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Summary: History at your fingertips
Review: No Ordinary Time is a wonderful book because it is so accessible. Doris Kearns Goodwin writes about America and the Roosevelts in a very easy-to-read and personal fashion. After reading this book, I find myself able to recall historical facts in conversation quickly, without racking my brain. It's easier to relate to history, when it's written in an engaging narrative like this, instead of a dull recounting of names, dates, and places.
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Summary: Somewhat Freudian, but very interesting
Review: I listened to this book on tape driving to and from school. It's very interesting to listen to. I was a little surprised how much time the author spent speculating about FDR's and Elanor's sexual relations (with each other and with others), but there's a lot of good anecdotes. It bounces back and forth in time a bit, but it's not hard to follow what period they are talking about.
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Summary: A Fresh Look at Remarkable Lives
Review: Doris Kearns Goodwin rarely if ever disappoints her readers and "No Ordinary Time" is no exception. She looks at the lives of FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt, both of which have been examined by many writers, and presents their relationship in a new and engaging way. She presents Eleanor not only as wife and First Lady, but also as a significant individual of deep convictions and strength in her own right.In another case of "history repeating itself," the examination of the Roosevelts public and personal life will give the reader greater insight into the dynamics of personal relationships within the context of the political arena. This book is definately worth the time and the pleasure.
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Summary: An excellent read
Review: A captivating book that is exceptionally readable; hundreds of quotes from participants, descendants, and other historians are effectively woven into the narrative. This book has inspired in me enormous awe and respect for Franklin D. Roosevelt & Eleanor Roosevelt and the extraordinary times in which they lived.
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Summary: GREAT BOOK!
Review: This is an excellent book. What's really great about it is that Goodwin looks at BOTH FDR and ER. Moreover, it is important to know how, in the most important period of the 20th century, these two people supported and influenced each other. We may never see such a strong team of leadership again. While romance may have faded between them, their care for each other and dedication to the United States we incredibly reinforcing. A GREAT BOOK indeed.
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Summary: Intimate History
Review: This period of history has always held a special interest for me as I grew up listening to my parents' stories about World War II on the warfront and the homefront. They spoke of FDR and ER but not until I read Doris Kearns Goodwin's book, did these two people cease to become an abstraction. I could not put this book down wanting to know "what happens next..." even though historically you do. It was as though I was sitting and listening to stories about my own parents - that's how intimate the details are that Doris shares with her readers. While it has a novel like quality, the sourcing and accuracy make the book a must for "nightstand historians". It frames for the reader the context of other books one might have read on Churchill and the other extraordinary people who flowed in and out of the White House during those years. I thought her recounting of the day that FDR died, and the days that followed, was so poignant that I actually cried for the America of 1945 and for those who were closest to him. A visit to Hyde Park is my first stop this summer. Thank you Doris for this wonderful book. You are the best at what you do.
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Summary: An Outstanding Example On How History Should Be Presented
Review: Goodwin manages to pull off a delicate balancing act in No Ordinary Time. She spends a great portion of the book discussing the consequences of the large issues (race relations, labor/production struggles, military preparedness) facing the country during this period. Yet, she also spends as much time noting the personal issues, like Franklin and Eleanor's struggles with their marriage and the tragic travails of Missy LeHand. The result of this balancing act is a wonderfully complete depiction that gives one an appreciation of not only the complexities of the time, but also of the incredible intelligence and character of the Roosevelts. The comprehensive nature of the book makes it difficult to imagine that a better book on the Roosevelt presidency during World War II can be written. A reader may get a little lost trying to keep track of all the names, especially when they appear only once every fifty or one hundred pages. Fortunately, the index in the back is very useful for finding the first appearance and description of these characters. Still, this minor drawback does not offset the powerful lessons that the book teaches. For those who equate government with partisan bickering and gridlock, it is heartening to know that such conditions existed during World War II, yet were overcome with persistence and ingenuity. For those who did not live thorough those times, it gives a vivid portrayal of the sacrifices and challenges that all Americans endured. Finally, it shows that Roosevelt's belief that people will respond successfully when given a challenge and the freedom to rise to that challenge is true. These are all powerful lessons that not only illuminate our past, but give us a guideline for our future. Ultimately, that is the mark of a successful historical book. Goodwin should be (and has rightfully been) commended for making such a book.
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Summary: History that reads like a novel
Review: Kearns-Goodwin brings to life the interesting characters that dominated the political landscape in America's most defining years of the 20th Century. Both FDR and Eleanor are fascinating people and she makes these larger than life characters almost ordinary people. Great insights into the inner workings of the White House and the turbulent but often over looked home front during the Second World War. She is not judgmental and tempers her opinions to remain true to historical content. If you love history with a real human touch, this is a great read.
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Summary: Superbly Intimate
Review: This scholarly and superbly intimate look at FDR and Eleanor from the last days of the Depression through the Second World War makes for excellent reading. The author examines the couple's strained relationship and flaws, along with their sterling achievements. Many books by stuffy historians are highly boring. Goodwin's Pulitzer Prize winning effort is an immensely readable narrative of the 20th Century's greatest President and First Lady.
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Summary: Excellant work
Review: An entire industry has been built out of books documenting the military aspects of the Second World War- the battles, the personalities, the men who fought, etc. The role of the homefront, the efforts of the civilians who made the weapons and supplies used in the battles across the fields of Western Europe and through the seas of the South Pacific, has only now been addressed by historians. At the front of this effort is Doris Kearns Goodwin's "No Ordinary Time", a wonderful study of the partnership between Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor during World War II, and the role the two played in preparing America to fight WWII and to prosper in the peace that would follow. That FDR was a brilliant President, there is no doubt. He survived reverses which would have crushed a lesser man and displayed a stunning grasp of knowledge as to what people were capable of. His creation of the Lend-Lease program, by which America loaned weapons and supplies to the beleaguered Allies in exchange for repayment in kind, was example of his genius. A wonderfully creative plan to immediately supply England and Russia with desperately needed help by creating a plan that junked the unfeasible loans discussed by American policymakers. That Eleanor Roosevelt was an extraordinary First Lady, a woman who had survived heartbreaking tragedies to carve out a new and extraordinary role for herself, there is no doubt. Goodwin does an outstanding job looking at FDR and ER's roles in one another's lives and uncovering interesting portraits of the two which give the reader a revealing glimpse into what these two were really like. Outstanding book.
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