. Miller grossly exaggerates the extent of FDR's womanizing in the 1910's and bases his assumptions on a witness who is a proven liar. A more methodical writer would have avoided this mistake.

Similarly, his take on the FDR-Eleanor relationship is also wide of the mark and inaccurate. His anti-Eleanor bias is evident and he makes several misstatements of fact. Blanche Wiesen-Cook's recent two-volume Eleanor books are the better and definitive treatment.

If you are serious about FDR, you will rely upon the superior books on him by Kenneth Davis, Geoffrey Ward and Frank Freidel. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Before The Greatness...
The contention of this wonderfully detailed book that chronicles the life of FDR from his birth in 1882 and concludes with his marriage to Eleanor in 1905 is that the makings of a great person can be found in his or her upbringing. A thorough analysis of both the Roosevelt and Delano families throughout the 1800's lends creedence to the fact that FDR was groomed to be great by both sides of the family. I finished this engrossing and well-written book in a few days, and I am enjoying immensely the second part of the saga, Ward's A FIRST CLASS TEMPERAMENT, which takes FDR's story from his marriage through to his reentry into politics in 1928.

This Biography is Not a Valentine
"Mornings on Horseback" is a good companion to "Before the Trumpet," but only because it gives you a bigger sense of New York high society in the late 1800's. FDR's father and TR's father were contemporaries and even mistaken for each other. It feels like Mr. Ward writes from a greater emotional distance about FDR than Mr. McCullough does about TR, which seems right to me. The beginning which is about FDR's grandparents is a bit detailed, but it does set the stage. Mr. Ward discusses FDR's father's schoolmaster, for example, which fills out the picture when you read about FDR's own school days. The real jaw dropper concerns FDR's maternal grandfather Warren Delano, who knew the stamp collecting went that deep? But more the wonder is Franklin himself. This portrait is "Before the Trumpet," worts and all, he marries his cousin for chrissakes, he can't/won't get away from his mother, and yet the trumpet does sound for Franklin, he pursues it, and he is there waiting, with and because of Sara and Eleanore. It's amazing to consider their development.

Fun to read as well as scholarly
Geoffrey Ward shares the ability of David McCullough, and that is to take a scholarly topic and write about it intelligently and coherently. He also makes the journey fun for the reader and he showcases this ability in this excellent book. FDR as a youth was a very different man from the President he was to become. Polio was the defining moment that both changed FDR and deepended his compassion and understanding for the downtrodden.

In this first volume of Ward's Roosevelt trilogy, he illuminates FDR's dominating mother and the problems she caused between Franklin and Eleanor. One almost cringes when the obtrusive Sarah Roosevelt plans her son's honeymoon, buys homes for him (with connecting doors for her to intrude upon)and basically usurps FDR's own decision-making processes.

Franklin Roosevelt was not a great man, or a particularly engrossing man when young. He achieved greatness only after tragedy befell him, but Ward sets the stage here for Roosevelt's later greatness. If you're interested in Roosevelt or the flighty, banal rich New York set of the turn of the century, then this is your cup of tea. It is also a fine book.

a Marvelous book
Most of this book is about FDR's family and it is fascinating. It reminded me some of David McCullough's Mornings on Horseback, although FDR had a very different youth from TR's. I had forgotten how rich FDR's family was, and the opulence with which they lived. And what dramatic lives they had--the Delanos and their time in China make a fantastic story. And when you read this great book you will want to read the sequel, A Fist Class Temperament ... Read more

Book Description

Childhood of Famous Americans

One of the most popular series ever published for young Americans, these classics have been praised alike by parents, teachers, and librarians. With these lively, inspiring, fictionalized biographies -- easily read by children of eight and up -- today's youngster is swept right into history. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Kudlinski brings Franklin Delano Roosevelt to life.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born into a life of comfort --- one could almost say a life of luxury. He had a beautiful home, was tutored privately, had a pony to ride and a boat to sail, and went on European vacations. His mother had very definite ideas as to how she wanted her son to live his life, and her word was very much the law in the Roosevelt household. Franklin went to a prestigious boarding school and then on to Harvard, just as his parents wished.

It was only when he was in his twenties that he began to assert his independence. He decided that he wanted to marry the niece of the great "Teddy" Roosevelt, a relative and former President of the United States. "Mother" was not pleased with his choice but Franklin insisted.

