The Three Roosevelts: Patrician Leaders Who Transformed America

Rating:
Summary: The Three Roosevelts: They don't make 'em like that anymore!
Review: All in all, "The Three Roosevelts" is well written, interesting, hard to put down, even a "page-turner" at times. Problems? Just a few. First is the sheer sprawling scope of the undertaking - ONE book on THREE Roosevelts, when there have been volumes written on EACH Roosevelt? But, overall this works pretty well here, and like the Roosevelts themselves, it's hard to fault the authors for trying to cover too much ground. A more fundamental problem with the book is that although the three Roosevelts' lives overlapped to an extent, their political careers and activities were more or less separate, sometimes giving this book the feel of really being three books sort of stuck together. First, we have a relatively short book on Teddy Roosevelt, followed by a moderately long book on FDR, and then another relatively short book on Eleanor. Are there common themes here tying it all together? Absolutely. But are there also three separate individuals here, each with his/her own story? Absolutely. The last fault of "The Three Roosevelts" is perhaps the most problematic; namely, the authors obviously LOVE their subjects, and the overwhelming positive slant on all three Roosevelts (the authors occasionally cite a fault, but usually just to show how the particular Roosevelt in question overcame it and became a better person) can become a little annoying at times, and even hurt the authors' credibility somewhat. Personally, I agree that these three people were amazing, fascinating, important, even heroic figures, but they were certainly not perfect. The internment of Japanese-Americans under FDR, to cite just one example, is an absolute disgrace, a moral outrage, and a HUGE blot on FDR's record. Teddy Roosevelt's nationalistic/imperialistic jingoism, cruel streak, and even bloodthirstiness are certainly not endearing or admirable qualities either!

Having said all that, I still really liked this book, and definitely recommend it. Basically, the authors do an excellent job with the fascinating story of how three pampered, upper-class snobs became courageous activists, leaders, and champions of the common man. The authors give us a good feel for how Eleanor Roosevelt grew to eventually leave "the insular world of the patrician elite far behind." Also, how FDR and TR came to despise the idle rich, and how they both came to see inherited wealth as immoral and un-American (FDR: "the transmission from generation to generation of vast fortunes...is not consistent with the ideals and sentiments of the American people"). What would FDR and TR have made of the current Republican Party's zeal to repeal the "Death Tax," as they call it?" Mincemeat, for one thing! But, sadly, the Franklin and Teddy Roosevelts of the world seem to be in short supply these days - in either political party.

A constant theme throughout "The Three Roosevelts" is that of the WASP establishment vs. the "class traitors" (the Roosevelts), and how each side came to hate each other. The authors have some interesting things to say about this issue. For instance, that hatred of FDR signified not just rational opposition to his economic policies, but seemed to stem even more from the WASP establishment's "horror of equality, from their fear of losing their privileges and, even worse, their sense of privilege." J.P. Morgan had even warned that "if you destroy the leisure class, you destroy civilization." Thus, the authors point out that, even as conditions for the wealthiest 2% improved, their "extravagant, hysterical attacks" on FDR actually increased. And FDR responded in kind, reveling in the hatred of business leaders/plutocrats who wanted only, in his words, "power for themselves, enslavement for the public," and comparing them to the fascist menace abroad. On the contrary, FDR had been educated - by Cousin Ted and others - to believe that the "noble, virtuous life" consisted not of profit maximization, but of public service. In Teddy Roosevelt's memorable words, the rich were "malefactors of great wealth." And Eleanor grew to see her class as seriously limited, narrow-minded, smug, reactionary, anti-Semitic, and racist.

Ultimately, the authors portray all three Roosevelts as people of courage, vigorous people of ACTION above all, people who disdained the trivial, non-productive life they had left behind, people who were willing to descend "into the vulgar world of office-seeking" (in other words, real life) to interact with different classes, ethnicities, religions, and even races. In other words, the Roosevelts did what most members of their class shunned. Although the Roosevelts certainly were not intellectuals or "geniuses" in the usual sense, all three are portrayed as brilliant in their ability to "[recognize] the needs of...people early on," to "[sense] their political mood," and to "[mobilize] their support." In sum, the authors conclude that the three Roosevelts represented transformational leaders for America in the 20th century, changing the course of events dramatically from what they were, and what they might have been. As the authors conclude, "from 1881, when TR first ran for the New York State Assembly" until the rise of Reagan conservatism a century later, "the three Roosevelts charted the course of progressive reform in America." A fascinating story, well told.

