Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom

Rating:
Summary: "Action... and action NOW."
Review: "Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom", by Conrad Black, is study of the life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) that purports to "incorporate the latest scholarship in the best, most comprehensive one-volume biography of Roosevelt ever written."

I bought this hardcover heavyweight more out of curiosity than anything else. I had never heard of Conrad Black, so I immediately questioned his credentials as a Presidential historian. My Internet search revealed him to be none other than Lord Black of Crossharbour, a Canadian-born multi-billionaire media mogul and proponent of conservative political causes both in Canada and his adopted homeland, Great Britain. And, oh yes, by the way... degrees in history and law from some of Canada's most prestigious universities. Obviously, eminently qualified to write a scholarly biography of the 32nd President of the United States...

The proof, they say, is in the pudding, so I settled back and began reading "Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion Of Freedom" -- with, I must admit, a certain amount of skepticism. It didn't take me long to realize that this is a winner of a book in many ways. It's extremely well written; shows obvious, painstakingly detailed, and rigorous scholarly research; is eminently fair and balanced toward its subject; it successfully draws the historical era in which FDR lived into the story of his life; and it provides well argued, sharply reasoned historical analyses all along the way.

Black narrates the now familiar story of FDR's life with an obvious affection for his subject, all the while providing a tremendous amount of detail. Black's portrait shows FDR as a supercilious, facile young man who stretches the truth often to the breaking point; a courageous quadriplegic, struck down by poliomyelitis at age 39, just as he was about to step onto the national political scene, but undaunted by his affliction; a reforming governor of New York (1928-1932); and the 32nd President of the United States (1933-1945), by Black's standards one of the three greatest Chief Executives in American history (the others being Lincoln and Washington), and "the most important person of the twentieth century."

"Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion Of Freedom" is a huge volume; despite its heft, however, it remains immensely readable. It lacks the last ounce of stylistic polish found in the books written by "professional" FDR biographers James MacGregor Burns, Kenneth S. Davis, and Frank Freidel. However, that's not to say "Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom" isn't well written; it most decidedly is. Black's research is prodigious and his many sources are impeccable. His prose is refreshing in its simplicity, and his historical judgments and analyses are both incisive and well argued.

Black's book has clear advantages over other, older, more "scholarly" biographies. Black is younger, and therefore is not a child of the Great Depression. He is not American, so he never experienced FDR's New Deal. This allows him to be more objective in his approach than other, older biographers whose works are tinted by their Depression/New Deal experiences.

Black, certainly no apologist for liberal political causes, could have interjected his own conservative political agenda into this work, thereby creating a scathing biography of one of the most liberal of all American Presidents. Instead, he did his research, and arrived at the conclusion that FDR was, along with Lincoln and Washington, one of America's greatest Presidents. That is a tribute to Black's integrity as an historian and biographer, and gives his work tremendous credibility.

Despite its great length, "Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion Of Freedom" is an excellent read, and therefore highly recommended


Rating:
Summary: Best Biography Since Boswell's Johnson
Review: "Roosevelt" is the first serious study of the U.S. by a foreigner since de Tocqueville's "Democracy in America" and is easily the best biography since Boswell's "Johnson".

Black's prose is direct and his simple, declarative sentences refreshing. "Roosevelt" is one of the best books written in the history of our language.

There are one or two glaring errors: that Carlton, Laval and McGill all graduated someone who thought Keynes went to Oxford says little for these institutions. Worse, none of Black's many editors seemed any the wiser.

The New York Times published a particularly uninformed review -- not its usual style -- which lambasted Black for his private financial concerns. Rather like slamming Boswell for being syphilitic. Not a high point for the paper.