Franklin had just begun his political career when he was struck down and crippled by polio. His mother wanted him to go to the family home where she could care for him. But Franklin was not going to let polio destroy his dreams, and he fought very hard to prove to the American public that he was strong enough to be a good candidate --- first for Governor of New York, and later for President of the United States. He was determined to show them that a person stricken with polio could still be a great leader; he was so successful in this mission that he was elected President for an unprecedented four terms. He helped pull the United States out of the dark years of the Depression and led the country through World War II. With a huge grin on his face, he cheered up the American public when few others could.

In addition to documenting his remarkable accomplishments as a leader, author Kathleen Kudlinski also touches on Franklin's private life. We learn that he was afraid of fire because he couldn't run from it, he exercised for hours so that he would be able to do what was required of him as President, and though his leg braces hurt him terribly, he never said a word or complained. Franklin founded the March of Dimes and his support helped hundreds of polio victims. By the end of his third term in office, Franklin grew tired and terribly ill, but he still chose to run for President again because his country needed him.

Kudlinski brings Franklin Delano Roosevelt to life, giving him a real face, heart and smile.

--- Reviewed by Marya Jansen-Gruber (mjansengruber@mindspring.com) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Stellar effort with some problems
Davis has completed five books of his proposed six book effort to write the definitive biography of Franklin Roosevelt. This book is superbly researched and factual, but it isn't as interesting as his previous books on FDR. Davis bogs down in trivial and irritating detail, which is peculiar, since the years 1937-1940 are among the most engrossing of Roosevelt's life. Davis is best when he examines FDR's behind the scenes preparation for war against Hitler and his deft maneuvering with the incoming Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. Less is written about his relationship with Neville Chamberlain, the hapless P.M. who preceded Churchill.

Davis is weaker on forging memorable portraits of the intimate personal relationships in FDR's life. There is a singular lack of understanding of Eleanor Roosevelt in this volume, nor is there much said about Roosevelt's children, his secretary Missy LeHand or other pivotal members of the FDR milieu. Davis does explore in interesting depth the effect of Howe's death upon FDR.

Roosevelt was a mercurial and difficult to understand character. His charismatic public facade masked some inner demons and foibles, which Davis painstakingly illuminates. This is an interesting, though ultimately, flawed effort.

Extraordinary detail, but somewhat biased towards FDR
I have read Davis' entire four volume set on FDR and found this volume excellent on detail, but somewhat biased in favor of FDR and his war-time policies. Davis has a novelistic flair to his writing that can make what might be a dry subject quite interesting and exciting. I understand there will be a fifth volume from Davis in this series. If anyone can provide more detail as to the status of this volume I would be greatful. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In the latter half of the Jazz Age 1920s, New York City's flamboyant "Night Mayor," Jimmy Walker, was often more likely to be found checking out Manhattan's numerous speakeasies than at his office. His luck ran out in 1932, however, when an investigation into citywide corruption led by former state judge Samuel Seabury set its sights on City Hall, and the governor--fellow Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who also happened to be in the midst of his first presidential campaign--became personally involved in the proceedings. By the end of the year, Walker had resigned and FDR was on his way to the White House.

Once upon a Time in New York is a lively account of how Walker's downfall came to play such a crucial role in Roosevelt's ascendancy. Herbert Mitgang lays out the complexities of New York City politics, still at that time deeply influenced by Tammany Hall, with admirable clarity, and the facts are so intriguing that he doesn't have to embellish them to heighten the reader's interest. On the other hand, the book is overloaded with period-setting data points. While it's helpful to know that Walker was a Yankees fan, Mitgang probably didn't need to include the batting averages of eight-ninths of the team's starting lineup in 1927. (And, while the song "Little Tin Box" from the Broadway musical Fiorello! is, in fact, a very humorous rendition of the Seabury hearings, it wasn't written until nearly 30 years had passed.) Still, with such a great setting, and such colorful characters, it's hard to go too far wrong. Once upon a Time in New York ends up being as fun to read as it is substantial. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A big disappointment
I am intensely interested in Franklin D. Roosevelt and his times, so I figured this book on a little-explored aspect of his career couldn't miss. Colorful characters straight out of "Guys and Dolls" rub elbows with the patrician Roosevelt in this account of the transition between the free-wheeling era of Tammany Hall to the do-gooder era of the New Deal. Too bad that author Mitgang lacks any sense of story-telling ability. The organization of the book is sloppy and confusing and robs the story of any drama. The humorous aspects fall flat. Great idea for a book, but the execution is a misfire.