Rating:
Summary: Three Roosevelts "In the Arena"
Review: An interesting fact of American politics - that many of our Presidents came from the "upper class" of American society - is the central premise of "The Three Roosevelts: Patrician Leaders Who Transformed America." In this book, co-authors James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn examine the role played in American history by arguably the most influential "patrician" family of the twentieth century - the Roosevelts of New York.

"The Three Roosevelts" is essentially a book containing short political biographies of Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt (TR) became one of our greatest Presidents. Early in life, his sense of "noblesse oblige" caused him to choose a career in politics rather than a life as a member of the wealthy elite. He was elected, in turn, state representative; then governor of New York, as a Republican. He was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy in the McKinley Administration. Three years later, he was elected Vice President of the United States, and succeeded to the Presidency when President William McKinley was assassinated on September 14, 1901. His seven years as Chief Executive were some of the most successful of any Chief Executive up to then.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was a young man who appeared to have little of his cousin Theodore's intellectual acumen, driving ambition, or ideological bent. Franklin followed his famous cousin into politics, but unlike his cousin, Franklin became a Democrat. Like Theodore, Franklin's political career advanced steadily. In rapid succession, he was elected State Assemblyman, then State Senator. By age 31, he had been appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy by President Woodrow Wilson.

In 1921, FDR was stricken with polio, which paralyzed him from the waist down. In 1928, after a seven-year hiatus from politics, FDR was elected Governor of New York. His two two-year terms were highly successful, but by then FDR already had his eyes on the biggest prize of them all: the Presidency.

From 1929 to 1932, during the early years of the Great Depression, FDR proved himself a capable governor of New York. By 1932, after three years mired in the Depression, Americans were ready for a change. They elected FDR - the man promising Americans a "New Deal" - as President of the United States.

The vast majority of "The Three Roosevelts" is taken up with an account of FDR's "transformation of America" during the Great Depression. Here, Burns and Dunn portray Roosevelt as a man employing a pragmatic approach to governance... try whatever works! Congress passed a body of legislation that was tremendous in scope. For the first time, the Federal government actively intervened in American life in an effort to make life better for all. The modern welfare state was born.

The third of the "three Roosevelts" - Eleanor (ER) - was an integral part of her husband's political success. After her marriage to FDR, Eleanor remained indifferent toward politics, although she steadfastly supported her husband's political ambitions. As FDR's political career progressed, so did Eleanor's interest in politics. In fact, she was much more of an ideologue than Franklin. Burns and Dunn imply that Eleanor grew to have a tremendous influence on Franklin, possibly pulling him more and more to the left of center during his Presidency.

On April 12, 1945, after thirteen years as President, years which saw the United States struggle out of Depression and stumble into a world war, Franklin D. Roosevelt died. He had helped build the modern welfare state, and had guided the United States to a position of victory in the Second World War.

In the years following FDR's death, Eleanor Roosevelt continued to be a major influence on American politics. Through her nationally syndicated newspaper column "My Day," ER continually interjected her ideas and opinions into the national debate. She was appointed as an American delegate to the first organizational meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. Later she would serve on a UN commission that authored the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. She championed the cause of equal rights for all Americans, and was vocal in her support of the new nation of Israel.

When "The Three Roosevelts" appeared in bookstores in the spring of 2001, I eagerly bought a copy. This was the first book I'd seen in over twenty years that was written by James MacGregor Burns, the historian best known for his two volume biography of the 32nd President - "Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox" and "Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom."

My hope was that Burns and co-author Susan Dunn would provide a penetrating examination of what caused this trio of extraordinary individuals to leave behind the values and traditions of their 19th century "patrician" class, in favor of a progressive and at times socialistic political agenda. It is a question left largely unanswered. "The Three Roosevelts" remains a book very long on biographical information and very short on historical analysis.

