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FDR Audiobook
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(4.00) - 1,169 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
One of today’s premier biographers, Jean Edward Smith, has written a modern, comprehensive, indeed ultimate book on the epic life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This is a portrait painted in broad strokes and fine details. We see how Roosevelt’s restless energy, fierce intellect, personal magnetism, and ability to project effortless grace permitted him to master countless challenges throughout his life. Smith recounts FDR’s personal battles and also tackles head-on and in depth the numerous failures and miscues of Roosevelt’s political career. Summing up Roosevelt’s legacy, Smith gives us the clearest picture yet of how this quintessential Knickerbocker aristocrat became the common man’s president. The result is a powerful account that adds fresh perspectives and draws profound conclusions about a man whose story is widely known but far less well understood. Written for the general public and scholars alike, FDR is a stunning biography in every way worthy of its subject.
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"This was a really interesting look at Franklin Delano Roosevelt. We all assume we know this president, but this book makes clear that there were essentially three Roosevelt presidencies: the Depression president, the Court-packing screw up, and the war president. He was a person who grew tremendously from his days in the state assembly of New York, started testing his Depression fighting ideas as New York governor, and then served as our only four-term president. In a time when we just elected our first African American president, it's worthy of note that we elected our first physically handicapped president more than three quarters of a century ago."
— Amy (4 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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Winner of the 2008 Parkman Prize
FDR Listener Reviews
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" Very readable biography of FDR which seems particularly relevant at this particular point in time. The focus is rightly on his presidency, and topics are covered in a reasonable amount of depth considering his whole life is covered in just over 600 pages. "
— Julia, 2/15/2014 -
" Eh, if Barack Obama has inspired you to read books about FDR and Lincoln, this is a good one to choose. "
— Emily, 2/10/2014 -
" Occasionally questioning a conclusion made by the author, but the bio is very detailed and fascinating. "
— Cheryl, 1/26/2014 -
" This book was very informative i just felt it was a bit to condesned I mean they summed up his fourth term and death in only 6 pages. Plus the author kept putting in random parralels between roosevelt and the subjects of his last book which really got irratating after a while. "
— Amanda, 1/25/2014 -
" Found out that I really just knew FDR for the New Deal and WWII, but a lot of other interesting stories in this book. Really enjoyed learning about FDR's early life, his role in NY politics and some of his major mistakes in domestic politics. Long, but well paced. "
— geoff, 1/15/2014 -
" Very enjoyable read. I highly recommend it based upon how the author does a good job of describing FDR's personality. I felt as if I had some connection to the late former president on account of Smith's history of the man. Very well researched as well. "
— Mikey, 1/6/2014 -
" A good read, not overly critical bio of the man and president. Many interesting and illuminating facts and insights. "
— Ian, 12/16/2013 -
" This was by far the most insightful biography of FDR I have read, and there have been several. The book moved along well, and kept your interest. "
— Fred, 12/2/2013 -
" Great book. Unbiased account of FDR's life, his policies and WWII. Highly recommend to anyone interested in an iconic American politician. "
— Michelle, 10/19/2013 -
" It took forever to complete this book but it was worthwhile. The only disappointing part is that FDR's death and its ramifications were not followed up. "
— Joe, 9/3/2013 -
" This is a hard but interesting read. By hard I mean it is one of those books you read with other books over time so this one is in progress. Fascinating though. "
— Angel, 11/23/2012 -
" Very well done bio, excellent. "
— Ken, 5/14/2012 -
" The best biography of our nation's 32nd president Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He served as president during the Great Depression and World War II and also was the only president to serve the longest term in office. "
— Steve, 5/5/2012 -
" Very readable and full of detail. Great if you are looking for a detailed front-on bio of FDR. "
— David, 7/11/2011 -
" I guess I'm on an American presidents biography jag. What an excellent book. It gives a great overview of FDR's life and is unabashedly pro-Roosevelt. "
— Susanne, 4/19/2011 -
" Best biography I've ever read, and potentially the best history book I've read. Sweeping in magnitude, FDR doesnt forget the interesting and often humorous details that make history so rich and exciting. Five stars hardly expresses how much I enjoyed reading this book. "
— Jason, 3/9/2011 -
" Incredible, unabashed, and honest. Really goes beyond the bounds of typical Presidential biographies. "
— Andrew, 2/27/2011 -
" No mention of Japanese internment camps? Really? "
— John, 2/3/2011 -
" Great book. Unbiased account of FDR's life, his policies and WWII. Highly recommend to anyone interested in an iconic American politician. "
— Michelle, 8/9/2010 -
" Very well done bio, excellent. "
— Ken, 6/13/2010 -
" An extremely readable biography about a complex man, and a complex presidency. "
— Dave, 4/8/2010 -
" Interesting, although exhaustive, book about FDR...very open about his faults, prejudices, and affairs. There is so much detail that I sometimes skimmed over passages (the book is over 1,000 pages...good for weight-lifting!), but still retained a lot of information. "
— Heather, 2/11/2010 -
" She got everything right but Pearl Harbor. "Day of Deceit: FDR and Pearl Harbor" gives the true picture as reseaarched over 40 years in my experience. <br/>The information about the new deal is great in this book. "
— Sheik, 12/22/2009
About Jean Edward Smith
Jean Edward Smith is an acclaimed biographer and university professor. Named “Today’s foremost biographer of formidable figures in American history” by George Will, he has written biographies on a number of prominent figures in US history. His work has earned him many awards and accolades; his biography of Ulysses S. Grant was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2002, and his biography on President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Eisenhower in War and Peace, was a New York Times bestseller. Currently, Smith is the John Marshall Professor of Political Science at Marshall University; he also taught previously at the University of Toronto as a professor of political economy for 35 years.
About Marc Cashman
Marc Cashman, Earphones Award–winning narrator, was named one of the “Best Voices of the Year” by AudioFile magazine. His voice can be heard on radio, television, film, and video games. He also instructs voice actors through his classes, The Cashman Cache of Voice-Acting Techniques, in Los Angeles.