Rating: 
Summary: Superb history of an era that changed the country.
Review: As one who grew up in D.C. during this remarkable era, I felt that I was "meeting old friends" again. Mr. Kennedy lucidly and interestingly explains the issues of the time, and gives us clear portraits of most of the important participants with particular focus on Franklin Roosevelt. His descriptions and explanations of the great President's beliefs, and stragedies and actions contributed to a greater understanding by me of this unbelievably, precedent shattering time. I loved this book,and was literally informed and entertained on every page.
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Summary: Why Americans Hate History
Review: This ponderous, tedious, self-righteous, jingoist, militaristic trumpeting can only appeal to members of the Kiwanis club or subscribers to the Atlantic Monthly or unfortunates who think Tom Brokaw is a journalist. While Six Million Died: A Chronicle Of American Apathy. By, Arthur D. Morse, is a flat refutation of Kennedy's loving portrayal of the banality of evil.
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Summary: An enthralling book that makes history come alive!
Review: David Kennedy's book, "Freedom From Fear" is a monumental achievement of historical writing.Covering the years from just before outbreak The Great Depression to the end of World War II and the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the author focuses on the impact which Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) had on America during this seminal period of our history, and how his influence still impacts on our country today. "Freedom From Fear" is an extremely long book--over 900 pages in length--and the early chapters, detailing various aspects of The "New Deal" and the many agencies under the "New Deal" which F.D.R. helped establish, are a bit too detailed and not quite as interesting as the rest of the book. But none of the wealth of information which Kennedy gives is dull or uninteresting--and when Kennedy starts to write about the events that occurred in Europe and the Pacific during World WarII, his book becomes as enthralling as any novel. A previous Amazon Reviewer faults Kennedy for being anti-Rosevelt and says that Kennedy feels "nothing Roosevelt did seems right." I wonder if we have read the same book! Kennedy is an obvious admirer of F.D.R. and does not hesitate to point out his many accomplishments and praise his ability as a politician and "visionary" in helping to draw so many conflicting elements in Congress and the country as a whole, together. Kennedy DOES point out that Roosevelt kept many of his thoughts and motives to himself--and that even his closest friends didn't know always exactly what he was THINKING. But the fact remains that F.D.R. accomplished wonders in drawing our country together and restoring a "Faith in ourselves" as a nation, that was woefully lacking until he became president. Kennedy gives more than ample credit to Rosevelt's accomplishments, and is an impartial enough as a historian to also mention his weaknesses and faults. Fortunately for our country, his accomplishments far outweigh his weaknesses! A further observation about this book, which I think should attract a wide readership and make his book appealing to all organization is superb! His writing is extremely clear and free of "pedanticism." His chapters, describing the various battles fought during World War II (i.e. The Battle of Midway; Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, etc.), are as riveting as any novel.Written as a historian, Kennedy still has a novelist's flair for bringing what he writes about to life on the printed page. The "facts" he presents are totally free from "colorization"--but the WAY he presents them is dramatic and thoroughly engrossing. One of the most appealing aspects of his book is his "organization" of material. His accounts of the personalities of many of the world leaders described in his book are seemlessly interspersed with the history he is describing. His "profiles" of various leaders are gems of cogent brevity. "Freedom From Fear" is historical writing at its best--detailed, always interesting--and dramatic in in impact. It amply deserves to win a Pulitzer Prize--which I hope it does! Larry Auerbach, Las Vegas, NV
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Overview of the Depression and WWII Era
Review: This is simultaneously a very thick book and a masterpiece of compression. Kennedy accomplishes the difficult task of combining judicious analysis of major issues with comprehensive narrative. There is no other book to which this volume can be compared and there will be no competitor for years to come. The quality of writing is excellent and Kennedy's use of primary and secondary source material is remarkable. It is also noteworthy that this book is Volume IX of the projected ten volume Oxford History of the United States. Each volume published to date; Middlekauf's excellent book on the Revolutionary era, McPherson's wonderful book on the Civil War, and the fine volume by Patterson on recent American history, are excellent stand alone books. As a unit, they comprise a remarkable achievement.
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Summary: Extremely Well Written
Review: Kennedy brings WWII to life better than any other author I have read. I would recommend this extremely well written book to both novice and historian. If you like history, this book will make you love it. Out of its 850 pages, very few are uninteresting.
Rating:
Summary: I hated to put the book down.
Review: As one who was born and lived in D.C. during this era,I was overwhelmed with the memories and drama of that period. Mr. Kennedy corrected several misunderstandings I had regarding Mr. Hoover (who,image aside,was a man of greatness), and corroberated many of my feelings and rememberances of the avuncular Mr. Roosevelt (our "2nd father"). Writing with significant skill and intelligence, Mr. Kennedy clarified complex issues such as the causes of the Great Depression and the cause and effect of the U.S. abandoning the gold standard. His depiction of the suffering of the unemployed was almost poetic. I really enjoyed this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Far too negative on Roosevelt and the "New Deal"
Review: I know it is chic to resite the non-accomplishments of past or current world leaders, but this is too much. For 362 pages we read that Roosevelt did nothing right, that he careened from crisis to crisis, never did anything than had any effect on the economic problems of the times, did nothing for Labor or Farming, attacked Business on every possible occation, destroyed the Military, lied to the American People to win re-election in 1936, tried to destroy the Supreme Court, etc. It is hard to find anything that the author thinks Roosevelt did right! We then read 18 pages on how great and meaningful the results of the New Deal were and how they not only changed the country, but saved democracy as we know it! I can't wait to find out how Roosevelt lost the Second World War. I am sure he did it all by himself!
Rating: 
Summary: Very good
Review: I'm one of those people who enjoy historical fiction like The Triumph and the Glory, Exodus, or From Here to Eternity over history books, but Mr. Kennedy's Freedom From Fear is so well done that I not only bought a copy for my library, I read it too! That's high praise from someone who normally avoids nonfiction histories.
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Summary: A monumental historical work.
Review: Professor Kennedy has given us a monumental work on a critical period in the history of the United states and the world. Kennedy displays an intuitve understanding of the causes of the great depression. He gives us a new and positive inter- pretation of Herbert Hoover. In Kennedy's view the ''Great Engineer'' is a closet liberal who paved the way for the new deal. Kennedy clearly is an admirer of Franklin Roosevelt,but is not blind to his hero's shortcomings. The author frankly admits that the new deal did not end the depression and that during WWII Roosevelt was decieved by Joseph Stalin. Kennedy gives a superb account of the political radicalism of the thirties complete with unforgetable portraits of Huey Long and Father Coughlin. The account of the second world war also rises to the occassion. I found this book to be a fascinating read and I highly reccomend it. Thank you Professor Kennedy.
Rating:
Summary: A magnificent history, especially strong on the Depression
Review: Kennedy's prose surges to climax after climax as he takes the reader through the traumas and transitions of Depression and World War 2. He is especially good capturing the social calamities of the Depression, the labor struggles and the brave tentativeness of the New Deal (to at least secure the lives of the citizenry, in the absence of a successful economic remedy). The book is revealing on many matters: the radicalism of politics in the mid to late1930s (a 2% 'magic' tax advocated back then resurfaced in Australian fringe politics only recently ); the focus by Americans on the Depression as an internal issue; and the chimeral character of Roosevelt. The half of the book devoted to the War does not flag, but there is less insight into the lives of those at the 'home front' and perhaps too much battle description. Against that, the account of the nation's reluctant shift from isolationism into world conflict is superbly done. In the wonderful Oxford series so far, Freedom From Fear stands beside the great Civil War volume, Battle Cry of Freedom.
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