More narrative than history
Mitgang's presentation of the scandals involving NY Mayor Jimmy Walker,leading up to the Seabury Commission investigations and Walker's removalfrom office by then NY Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt, offers a story thatshould be captivating.The personalities involved were among the majorAmerican political figures of their time.Walker's precipitous fall frompower was one of the major political events of the era.But I laid downthe book feeling that I had somehow been presented the story, but only atthe most superficial level.Perhaps I should have known better given thebook's brief length.But Mitgang has a good reputation as a journalist,and I expected more.For example, none of the major actors is presentedwith much depth at all.Their motivations are not explored in sufficientdegree.The implications of FDR's action in this case for his Presidencyare not explored.Walker's failure to run again for the mayoralty--if forno other reason than self-vindication--is not analyzed.Some majorpolitical figures--including former Governor Al Smith and succeeding MayorFiorello LaGuardia--are given what might be walk-on parts or cameo roles,if this were a movie, despite the fact that they were clearly major powerbrokers at the time.All in all, this book is a reasonable BASICintroduction to the story, but left me wanting more.It is hardly history;it is more a narration.

illuminating
This thin book is a quick, breezy read.It shines a spotlight on an interesting time in American life -- the tail end of the Roaring 20s and the onset of the Great Depression -- and the long-cherished"spoils" system of municipal government.

Many larger-than-lifecharacters are here: FDR, Jimmy Walker, Fiorello LaGuardia, Al Smith. Smith's metamorphosis from trail-blazing liberal to the anti-Roosevelt infour short years was particularly eye-opening for me. (In school, they onlytaught us about the "Happy Warrior"of 1928, convenientlyforegoing the not-so-happy iteration of 1932 and beyond.) I was also struckby the enmity toward the pre-presidential FDR which was evident in manyquarters. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Always fiercely contested on matters of domestic policy, Franklin Roosevelt faced even more opposition when it came to international relations. His first two terms in office coincided with the rise of a powerful isolationist movement that urged the government not to involve itself in foreign entanglements. That movement, coupled with strongly anti-British sentiment that owed much to America's large Irish and German populations, hampered Roosevelt's efforts to set the nation on the side of England when it became apparent in the late 1930s that a European war loomed.

To placate his opposition, Thomas Fleming charges in The New Dealers' War, Roosevelt promised "that he would never send American soldiers to fight beyond America's shores." Yet, Fleming continues, on December 4, 1941, the Chicago Tribune revealed the existence of elaborate war plans involving the landing of an American force 5 million strong in Europe by 1943. The revelation gave isolationists fits, of course, but their criticism was effectively silenced three days later when a Japanese force attacked Hawaii. In declaring war on Japan and its allies, Roosevelt's New Deal administration imposed what Fleming considers to have been an unreasonable demand for the unconditional surrender of the Axis powers. That demand, he believes, compromised internal resistance to the enemy regimes. Its prosecution also legitimized the use of what Fleming calls "hateful tactics" such as the bombing of civilian targets and the use of nuclear weapons.

Fleming's revisionist study will be of greatest interest to those already inclined to the view that Franklin Roosevelt tricked his country into fighting Fascism. Other readers may take issue with his ad hominem, ideological arguments. Either way, his provocative thesis is sure to promote debate. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Never has so much been written by one man on so little.
But I'm a sucker for World War II & FDR minutiae & I liked this book. Thomas Fleming has a problem with FDR & he has found his niche-writing revisionist history.
It is true that FDR did little to advance the cause of civil rights. But he was a man of his time: white, wealthy & paternalistic towards blacks, in particular. He was in fact more enlightened (with the help of Eleanor) than most of the power elite of the day. He also had to have the support of the white, southern bigots. That's called compromise. You get the best deal possible or nothing.
His treatment of Jews was way ahead of the American public. Internment of Japanese-Americans was inexcusable by any standards.
Mr. Fleming biggest problem with FDR is his insistence on unconditional surrender of Germany & Japan. In my view he misses the bigger, global picture of that strategy that could take another book to refute. But the effect of it on Germany, on military conspirators in Germany, on the Soviet Union & Japan have had repercussions even to this day. Any deal for less than
unconditional surrender with anyone in Germany might have triggered a cease fire agreement between Hitler & Stalin. It almost happened anyway given Stalin's paranoia.
In any case FDR had a war to win. He had a job that could have killed a healthy man, which he wasn't. Mr. Fleming writes with the 20/20 politically correct hindsight of a 21st century historian. It is still good reading.

