Saturday Diversion: Five Books on FDR

What to read about America's thirty-second president—and where to visit.

Bronze sculptures of Franklin D. Roosevelt and his Scottish terrier Fala at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial on the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. (Credit: Peter Juul)

A Rendezvous With Destiny

When America faced two of the three greatest crises in its history—the Great Depression and World War II—it was extremely fortunate to have Franklin Delano Roosevelt as its leader. Indeed, Roosevelt has only two real peers in nearly 250 years of American history: George Washington, who played a critical role in founding the United States, and Abraham Lincoln, who led the nation through a bloody civil war that ended the institution of slavery. Few individuals in human history have had as much influence as Roosevelt; we all still live in the nation and the world FDR built.

FDR is also my favorite president, a man possessed of unmatched eloquence and keen emotional perception as well as deceptive intelligence. More than anything else, though, he offered America the sort of realistic and resilient optimism needed to lead the nation through two of its darkest hours. Here are five of my favorite books on Roosevelt’s life, times, and politics:

1. Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, 1932-1940: Even after more than six decades, historian William E. Leuchtenburg’s 1963 book remains the best and most accessible study of Roosevelt’s presidency. Though his account ends before America’s entry into World War II, Leuchtenburg expertly covers the political and policy debates that Roosevelt won during the 1940 presidential campaign. In Leuchtenburg’s view, Roosevelt’s importance rested “in his ability to arouse the country and, more specifically, the men who served under him, by his breezy encouragement of experimentation, by his hopefulness, and—a word that would have embarrassed some of his lieutenants—by his idealism.”

2. FDR: It’s essential to have a basic biographical framework for any individual whose life covered as much ground as Franklin D. Roosevelt. Presidential biographer Jean Edward Smith provides just such a scaffolding in his long but easy-reading single-volume 2007 biography—especially for those just as interested in Roosevelt’s life before the presidency as his four terms in the White House. Smith’s takes on Roosevelt’s politics and policies may not be terribly groundbreaking, but they’re fairly judicious and more than adequate to the task at hand.

3. Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America: Strange as it may seem, FDR’s conservation legacy remains oddly under-appreciated today. The prolific historian Douglas Brinkley’s 2016 volume rectifies this modern oversight and examines FDR’s lifelong interest in preserving America’s wildlife and wilderness areas—to the point where his conservation record matches and in many ways surpasses that of his distant cousin and presidential predecessor Theodore. Of particular note is Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps, whose legacy can still be seen in state and national parks across America.

4. American Made: The Enduring Legacy of the WPA—When FDR Put the Nation to Work: Non-fiction writer Nick Taylor makes a compelling case that the America we know today was built in large part by the Works Progress Administration, the relief-and-construction program run by Roosevelt confidante Harry Hopkins. When FDR took office, America in many ways remained a developing country—but thanks to the WPA and other New Deal nation-building initiatives and agencies, America entered World War II as a more fully developed and powerful nation. Indeed, as Taylor outlines, the WPA’s construction work proved vital to maintaining military preparedness and preserving industrial skills needed to win the war.

5. His Final Battle: The Last Months of Franklin Roosevelt: The late New York Times executive editor Joseph Lelyveld chronicles the final chapter of Roosevelt’s life. Lelyveld shows just how drained the 1944 presidential campaign left Roosevelt and busts myths about FDR’s end-of-war diplomacy, all while painting a very human portrait of an indispensable leader literally giving his life for his country— aware of his own failing health as he made every effort to build a stable post-war world.

A Strong and Active Faith

If you don’t have time to read, check out the excellent 2014 Ken Burns documentary The Roosevelts: An Intimate History for a deep dive into the lives of FDR, his wife Eleanor, and his distant cousin and fellow president Theodore. As fascinating as FDR’s presidential years remain decades on, this documentary makes clear that FDR’s pre-presidential years—from his time as a rural politician and his service as assistant secretary of the Navy in the Wilson administration to his recovery from polio and his term as New York governor—are just as intriguing.

In addition, there are quite a few historical sites associated with FDR scattered across the country. They can be out of the way, but they’re worth the visit if you’re in their general vicinity. The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum stands on the grounds of FDR’s long-time residence in Hyde Park, New York, an hour-and-a-half’s train ride north of New York City; Eleanor Roosevelt’s Val-Kill cottage and FDR’s Top Cottage are nearby.

The FDR Presidential Library and Museum. (Credit: Peter Juul)

Roosevelt’s summer retreat at Campobello Island, just over the Maine border in Canada, is now an international park jointly administered by the United States and Canada. Here, FDR came down with the first symptoms of the polio that would leave him without the use of his legs for the rest of his life. While well worth the visit, it’s more than a bit out of the way: roughly a two-and-a-half hour drive from the summer resort town of Bar Harbor and nearby Acadia National Park.

Roosevelt Cottage at Campobello International Park. (Credit: Peter Juul)

Unfortunately, I have yet to visit to Warm Springs, Georgia, where FDR spent time recuperating in its titular therapeutic waters and died in April 1945. It’s about an hour’s drive south of Atlanta.