The authors show an almost complete lack of objectivity toward their subjects. Burns is well known as a liberal "New Deal" Democrat, and his political bias shows on practically every page. He is ably abetted by Dunn. The result: "The Three Roosevelts" is practically a paean of praise to TR, ER, and especially FDR. Criticisms of the "three Roosevelts" are few, and even those are largely muted. Burns and Dunn's unabashed, gushing admiration of the "three Roosevelts" is annoying, and limits the usefulness of the book as an objective study of these fascinating characters in American history.

Rating:
Summary: Three Roosevelts "In the Arena"
Review: An interesting fact of American politics - that many of our Presidents came from the "upper class" of American society - is the central premise of "The Three Roosevelts: Patrician Leaders Who Transformed America." In this book, co-authors James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn examine the role played in American history by arguably the most influential "patrician" family of the twentieth century - the Roosevelts of New York.

"The Three Roosevelts" is essentially a book containing short political biographies of Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt (TR) became one of our greatest Presidents. Early in life, his sense of "noblesse oblige" caused him to choose a career in politics rather than a life as a member of the wealthy elite. He was elected, in turn, state representative; then governor of New York, as a Republican. He was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy in the McKinley Administration. Three years later, he was elected Vice President of the United States, and succeeded to the Presidency when President William McKinley was assassinated on September 14, 1901. His seven years as Chief Executive were some of the most successful of any Chief Executive up to then.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was a young man who appeared to have little of his cousin Theodore's intellectual acumen, driving ambition, or ideological bent. Franklin followed his famous cousin into politics, but unlike his cousin, Franklin became a Democrat. Like Theodore, Franklin's political career advanced steadily. In rapid succession, he was elected State Assemblyman, then State Senator. By age 31, he had been appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy by President Woodrow Wilson.

In 1921, FDR was stricken with polio, which paralyzed him from the waist down. In 1928, after a seven-year hiatus from politics, FDR was elected Governor of New York. His two two-year terms were highly successful, but by then FDR already had his eyes on the biggest prize of them all: the Presidency.

From 1929 to 1932, during the early years of the Great Depression, FDR proved himself a capable governor of New York. By 1932, after three years mired in the Depression, Americans were ready for a change. They elected FDR - the man promising Americans a "New Deal" - as President of the United States.

The vast majority of "The Three Roosevelts" is taken up with an account of FDR's "transformation of America" during the Great Depression. Here, Burns and Dunn portray Roosevelt as a man employing a pragmatic approach to governance... try whatever works! Congress passed a body of legislation that was tremendous in scope. For the first time, the Federal government actively intervened in American life in an effort to make life better for all. The modern welfare state was born.

The third of the "three Roosevelts" - Eleanor (ER) - was an integral part of her husband's political success. After her marriage to FDR, Eleanor remained indifferent toward politics, although she steadfastly supported her husband's political ambitions. As FDR's political career progressed, so did Eleanor's interest in politics. In fact, she was much more of an ideologue than Franklin. Burns and Dunn imply that Eleanor grew to have a tremendous influence on Franklin, possibly pulling him more and more to the left of center during his Presidency.

On April 12, 1945, after thirteen years as President, years which saw the United States struggle out of Depression and stumble into a world war, Franklin D. Roosevelt died. He had helped build the modern welfare state, and had guided the United States to a position of victory in the Second World War.

In the years following FDR's death, Eleanor Roosevelt continued to be a major influence on American politics. Through her nationally syndicated newspaper column "My Day," ER continually interjected her ideas and opinions into the national debate. She was appointed as an American delegate to the first organizational meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. Later she would serve on a UN commission that authored the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. She championed the cause of equal rights for all Americans, and was vocal in her support of the new nation of Israel.

When "The Three Roosevelts" appeared in bookstores in the spring of 2001, I eagerly bought a copy. This was the first book I'd seen in over twenty years that was written by James MacGregor Burns, the historian best known for his two volume biography of the 32nd President - "Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox" and "Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom."

My hope was that Burns and co-author Susan Dunn would provide a penetrating examination of what caused this trio of extraordinary individuals to leave behind the values and traditions of their 19th century "patrician" class, in favor of a progressive and at times socialistic political agenda. It is a question left largely unanswered. "The Three Roosevelts" remains a book very long on biographical information and very short on historical analysis.