A reexamination of FDR and his presidential policies
The underlying conventional belief is that the United States entered WWII as a direct result of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Thomas Fleming's book "The New Dealers' War" makes a credible argument for the case that the attack on Pearl Harbor was carefully orchestrated by FDR and his interventionist administration to get America into the war. Fleming bases his argument on a number of key points that he painstakingly documents throughout his book. The cornerstone of his argument is based upon the revelation of a document known as Rainbow Five. The document revealed that FDR had plans to create a 10 million man army for the purpose of invading Europe in 1943 and defeating the Nazi war machine. Fleming maintains that the existence of Rainbow Five was deliberately revealed by FDR himself with the intention of having Germany declare war on the United States. At that time, Americans had strong pro-Eruopean sentiments and favored aid to the allies but they stopped short of supporting direct US involvement in the escalating war. The book maintains that FDR lacked the political strength to sway public opinion in support of the war so he masterminded a series of events and policies that resulted in the attack on Pearl Harbor and the eventual declaration of war against the United States by Germany.

Whether or not Roosevelt intentionally manipulated people and events to achieve such a result remains unproven but this book does and exceptional job of examining the political climate of the time. Roosevelt's leadership during the depression is shown to be particularly magnificent. His mentality that traditional government mechanisms were inadequate led to the creation of a series of alphabet soup federal agencies that were designed to intervene in the economic crises. The "New Deal" itself was a balanced mixture of both pragmatism and Idealism. Having the ideology is one thing but implementing these ideas into practical programs required the skills of a master politician such as FDR. The shortcomings of Roosevelt's foreign policy program are magnified and examined in close detail but one comes away with a strong appreciation of the complex circumstances which he faced on the world stage. "The New Dealers' War" certainly provides numerable thought provoking questions that inspire conjecture but it comes across as an excellent work of narrative history.

When The Legend Conflicts With The Truth, Print The Truth
There have been many excellent reviews already written about this remarkable book and all of them are worth your time. I, for may part, would just like to add this coda, quoted directly from the book itself, and a passage that I believe speaks volumes about America at war:

"Meanwhile, the mixture of memory and history that constituted America's vision of World War II underwent a remarkable transformation. Forgotten were the reluctance to take up arms, the double-talk Franklin D. Roosevelt used to conceal is intention to make war on Germany -- revealed so graphically in the leak of Rainbow Five - and the provocative politics that lured Japan into the attack on Pearl Harbor. Also lost to memory was the ferocious antagonism between Roosevelt and Congress. Perhaps most forgotten were the consequences of the policy of unconditional surrender and the hateful tactics it legitimized, terror bombing of civilians and the use of the atomic bomb.
Instead, the deepening realization of Hitler's campaign of extermination against the Jews, which only a few Americans understood during the war, justified in many people's minds unconditional surrender, the ruthless air war, and even the atomic bomb. The global conflict slowly became the Good War, something that few of its participants would have called it at the time."

Does this sound familiar? And yet it has been the underpinning of every American entry into war since (and including) the American Revolution. Reading this book made me shudder as to what might have happened if, say, we were not so successful in winning this war. Suppose it had bogged down over seven to eight years? And what if FDR, in spite of his chicanery, was not as resolute in pursuing his goal? FDR's only failure in handling the war came back to haunt his successor, Truman: the underestimation of Joseph Stalin. FDR though he could win Stalin over by dint of his forceful personality, the way he had with so many others. Fleming does a great job of pointing out the ability of Harry Truman in not only bringing peace, but in keeping the balance of power. Were it not for Truman's realization of the facts after Potsdam, Stalin might well have ended up as the hands-down winner. Keeping Stalin out of Japan turned out in retrospect to be one of the crucial events of the war. Fleming does every historian and would-be historian a solid turn by taking World War II from the clouds of myth and grounding it firmly in reality.

