Robert Dallek is the author of Camelot's Court, An Unfinished Life, and Nixon and Kissinger, among other books. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic Monthly, and Vanity Fair. He is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the Society of American Historians, for which he served as president in 2004-2005. He lives in Washington, D.C.
Assuredly the best single-volume Roosevelt biography.
--Eric Rauchway, Times Literary Supplement
"Meticulously researched and authoritative. . . . Adequate
single-volume biographies about FDR abound. But none are as
heroically objective and wide-angled as this fine Dallek effort. .
. . By tapping into the vast correspondence between Churchill and
Roosevelt, Dallek discerns a more strained relationship between the
leaders than presupposed. . . . Luckily for us, Roosevelt is with
us again in Dallek's outstanding cradle-to-grave study. When it
comes to choosing the two indispensable presidents in U.S. history,
Dallek places Roosevelt alongside Abraham Lincoln, the other great
improviser with Providence on his side."
--Douglas Brinkley, The Washington Post "Dallek fully
incorporates into his narrative Roosevelt's complicated, conflicted
relationship with the several women in his life and is especially
good on the role Eleanor played, as goad and political advisor. He
also makes it clear, in a way other biographers do not, that almost
from the moment he entered office, Roosevelt set out to educate the
nation to the fact that the United States was threatened not only
by economic depression at home, but also by fascist aggressions
abroad. . . . Dallek's is a workmanlike addition to the literature
on Roosevelt."
--David Nasaw, The New York Times "Dallek constantly seeks to
find an answer to FDR's political trajectory: What fueled his
ambition to serve in the political arena and with what political
aims? Also the extent to which it was FDR's experiences--abroad as
a child, then at school, at Harvard, in the New York
legislature--that determined his later progress in the real world.
Undergirding all of these, Dallek sees Roosevelt's moral war on
deceit and corruption. In an era in which moral, linguistic, and
financial corruption hold sway, this story could not be more
timely. . . . From beginning to end Dallek has earnestly followed
his own curiosity as a citizen and as a teacher, so that at last we
come to see in FDR the magisterial, central figure in the greatest
and richest political tapestry of our nation's entire history."
--Nigel Hamilton, Boston Globe "[Dallek] believes that FDR
was a born politician of ferocious and very nearly infallible
instincts, and through a combination of extensive research and
first-rate storyteller's gifts, he makes the reader believe it,
too. His Roosevelt is a man of great but always complicated drives,
a worrier and second-guesser who nonetheless often believed the
intensely stirring things he so often said and wrote. . . . Dallek
relates in fine and compelling detail all the thorniest scandals of
the FDR years. . . . But far more prominent than scandal in these
pages--and far more welcome--are Dallek's frequent examinations of
the now-forgotten political opposition FDR faced at every stage of
his long tenure as president. . . . We see FDR afresh, which is an
amazing feat in its own right."
--Steve Donoghue, Christian Science Monitor "An insightful,
incisive and intelligent one-volume work of biography and
history--and a pointed primer on how things in Washington get done.
In a period defined by division, gridlock and tweet storms, Dallek
crafts a pointillist portrait of the four-term president, who knew
almost intuitively how to use the power of his office and how to
reach consensus."
--Peter M. Gianotti, Newsday "Few scholars have the
qualifications of Robert Dallek to tell this story. . . . Franklin
D. Roosevelt: A Political Life covers much more than the momentous
challenges faced by FDR as president. It gives an honest outline of
his life including his attitudes as a privileged 'undemocratic
snob' who used 'the influence of men he considered unworthy of
public influence.' . . . Despite the book's size, the complexity of
its subject, and the narrative's variance with common public
memory, it is a fast engaging read that corrects, even scatters,
misconceptions. The author provides an entertaining narrative in a
style not unlike that of FDR."
--Robert S. Davis, New York Journal of Books "A
characteristically adroit work that is balanced in coverage and
prudent in assessment. . . . [Dallek's] emphasis falls on the two
great crises of FDR's presidency--the Depression and WWII--and
highlights FDR's emergence as a skillful politician. . . . All will
benefit from Dallek's principal addition to earlier works on FDR:
the convincing argument that as early as May 1943 FDR was showing
signs of the illness that would kill him. The result is a
comprehensive retelling of a major American life that will rank
among the standard biographies of its subject."
--Publishers Weekly "This focused study of the four
term-winning president emphasizes his instinctive feel for the
public mood. . . . Dallek is a seasoned presidential historian and
biographer. Here, he writes with authority about Franklin
Roosevelt's political life and mission to create a 'new social
order' during a time of 'enduring national transformation.' . . .
Dallek examines several formative factors that contributed greatly
to Roosevelt's ability to successfully tap the public sentiment and
address significant issues. . . . The author also effectively shows
how Roosevelt was an astute political animal who sometimes made
questionable decisions for political expedience. . . . A lively
one-volume treatment well-suited to libraries and schools."
--Kirkus Reviews "[Dallek] takes on the daunting task of
providing a comprehensive one-volume biography of Franklin Delano
Roosevelt. He succeeds in presenting the abundance of information
in a flowing and highly readable narrative, and he supports FDR's
story with memorable sketches of the president's many associates .
. . his varied opponents, the foreign leaders who served opposite
him (Dallek is particularly good on Churchill), and many others.
Eleanor, too, is portrayed in full, complete with a notably honest
account of her marriage to Franklin. . . . A first-rate biography
and a must-buy for most public-library history collections."
--Booklist (starred review)
"Recounts the politician's greatest challenges, including trying
presidential elections and the years leading up to and during World
War II. Dallek's familiarity with his subject and deep
understanding of American history and context shines in his clear
and engaging prose. . . . readers will gain a solid sense of
Roosevelt's political mind and an inspiring appreciation of his
mighty character. . . . This highly recommended, expertly crafted
book will please a variety of readers, especially those interested
in biographies as well as presidential, military, and American
history."
--Library Journal (starred review) "Robert Dallek has
brought a lifetime's immersion in the American presidency to
produce what will almost certainly be seen as the most
authoritative single-volume biography of our most important 20th
Century president. Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life is a
landmark work that deserves to be placed on the same shelf as those
of Arthur Schlesinger Jr., James MacGregor Burns, and William E.
Leuchtenburg."
--Richard Moe, author of Roosevelt's Second Act: The Election
of 1940 and the Politics of War "A great liberal historian has
written the best one-volume biography about our greatest liberal
president. Sparing neither criticism nor admiration, Robert Dallek
offers an FDR relevant to our sharply divided nation: a master
politician who gained the trust of most of his fellow Americans by
empathizing eloquently with their problems and working himself to
death to solve them."
--Michael Kazin, author of War Against War: The American
Fight for Peace, 1914-1918 "Robert Dallek is a leading authority on
the presidency and his book on Roosevelt is a masterful and complex
portrayal of one of America's greatest presidents, a leader who had
the vision and character to reveal to the country its potential as
a great nation."
--Howard Dean, former DNC chairman and six-term governor of
Vermont "Robert Dallek's brilliant portrayal of Franklin D.
Roosevelt is an inspiring read, a timely reminder that political
leadership involves judgment and intelligence. Battling the Great
Depression and a global war, the 32nd president harnessed wisdom to
decision making, and political acumen to governance. No historian
understands FDR better than Dallek, who has captured in this single
page-turning volume how America was really 'made great again.'"
--Martin J. Sherwin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of
American Prometheus The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert
Oppenheimer
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