The authors show an almost complete lack of objectivity toward their subjects. Burns is well known as a liberal "New Deal" Democrat, and his political bias shows on practically every page. He is ably abetted by Dunn. The result: "The Three Roosevelts" is practically a paean of praise to TR, ER, and especially FDR. Criticisms of the "three Roosevelts" are few, and even those are largely muted. Burns and Dunn's unabashed, gushing admiration of the "three Roosevelts" is annoying, and limits the usefulness of the book as an objective study of these fascinating characters in American history.

Rating:
Summary: Politics: Art of the Best Possible Compromise
Review: James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn, Democrats by conviction, give an unequal account of the life of three Roosevelts by dedicating most of their biography to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. MacGregor Burns and Dunn show their audience how these three patricians left behind a relatively easy life to descend into the arena of politics. Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt had to overcome their prejudices about other classes, religions, ethnicities and races to get an understanding of the issues at hand and, at times make, painful compromises to get things done. MacGregor Burns and Dunn explain to their readers that the three Roosevelts have ultimately left an indelible imprint on the psyche of the nation by each setting an example of transformational leadership. On the domestic front, the country has been working on the best possible reconciliation of the respective interests of business, labor and consumers as well as the rights and duties of its respective races and ethnicities. Abroad, the country has weighed the pros and cons of an interventionist policy on a case-by-case basis to safeguard its vital interests, and to advance the cause of a world that espouses the values of responsible democracy and capitalism.

Rating:
Summary: Profiles in Leadership
Review: One of the pleasures of reading "The Three Roosevelts" by James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn is that it reminds us of a time when this country achieved great things under great leaders. During the presidency of Republican Theodore Roosevelt the federal government challenged the activities of powerful, unregulated industries, protected the health and rights of working people, protected consumers from contaminated food and unsafe drugs, and built the Panama Canal. Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt oversaw the building of monumental dams and bridges that serve us still, created the Social Security system, and led the country effectively through the worst war the world has seen. Eleanor Roosevelt mobilized the conscience of her country and of the world on important issues of social justice after her husband and uncle had left the stage. It is chilling to contemplate how the world would look today had they not played the transforming roles they did.

The book is really a hybrid -- part biography and part political history. At times, it is organized, like "My Six Crises", around specific problems i.e. FDR and Court-packing, TR and the trusts, rather than according to chronological order. This synthesis limits details of the personal lives of the three in order to fill in eighty years' worth of historical context. Burn, emeritus historian of Williams College, has written two previous works on FDR. Dunn is Professor of the History of Ideas at Williams and has written about the French Revolution. The book's purpose, they say, is to examine how these three, members of a patrician family and a privileged class, became great "transformational leaders" of the 20th century.

The book is very good at showing the steps in that process, but less good at explaining where the interior compass came from that guided those steps. For example, TR at Harvard wrote his mother for information on the families of fellow students in order to make sure they were people of the right sort. Yet just six years later he was hobnobbing with cigar-chomping party hacks in a Republican club above a Manhattan saloon. "He aspired to be a hero in an age without heroes", conclude the authors. Undoubtedly true, but insufficient to explain what led him from the Porcellian Club and the slopes of San Juan Hill to battles for social legislation like the Pure Food and Drug Law and the Employers' Liability Law.

The introduction of the book suggests the Roosevelts took Lincoln as their model. This connects to the authors' concept of "trasformational leadership" and "transformational politics" as practiced by great leaders. But tracing a philsophical thread from Lincoln to TR's foreign policy and trust-busting is quite a stretch. TR compared himself to Lincoln in being a "cautious radical". The authors' make a much stronger case, it seems to me, for FDR having used TR, rather than Lincoln, as a role model. They say he consciously set out to follow in TR's footsteps: from Groton and Harvard to the New York Legislature, Department of the Navy, Governorship of New York, and the White House. Lincoln doesn't figure obviously, either, in Eleanor Roosevelt's transformation from anti-Semitic society matron to "First Lady of the World". It seems to have been her frequent contacts with the underprivileged during her White House years, well-documented by the authors, that transformed her world view. When she waded through ankle-deep mud to speak with "bonus army" veterans at their encampment, both she and they gained new perspective. "Hoover sent the Army", said one of men, "Roosevelt sent his wife". ER did not go just where her husband directed, but where her expanding conscience dictated.

