Franklin D. Roosevelt : a political life / Robert Dallek.
Material type:
TextPublisher: New York : Viking,An Imprint of Penguin House LLC, [2017]Copyright date: ©2017Description: x, 692 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cmContent type: - text
- still image
- unmediated
- volume
- 9780525427902
- 0525427902
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
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Main Library | Biography | Roosevel F. D146 | Available | 33111008825859 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
Named a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post and NPR
"We come to see in FDR the magisterial, central figure in the greatest and richest political tapestry of our nation's entire history" --Nigel Hamilton, Boston Globe
"Meticulously researched and authoritative" --Douglas Brinkley, The Washington Post
"A workmanlike addition to the literature on Roosevelt." --David Nasaw, The New York Times
"Dallek offers an FDR relevant to our sharply divided nation" --Michael Kazin
"Will rank among the standard biographies of its subject" -- Publishers Weekly
A one-volume biography of Roosevelt by the #1 New York Times bestselling biographer of JFK, focusing on his career as an incomparable politician, uniter, and deal maker
In an era of such great national divisiveness, there could be no more timely biography of one of our greatest presidents than one that focuses on his unparalleled political ability as a uniter and consensus maker. Robert Dallek's Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life takes a fresh look at the many compelling questions that have attracted all his biographers: how did a man who came from so privileged a background become the greatest presidential champion of the country's needy? How did someone who never won recognition for his intellect foster revolutionary changes in the country's economic and social institutions? How did Roosevelt work such a profound change in the country's foreign relations?
For FDR, politics was a far more interesting and fulfilling pursuit than the management of family fortunes or the indulgence of personal pleasure, and by the time he became president, he had commanded the love and affection of millions of people. While all Roosevelt's biographers agree that the onset of polio at the age of thirty-nine endowed him with a much greater sense of humanity, Dallek sees the affliction as an insufficient explanation for his transformation into a masterful politician who would win an unprecedented four presidential terms, initiate landmark reforms that changed the American industrial system, and transform an isolationist country into an international superpower.
Dallek attributes FDR's success to two remarkable political insights. First, unlike any other president, he understood that effectiveness in the American political system depended on building a national consensus and commanding stable long-term popular support. Second, he made the presidency the central, most influential institution in modern America's political system. In addressing the country's international and domestic problems, Roosevelt recognized the vital importance of remaining closely attentive to the full range of public sentiment around policy-making decisions--perhaps FDR's most enduring lesson in effective leadership.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 665-671) and index.
Prologue: Everything to fear -- -Chapter 1: The making of a patrician -- Chapter 2: The making of a politician -- Chapter 3: Polio -- Chapter 4: "Chameleon on plaid" -- Chapter 5: "Instrument of their wishes" -- Chapter 6: "Trustee of the existing social system" -- Chapter 7: Mastering Washington "bedlam" -- Chapter 8: Triumph of the new order -- Chapter 9: Second-term curse -- Chapter 10: The worst of times -- Chapter 1: Dangers abroad, uncertainties at home -- Chapter 12: Faux neutral -- Chapter 13: "Safe on third" -- Chapter 14: The path to war -- Chapter 15: Setbacks and losses: "We might lose this war" -- Chapter 16: The end of the beginning -- Chapter 17: "High promise of better things" -- Chapter 18: "Dr. Win the War" -- Chapter 19: The "good soldier" -- Chapter 20: Winning the war, planning the peace -- Chapter 21: Last full measure -- Epilogue.
"A one-volume biography of Roosevelt by the #1 New York Times bestselling biographer of JFK, focusing on his career as an incomparable politician, uniter, and dealmaker In an era of such great national divisiveness, there could be no more timely biography of one of our greatest presidents than one that focuses on his unparalleled political ability as a uniter and consensus-maker. While Robert Dallek's Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life will take a fresh look at the many compelling questions that have attracted all his biographers--how did a man who came from so privileged a background become the greatest presidential champion of the country's needy? How did someone who never won recognition for his intellect foster revolutionary changes in the country's economic and social institutions? How did Roosevelt work such a profound change in the country's foreign relations?--the focus of his book is on Roosevelt as a man dedicated to public affairs, a master politician who skillfully and cannily used the presidency to advance a remarkable national agenda."--Provided by publisher.
"In an era of great national divisiveness, there could not be a more timely biography of one of our greatest presidents than one that focuses on his unparalleled strategic skills as a unifier and a consensus maker. Robert Dallek's Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life takes a fresh look at the many compelling questions of his remarkable presidency: How did a man who came from so privileged a background become one of the greatest champions of the country's needy? How did someone who never won recognition for his intellect foster such revolutionary innovations in our economic and social institutions? How did Roosevelt bring about such a profound change in America's foreign relations, leading it from isolationism to become an international superpower? By the time he became president, Roosevelt already commanded the respect and affection of millions of people through his services as assistant secretary of the Navy and governor of New York. Although many of his biographers agree that the onset of polio at the age of thirty-nine endowed him with a much greater sense of humanity, Dallek views that affliction as an insufficient explanation for his transformation into a masterful politician who would win an unprecedented four presidential terms and advance a remarkably progressive agenda. He attributes Roosevelt's success to two perceptive political insights. First, he made the presidency the central, most influential institution in the political system. Under his watch the country was able to recover from the Depression and entered World War II, but more controversially, he used that power in an unsuccessful attempt to pack the Supreme Court. Second, he understood that effectiveness in the American political system depended on building consensus and commanding stable, long-term popular support. In addressing the country's international and domestic challenges, Roosevelt recognized the critical importance of remaining attentive to the full range of public sentiment regarding policy decisions--perhaps his most important lesson in effective leadership, and one that remains vital today."--Dust jacket flaps.