Book Review: Franklin Delano Roosevelt

I picked up a copy of this book "Franklin Delano Roosevelt" by Alan Brinkley hoping to learn more about FDR, who is in my mind one of the greatest presidents in U.S. history along others like Washington and Lincoln. I have had previous discussions about Roosevelt on this blog, namely my post Roosevelt's Fight Against Poverty. FDR has been criticized for expanding the role of the federal government, but he lead the country through the most severe economic crisis and most destructive war in U.S. history, all the while fighting a debilitating illness.

This short biography is a brief overview of Roosevelt's life and major accomplishments while President of the United States from 1932 to 1945. It follows his journey from a young boy growing up in a wealthy family from New York to the beginning of his political career and his struggle with polio. As President, the book discusses his New Deal program, the entrance of the U.S. into World War II and how Roosevelt, along with Stalin and Churchill, shaped the post-war world. It also mentions his dealings with his advisers and the estranged relationship with his wife.

The Good: This book does a good job of giving a quick rundown of Roosevelt's major accomplishments and life story, while mentioning important facts that shaped his presidency, like his wealthy upbringing and permanent paralysis from polio. It also gave a good picture of some of his New Deal policies and how America came to be involved in World War II. It is helpful for those who do not know much about FDR and want to know more about him and his legacy.

The Bad: This book is not for the hardcore historian or history buff who already knows a lot about FDR. I was pretty disappointed to find out that this book was only about 100 pages long. I was hoping for a detailed biography about Roosevelt that described his personality, the accomplishments of his wife Eleanor, the decisions he had to make in the midst of the Great Depression and World War II, and his death in office. This book, however, does not get into much detail about his life.

The Ugly: I was also disappointed in the fact that the book spent a lot of time describing Roosevelt's New Deal programs than the man himself. I believe it is important to understand some of the New Deal policies that Roosevelt vigorously supported, but as someone who already knows about the New Deal, I found this part rather dry.

Conclusion: This book is definitely recommended for those who do not know much about Roosevelt or his importance in American history. It does show how incredible his leadership was in the Great Depression and World War II. On the other hand, for those wanting to know more about FDR as a person or even get more details about his life and accomplishments, I would not recommend it.