Burns and Dunn have incorporated current academic research into their book. They draw a connection between FDR's "lurch to the left" in 1935 and the popularity of radical economic ideas espoused by Huey Long, Father Coughlin, and Dr. Townsend. They give details of the FDR-Lucy Mercer affair -- a topic Burns called "rumormongers' gossip" in his 1956 biography of FDR.

One place where they differ radically from the mainstream of historical scholarship is in their contention that FDR was more radical in his final year than at any other time in his presidency. They call it his "last hundred days". To support this thesis, they point to his last State of the Union address which, like Lincoln's second inaugural, looked beyond the end of the war to ways to improve a nation at peace. He proclaimed an economic "second Bill of Rights". Earlier, in 1944, he explored with Wendel Wilkie the possibility of uniting liberals in both parties, but the idea died with Wilkie a few months later. FDR vetoed a tax bill as being "not for the needy, but for the greedy". He pushed the GI Bill of Rights through Congress. He pressed for the establishment of the IMF. He was exercising "transformational leadership" in the international arena by trying at Yalta to win the support of Stalin and Churchill for a strong United Nations. An amazing list of progressive accomplishments for a healthy, vigorous President -- much less a dying one.

The final section of the book deals briefly with Eleanor Roosevelt's energetic last two decades as a "world politician". She wrote a regular newspaper column, pressed the State Dept to recognize Israel, served as UN envoy, attacked Sen. McCarthy at the height of his power, used her name and money to support early civil rights efforts, participated in Democratic national politics, traveled the globe, and even found time to form an emotional attachment to Dr. David Gurewitsch. The authors say that her most enduring achievement was chairing the committee that drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and then in leading the fight for its enactment by the UN. A work that, Thirty years after her death, "still stands at the center of the planet's moral conscience".

Rating:
Summary: Excellent! Interesting Writing. Pulitzer Prize Biographer.
Review: This book caught my attention when it received rave reviews from major newspapers, magazines, and critics when it came out (which you can find on the Internet). The writing is interesting and moves along smoothly. The subjects are fascinating, and you learn a lot about America in the process.

It begins with the solemn scene of President Lincoln's funeral procession, which Theodore Roosevelt as a child watched from an upscale residence. The book then shows how Theodore Roosevelt was influenced by Lincoln's presidency.

Despite coming from an elite social class (and young Theodore Roosevelt did view himself as elite), he rejected living only the life of comfortable luxury to do what he thought was right. On the one hand he was rich, educated at Harvard, an intellectual, a writer, mixed with the elite class, and conservative. On the other hand he was progressive, a tough guy, a rough rider, and created government for the benefit of the country as a whole. His intellectualism (masked behind his tough guy persona) brought him into contact with smart ideas of good government.

Theodore Roosevelt acted boldly in some circumtances, while in other circumstances he acted compromising (like a skillful politician.) This was very much in the model of Lincoln who moved at first to only protect the union, seemingly acted in a compromising way (like a skillful politician) until the war seemed to be under control, and then made his masterful move to abolish slavery - a truly magnificent achievement.

Franklin Roosevelt followed the path of Theodore Roosevelt. He was born into a rich, elite social class. He entered politics, became under-secretary of the Navy, and then governor of New York. T.R. was in FDR's wedding to Eleanor Roosevelt, who was from T.R.'s family circle. And he used masterful political skills as president like T.R. (and Lincoln), except that FDR took the power and achievements of the presidency to an all-time high, transforming that office into the "imperial presidency."

FDR could be bold, charming, or cunning in his efforts to achieve his transformational New Deal and then to destroy Adolph Hitler. Ultimately, he was pragmatic and acted for the benefit of the nation as a whole.

Eleonor Roosevelt was a tireless champion of human rights. There really is no other biography of her that is quite like this - concise and excellent.

This book is simply fascinating and a joy to read.

