Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life

"Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life gives the eminent historian Robert Dallek the chance to pull together generations of scholarship and write a through-line narrative for the dominant presidential figure of the 20th century. Dallek recounts the facts and relives the legend, all with the stated mission of showing contemporary Americans “what great presidential leadership looks like.” But he keeps his FDR always in human scale, recounting his failures and flaws along with his gifts and determination. Throughout, Dallek’s emphasis is on how FDR developed and deployed his personal skills to achieve what he wanted – and what he thought the country and the world needed."