Rating:
Summary: Essential Bio of an American Colossus
Review: After reading Conrad Black's Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom, it is hard for me to imagine a better, more comprehensive or more balanced biography of FDR. Roosevelt's life generally inspires biographies that are either hagiographic or hatchet jobs. Black disdains these simplistic interpretations. What he gives us instead is an incredibly detailed, strongly opinionated, but remarkably fair analysis of the man who was perhaps the greatest of twentieth century America's giants.
This is a massive book, running to 1134 pages. Rather than concentrating on a particular aspect of Roosevelt's life or career, Black has tackled the whole of it, both public and private. Roosevelt's pedigree and privileged childhood, his schooling, complex marriage, family relationships, rise in politics, life-changing illness, and presidency are all covered here in great detail. The significant appointments, political moves policies and legislation, political allies and enemies, and the crisis of each of his four presidential terms are covered in depth. Black writes engagingly, and does a masterful job of turning what could have been dull, dry details into a fascinating tale of political gamesmanship.
Black's FDR is compelling and complex. Born to privilege, the last great American figure to follow the old code of noblesse oblige, Roosevelt seems to have been genuinely concerned with the welfare of the masses, while at the same time being curiously indifferent to the feelings of those he knew personally. While not an intellectual, he possessed the most remarkable political instincts of any man of his time. Both gregarious and aloof, visionary and Machiavellian, he was, as he himself noted, sphinx-like and unfathomable.
Black has written what is sure to become the definitive biography of Franklin Roosevelt - immediate required reading for all that would study his life. Though written to appeal to both the scholar and those with a general interest, it is not the biography to read if you have only a casual interest in FDR and wish a quick introduction to his life. Black's tour de force biography comes very close to saying everything that needs to be or can be said about Roosevelt's amazing life. It is powerful, provocative, and highly recommended.


Rating:
Summary: Great book. Great man.
Review: As an admirer of FDR, I thoroughly enjoyed this look at his life. If you can, also visit his estate at Hyde Park. If you are a fan of FDR and of the time period during which he served, you will have a great time.

Rating:
Summary: comprehensive and incisive
Review: Comprehensive and incisive
Conrad Black's FDR: Champion of Freedom is a comprehensive and incisive one-volume political biography. FDR had so many achievements that his biographers tend either towards hagiography or towards elucidating facets of his leadership, such as the New Deal or WWII. The author strikes an admirable balance in unfolding FDR's remarkable life and accomplishments.

From rescuing America from the Depression, to shepherding America out of its prewar isolationism, to winning WWII, to setting up the modern world, one begins to appreciate the hard choices and hard work needed to turn each of these into reality. In retrospect, it all seems so straightforward and unambiguous. The author has the gift of transporting the reader back to times BEFORE things were so clear, when intelligent, informed men of integrity argued strongly against each of these accomplishments. Again and again, one is impressed with FDR's clarity of vision, determination, and agility in turning his vision into reality. No one of these is a small accomplishment; together they almost defy imagination.

FDR was a master of accepting tactical defeats in order to gain strategic success. He was maddeningly careful not to anger groups he would or might need to support aims broader than the controversies in which he was currently embroiled. This, naturally, led to (justified) accusations of not doing enough to support the right people in the right struggles. FDR was the ultimate utilitarian and opportunist, but he was keeping his options open in order to seize what he perceived (correctly) to be historic opportunities to advance his nation and the civilized world. It is in the juxtaposition of varied and at times scurrilous tactics with lofty and audacious goals where much of FDR's fascination lies.

In this political biography, the focus is always on the political aspects of this most political leader's efforts. There is no shrinking from the seamier aspects of FDR's manipulations. They are identified, explored, and fit into the bigger picture of this leader's accomplishments.

The author's own life at the intersection of business and politics gives him profound insight into the real workings of representative governments. This book can be compared to Churchill's biography of his ancestor, Marlborough, for its incisive commentary on their protagonists' skills in navigating domestic and international political waters. For this reason alone, FDR: Champion of Freedom deserves to be read.

The book is paced extremely well, with enough digressions and personal observations to give the reader breathing space between the enormous, Byzantine wranglings which generated FDR's major accomplishments. Also mentioned is Lillian Cross, a Miami housewife who, at a rally in 1932, bumped the arm of an assassin trying to kill President-Elect Roosevelt , almost certainly saving his life. From such tenuous threads are the destinies of men and nations woven.

The subtitle, taken from Churchill's eulogy in Parliament, is characteristically apt. A reader finishing this book will understand just how justified is this characterization.