James MacGregor Burns previously won the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for his thorough, two-volume biography of Franklin Roosevelt. Here he has condensed that brilliant biography into a superb shorter biography of FDR (referencing the work of other FDR scholars), along with concise biographies of Theodore Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt (who was a champion of human rights we take for granted today, at a time when they were not so well accepted). The theme between the Roosevelts is that they were people of action who transformed America, though their tactics could shift depending on the circumstances.

All three Roosevelts (Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor) made "The Time 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century" list. FDR was ranked the runner-up most important person of the 20th Century. (Einstein and Gandhi were the other two of three people singled out for the top spot). This enjoyable book is a great way to learn about the three Roosevelts.

If you want a superb biography of the Roosevelts that is somewhat concise and a pleasure to read, this book is for you.

In response to the reviewer who states that Burns is a New Dealer and biased, I say that it is not true. Burns is very fair and accurate in this book, and I feel he is very professional and unbiased in his approach to history. For example, I read a newspaper article where he said that Ronald Reagan was a great or near-great president because Reagan was a transformational leader. You would never hear a biased New Deal liberal say something like that. Also, I never read anything to suggest that Burns is a New Dealer. That was a little before his time. He's a historian. His biography of George Washington is also very good.

On the back cover is a glowing review of this book by David Gergen, a Republican and a former advisor to presidents Nixon and Reagan. Also on the back cover are glowing reviews by historians/biographers Robert Dallek, David McCullough, and Blanche Wiesen Cook, who each wrote a book on at least one aspect of one of the three Roosevelts.

"The Three Roosevelts" is simply a terrific book and a great way to learn about the three Roosevelts without having to read three lengthy biographies. I highly recommend it to anyone from high school age and up. It also strikes me as a book that would make a great gift.

Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC BOOK
Review: This novel was immensely informative and entertaining. I am an English teacher who reads a lot, and I could not put it down. I loved the descriptions of leaders such as Huey Long and Gerald Smith and the isolationist movement. It was also impressive that it was so well-balanced and avoided sensationalism and cheap shots. The authors did not take sides or make quick judgments. You must read this book. My two favorite sections were the descriptions of the New Deal and the class struggle in New York during TR's time.

Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC BOOK
Review: This novel was immensely informative and entertaining. I am an English teacher who reads a lot, and I could not put it down. I loved the descriptions of leaders such as Huey Long and Gerald Smith and the isolationist movement. It was also impressive that it was so well-balanced and avoided sensationalism and cheap shots. The authors did not take sides or make quick judgments. You must read this book. My two favorite sections were the descriptions of the New Deal and the class struggle in New York during TR's time.

Rating:
Summary: What's the common theme?
Review: Trodding the well worn path of assessing the administrations of TR and FDR, and the historical significance of THE THREE ROOSEVELTS naturally means covering some very familiar territory. Teddy the extroverted outdoor adventurer; FDR - complex, secretive, manipulative, and Eleanor the activist. So what's new? The authors offer the view that without the three, the course of 20th century US history would have been vastly different. "The genius of these three leaders lay in their recognizing the needs of the people early on, sensing their political mood, mobilizing their support, and then - above all - acting" The common theme then is that the THREE ROOSEVELTS "charted the course of progressive reform in America." They brought "transformational change".

It's a nice try and the book does explore some possible common motives that drove these three activists. Family, culture and the social environment all have some role to play. As a result the biographical sketches provided on each is sufficiently detailed. The problem with the theme is that the two men - their personalities, the way they governed, and their administrations - were more unalike than similar. TR was somewhat puritanical, FDR something else entirely; TR's side of the family was traditionally Republican while FDR is an icon of the liberal democratic tradition; FDR governed through "brain trusts", of personal followers (the first example of modern-day "cronyism" some argue) wheras TR delegated and relied heavily on a very strong cabinet.

Overall the author's portray all three in very favorable terms, moreso FDR and Eleanor; not as much time is spent on Teddy. Negative views of FDR's latter terms, such as in THE NEW DEALER'S WAR by Thomas Fleming, will not be on these author's reading lists. Contrary to such books, here FDR is not seen as weak or ineffective following his 4th term victory in 1944.