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Franklin D. Roosevelt : a political life / Robert Dallek

by Dallek, Robert.

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Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2017.

Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945.

Presidents -- United States -- Biography.

United States -- Politics and government -- 1933-1945.

United States -- Politics and government -- 1919-1933.

9780525427902 (hc.)

x, 692 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cm

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 biography of one of our greatest presidents that focuses on his unparalleled strategic skills as a unifier and a consensus maker, taking 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. Robert Dallek is the author of Camelot's Court, An Unfinished Life, and Nixon and Kissinger"--Provided by publisher.

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