The pivotal leader of the twentieth century has long deserved a readable, comprehensive, and insightful one-volume biography. Conrad Black has done a magnificent job. You really should read this one.

Rating:
Summary: Roosevelt: America's 20th Century Best
Review: Conrad Black has presented a superb biography of Franklin Roosevelt that is both fair and informative. While some will complain of the length-some 1200 pages-I encourage all to do their broadsword exercises in order to build up their wrists to handle this mighty work.
Lord Black's acknowlegments are weighty themselves and include but are not limited to: William F. Buckley Jr.,John Lukas, Henry Kissinger, George Will, Tom Wolfe, and several others of distinction.
Lord Black presents a very highly regarded portrait of America's foremost president of the 20th century, and while some are critical of the man, and others critical of the work, there is no doubt of its veracity and importance in understanding the immense accomplishments of this leader of America and the world.
Roosevelt's eary days are linked to his cousin, Theodore, and FDR married TR's niece, Eleanor. Roosevelt admired his cousin and his success, and there are some parallels with Theodore in his early political development, but FDR went on to accomplish so much more in domestic and international politics in such turbulent times.
In his peroration, Black covers with broad strokes FDR's accomplishments which include his role in saving Western civilization, moving America from isolationism, bringing America out of the Great Depression and laying the groundwork for the modern welfare state, saving American capitalism (that's right-he more than anyone),providing successful leadership in a world war, and laying the groundwork for the successful conclusion of the Allied victory and future relations with European powers.
His terms as President brought us acronyms such as: NRA, CCC, RFC,PWA,TVA, and NIRA. He successfully dealt with a variety of domestic foes including John L. Lewis, Charles Lindbergh, William Hearst, and Joseph Kennedy: he defeated Hitler and Tojo, as well as Mussolini,and contended with Stalin, DeGaulle, and the Vichy French. He developed a relationship with Winston Churchill that helped save the world from tyrany.
He believed in and challenged America both during the economic chaos of the 1930s and the incredible war production efforts of the 1940's. He was the catalyst behind it all.
And, in some respects, FDR's greatness is not limited to politics and war. He is known for the March of Dimes, for carving the turkey every Thanksgiving from 1926 to 1940 for handicapped children at Warm Springs. In some respects his battle with polio shows his indomitable spirit better than any conflict he faced and is a stentorian tribute to his determination.
He was not a common man but so many of the common men believed in him and listened faithfully to his fireside chats and shared his visions and beliefs in a better America and a liberated world.
He uplifted so many in every way that he could, and when he was gone on that day in April, just before the Allied victory, the world stopped for a moment and realized its loss.
Yes, it is a big book, and you need to read it.

Rating:
Summary: The definitive one-volume FDR biography
Review: Conrad Black offers us a truly fair and balanced biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. On one hand Black praises his subject no end, going so far as to call him the Man of the Century and the Champion of Freedom. On the other hand, the author frequently describes FDR's faults, episodes of cruelty and outright malice, making no excuse for them.

Black has two explicit purposes. First, he wants to show that the New Deal was a good program. Second, and more controversially, he argues that Roosevelt got the best possible deal he could from Stalin. In both cases, Black shows that FDR achieved his ends entirely because of his formidable political skills, because of his knack for getting people to do what needed to be done.

For Black, the New Deal rescued the U.S. from the Depression. Other historians often describe the New Deal as medicine taken by a sick man for lack of anything better, that the New Deal didn't actually do much to improve the economy, which was finally rescued by the war effort. Black argues that this his unfair to FDR and the New Deal was instrumental in restoring life and growth the economy, and that war production was only its last phase. Black leaves us thinking that without the New Deal of the 1930's, the U.S. would not have been in a position to supply the Allied war needs of the 1940's.

Black's second more controversial purpose is to debunk the view that the dying Roosevelt gave too much to the U.S.S.R. during the negotiations towards the end of the war. Black argues that FDR acted brilliantly to the very end of his life and got the West the best arrangements that could be obtained from the Soviets. He first skillfully guided American public opinion away from isolationism and led them to support the European war and eventually to participate in it to rescue the Old World. Realizing that France and the U.K. would not matter as much in the post WWII world, there was very little he could do to stop Stalin from taking eastern Europe. The USSR, having losing millions more men than the other Allies combined, would have its way. Without FDR, things would have been worse.