One other note: the book's writing style is such that it is a sheer pleasure to read, which I attribute to the fact Fleming is also an accomplished novelist and thus has a way of making dry facts palatable to the mind. A must-have for anyone interested in American history.

Another perspective
As an American History major and life long student of WWII, FDR and the Depression, I find some of Fleming's observations and perspectives to be stimulating.

If he was not so apparently biased against Roosevelt he'd carry more weight. He faults Roosevelt for EVERY move he makes. If FDR made a move that was ideologically based, Fleming criticizes him for not being pragmmatic, if FDR made a decision that was pragmatically based, Fleming criticizes him for not being true to his ideology. Fleming also criticizes FDR based on information that we now know but does not credit FDR for decisions that are supported by similar information.

One of Fleming's premises seems to be that we should NOT have fought WWII and, while it is good to re-examine our accepted beliefs, the Nazis WERE bad and had world domination aims, the Japanese WERE expansionists, had brutalized their captives and the rape of Nanking was typical of their subjugation of the countries that they conquered. Germany was technologically superior to Japan and if we'd pursued a Japan first policy Germany's technology might have triumphed.

While I do not believe that Roosevelt was pro-Communist I do believe that Fleming correctly portrays Roosevelt's self-delusion about Soviet Russia's aims and its totalitarian methods which we all know were equally as bad as the Nazis. However, FDR was trying to get Stalin to commit to fighting Japan so that the U.S wouldn't have to conduct an invasion against the entire Japanese army. No one knew if the A bomb would be successful. It is also clear that Roosevelt had no clear goals for post-war Europe. This may be attributable to his failing health. If FDR's health was truly as bad as Fleming portrays it (another of his major criticisms of FDR), FDR is to be condemned for his egotism in not stepping down, but almost every politician is an egotist and believes he knows best and will act best.

How reputable the author is as an historian is uncertain. He has certainly written many historical books but without going to and reading his citations it is impossible to know how accurate he is.

The book is certainly thought provoking and that says a lot.

A Welcome Change
This volume is a welcome change from the selectivity, bias, and unthinking adoration that characterizes so many FDR treatments. Fleming, who was reared in a Democrat household with Roosevelt's portrait on the wall, not only overcame his early inclinations, but produced a breakout assessment that is largely irrefutable. As noted here, some readers loathe the book but they are unable to deny Fleming's sailient points because he skewers FDR and the New Dealers with their own words and the blatant contrast between statements and deeds.

Fleming again reveals the New Deal as a massive failure: only WW II cured the Depression. We're left wondering if that was one reason FDR pushed so hard for war. As late as 1937-38, during his 2nd term, his ideological insistence on government control of business led to a severe recession while other nations outstripped the US, including Britain, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and Chile.

As for the German resistance, some doubters are right: we'll never know whether it could have effected a change. But FDR covered up the very existence of the Front of Decent People and refused to respond to its approaches. On the other hand, his lingering hostility to Poland and other Eastern European nations defies logical and ethical explanation. Ever the politician, he kept the Soviets' 1939 Katyn Forest massacre from the public (sending a knowledgable intelligence officer to Samoa), lest he alienate a powerful US voting block.

The hypocrisy of the "unconditional surrender" policy is hardly new, but Fleming dissects it with meticulous evidence. Despite statements to the contrary, Italy and Japan were in fact allowed to surrender conditionally but Germans felt they had no option but to continue fighting. One must wonder why the exception. Was it because neither Italy nor Japan posed a threat to the Soviet Union? FDR's fawning over Stalin and Stalinism prompts such speculation.

There is also the matter of Roosevelt's egomaniacal assurrance that only he could lead the world's greatest military and industrial power. (Wendell Willkie, the 1940 Republican candidate, like many GOP pols, self-destructed, even indicating a willingness to run as FDR's VP!) In order to get elected to his 3rd and 4th terms, FDR had to lie to the public about his health, with connivance of his navy doctors.

Finally, Fleming notes that immediately after delivering his 1945 inaugural (the shortest on record) FDR did two things: updated his will and planned his funeral. Those were not the actions of a forward-looking leader, and Fleming recognizes that fact. ... Read more