Reviews
"Alan Brinkley's incisive and eloquent biography of FDR clarifies what he achieved and what he did not. Brinkley brings deep knowledge of Roosevelt and the New Deal to help readers understand why Roosevelt's was arguably the most important presidency of the twentieth century."--Lizabeth Cohen, Bancroft Prize-winning author of Making a New Deal: Industrial Workers in Chicago, 1919-1939 "A perfect gem-like profile of FDR."--Douglas Brinkley, author of The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America and co-author of FDR and the Creation of the U.N. "Alan Brinkley, the premier historian of the New Deal, has produced the best short biography of the man who led America through one of the most challenging periods in modern history. At a time when analogies between our time and the Great Depression abound, this gracefully written book both informs and delights."--Michael Kazin, author of A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan and Professor of History, Georgetown University "Alan Brinkley has distilled the complex life and career of this remarkable president down to its essence in a lively and illuminating narrative."--Maury Klein, author of The Power Makers: Steam, Electricity, and the Men Who Invented Modern America "Big presidents tend to inspire big biographies and FDR is no exception. Noted New Deal scholar Alan Brinkley has bucked the trend with an admirably succinct and readable account that captures the man, his era and his legacies."-- David Reynolds, author of From Munich to Pearl Harbor: Roosevelt's America and the Origins of the Second World War, "Alan Brinkley's incisive and eloquent biography of FDR clarifies what he achieved and what he did not. Brinkley brings deep knowledge of Roosevelt and the New Deal to help readers understand why Roosevelt's was arguably the most important presidency of the twentieth century."--Lizabeth Cohen, Bancroft Prize-winning author ofMaking a New Deal: Industrial Workers in Chicago, 1919-1939 "A perfect gem-like profile of FDR."--Douglas Brinkley, author ofThe Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for Americaand co-author ofFDR and the Creation of the U.N. "Alan Brinkley, the premier historian of the New Deal, has produced the best short biography of the man who led America through one of the most challenging periods in modern history. At a time when analogies between our time and the Great Depression abound, this gracefully written book both informs and delights."--Michael Kazin, author ofA Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryanand Professor of History, Georgetown University "Alan Brinkley has distilled the complex life and career of this remarkable president down to its essence in a lively and illuminating narrative."--Maury Klein, author ofThe Power Makers: Steam, Electricity, and the Men Who Invented Modern America "Big presidents tend to inspire big biographies and FDR is no exception. Noted New Deal scholar Alan Brinkley has bucked the trend with an admirably succinct and readable account that captures the man, his era and his legacies."-- David Reynolds, author ofFrom Munich to Pearl Harbor: Roosevelt'sAmerica and the Origins of the Second World War, "Alan Brinkley's incisive and eloquent biography of FDR clarifies what he achieved and what he did not. Brinkley brings deep knowledge of Roosevelt and the New Deal to help readers understand why Roosevelt's was arguably the most important presidency of the twentieth century."--Lizabeth Cohen, Bancroft Prize-winning author of Making a New Deal: Industrial Workers in Chicago, 1919-1939"A perfect gem-like profile of FDR."--Douglas Brinkley, author of The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America and co-author of FDR and the Creation of the U.N."Alan Brinkley, the premier historian of the New Deal, has produced the best short biography of the man who led America through one of the most challenging periods in modern history. At a time when analogies between our time and the Great Depression abound, this gracefully written book both informs and delights."--Michael Kazin, author of A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan and Professor of History, Georgetown University"Alan Brinkley has distilled the complex life and career of this remarkable president down to its essence in a lively and illuminating narrative."--Maury Klein, author of The Power Makers: Steam, Electricity, and the Men Who Invented Modern America"Big presidents tend to inspire big biographies and FDR is no exception. Noted New Deal scholar Alan Brinkley has bucked the trend with an admirably succinct and readable account that captures the man, his era and his legacies."-- David Reynolds, author of From Munich to Pearl Harbor: Roosevelt's America and the Origins of the Second World War, "At a time when Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal provides a constant reference point for coping with the current economic crisis, Alan Brinkley's incisive and eloquent biography of FDR clarifies what he achieved and what he did not. Brinkley brings deep knowledge of Roosevelt and the New Deal to help readers understand why Roosevelt's was arguably the most important presidency of the twentieth century." --Lizabeth Cohen, author of Making a New Deal: Industrial Workers in Chicago, 1919-1939 and A Consumers' Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America "Alan Brinkley, the premier historian of the New Deal, has produced the best short biography of the man who led America through one of the most challenging periods in modern history. At a time when analogies between our time and the Great Depression abound, this gracefully written book both informs and enlightens." --Michael Kazin, author of A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan and Professor of History, Georgetown University "Alan Brinkley has distilled the complex life and career of this remarkable president down to its essence in a lively and illuminating narrative." --Maury Klein, author of The Power Makers: Steam, Electricity, and the Men Who Invented Modern America