Throughout the book Black stresses FDR's political skills and paints a picture of an amoral (not immoral) president, showing him a much less admirable man than we are used to seeing. And while FDR the man was moral and principled, FDR the politician knew that he needed to give way on many things in order to get many others. As a politician, he seldom held any single cause so dearly that he would not give it up to further what he saw as the more important ends.

For example, FDR was a true liberal, largely thanks to his wife Eleanor's influence. He nevertheless failed to integrate the army. Reasoning that despite being a good thing, racial integration would interfere with war preparations. He listened to African-American (then called "Blacks" or "Colored" of course) leaders and their complaints and requests. He did too little, but did something by promoting a black officer to general. He prepared the way for later leaders.

But Black paints a true portrait of Roosevelt, warts and all. A quick count between pages 350 and 450 yielded no less than 12 rather unpleasant stories, anecdotes, or traits about FDR, including a shocking tale of ordering IRS investigation and prosecution of his political enemies with a viciousness unmatched even by Richard Nixon.

In spite of these failings, FDR's skills enabled him to build the New Deal and to successfully lead America into the war, to free America from the Depression, to free the world from Nazi oppression, and to keep the Soviet Union from attempting indiscriminate conquests. Black's book is one long justification of the subtitle: Champion of Freedom.

Rating:
Summary: A modern look at Franklin Roosevelt
Review: Conrad Black's marvelous biography of Franklin Roosevelt has been unfairly criticized in a number of reviews by political opponents of the author. It is a highly entertaining read and, in spite of its size, the narrative gains speed as it moves toward the end. I couldn't put it down in the last 150 pages. Black offers new insights to this amateur historian, author of my own book listed on Amazon. He clarifies Churchill's position on the Normandy invasion and explains that his reluctance was based on a plan to confront Hitler as Pitt confronted Napoleon. Roosevelt understood that Americans would never tolerate a generation of war and would require a massive effort as soon as possible. Black contends that British footdragging led to a year's delay that might have saved eastern Europe from 45 years of Soviet domination. I'm not sure I agree but, in spite of having read Churchill's memoirs twice plus a number of works on Roosevelt, I saw this as a new insight. Black also has a good theory of the French obstructionism that began with De Gaulle. His British point of view and emphasis on details unfamiliar to me made this a pleasure to read. I may read it a second time, as I tend to do with favorite works. I have seen criticism about his emphasis on minor details in Roosevelt's life but these give a better picture of the man, difficult as he was to understand. I once read an entire book on Lincoln's law practice and gained a new appreciation for the man, not the myth. Black does the same for Roosevelt. This is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Read Flynn instead
Review: Enough revisionism and bandwaggoning already !

"The American politician, without troubling his pragmatic mind with the meaning of words, has discovered socialism, and embraced it, not as a great system of social organization, but as a wondrous machine for the purpose of buying votes."

- John T. Flynn

Rating:
Summary: FDR: Champion of Freedom: Polio Victim gets USA going!
Review: Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his New Dealers put America back to work; gave millions hope in desperate dustbowl days and won our greatest War against Hitler and Japan. As our greatest 20th century President he is well served by this superb biography by publisher Conrad Black. Black a Canadian and conservative has portrayed in this length 10000 page tome a brilliant portrayal of the private FDR; his complex relationship with his mother Sarah and his socially liberal wife Eleanor as well as all the politcal maneuvering needed by the great man to transform isolationist America into the mighty fortress of freedom enabling the forces of freedom to defeat Fascism and the Japanese.
Black's book is readable, countains a well of anecdotes yet also includes all the details of the great 12 years (1933-45_ our longest service chief exectuvie served our land.
This book will be essential to FDR studies for years to come. My advice is to read the book slowly absorbing all the incredible

events of the crucial days of the Great Depression and World War II.
As an admitted liberal and lifelong Democrat I am proud to belong to a party whose chief was FDR! "Happy Days are here again" when the reader and Black meet in this essential biography.