The Three Roosevelts: Patrician Leaders Who Transformed America

by James MacGregor Burns

The Three Roosevelts is the extraordinary political biography of the intertwining lives of Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt, who emerged from the closed society of New York's Knickerbocker elite to become the most prominent American political family of the twentieth century.

As Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning author James MacGregor Burns and acclaimed historian Susan Dunn follow the evolution of the Roosevelt political philosophy, they illuminate how Theodore's example of dynamic leadership would later inspire the careers of his distant cousin Franklin and his niece Eleanor, who together forged a progressive political legacy that reverberated throughout the world. Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt led America through some of the most turbulent times in its history.

The Three Roosevelts takes readers on an exhilarating voyage through these tumultuous decades of our nation's past, and these momentous events are seen through the Roosevelts' eyes, their actions, and their passions. Insightful and authoritative, this is a fascinating portrait of three of America's greatest leaders, whose legacy is as controversial today as their vigorous brand of forward-looking politics was in their own lifetimes.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Politics, American History, Presidents, Biography Memoir

708 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 5, 2001

About the author

An award-winning author of presidential and leadership studies, James MacGregor Burns was the Woodrow Wilson Professor of Government Emeritus at Williams College and Distinguished Leadership Scholar at the James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership of the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, College Park. He received his bachelor's degree from Williams College and his Ph.D. in political science from Harvard, and he also attended the London School of Economics. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he was past president of the American Political Science Association and the International Society of Political Psychology.

Reviews

[Tom M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved my History lesson in the lives of these three Roosevelt’s. They each were unique leaders and influenced our Nation for the better.
Teddy had a brilliant mind and lead through strength. Franklin was a deal maker and was very pragmatic.
Eleanor was probably the most influential women of the 20th century. She was a spokesperson for many liberal causes, especially race relations and equal rights for all classes.
I’m so glad I found this treasure while going between fiction and factual literature.

[Colleen Browne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking on three titans of the 20th Century in one book was always going to be a challenge for any historian. If this book has a failing, it is that the emphasis was on one of those titans at the expense of the other two. TR was given short shrift in the rush to get to FDR and although ER got some coverage in the course of discussing FDR, the time devoted to her seemed almost like an afterthought. It is a mixture of biography and political history which works, for the most part. It is well written and although Burns is known to be a great fan of FDR, he does not shrink from criticizing him where he felt it was necessary. He minces no words, for example, in his criticism for the treatment of Japanese- Americans during WWII by the Roosevelt Administration. It is a great read but to give each of the players their due, I believe it would have worked better if they had written a triology. I would still highly recommend the book.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you saw the PBS series on The Roosevelts then you have the basics of this book. It is more a social history of these three individuals and their effect on history (and what affected them) than a detailed look at their lives.

There aren't any great battles that are illuminated but brief mentions of Pearl Harbor, Midway, etc. for FDR plus his endeavors to promote the New Deal. For Eleanor Roosevelt, she remains in the background until she finds her place as a speaker for the downtrodden, however, her attitude towards the Jews is puzzling at times. For T.R., he comes across as a man at war with himself. He tries to do so much for the common man, but not always wisely. His struggles with big business and the plutocrats lead him into abandoning the Republican Party temporarily.

This is an interesting book, but only as a beginning.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the subject, but I felt that the authors gave short shrift to TR and jumped around suddenly at times. Still it was an interesting read and I definitely learned a lot about Eleanor in particular that I did not previously know. One particular thing struck me while reading this book and that was how relevant the issues of TR and FDR's time are to our modern problems.

[Marlee Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written in an easy reading style. Leaves the world history stage somewhat blank so events seem to appear isolated. Anyone with a good understanding of the world history of this time will enjoy the book.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to give this 4 stars, because this book has a lot of good information and is INCREDIBLY resonant right now. However, it was also quite a bit of a slog and laden with too many details. MacGregor Burns and Dunn just get WAY too into the weeds, which is a shame because when they give a slightly wider lens to what's going on, it's fascinating. But I can't give a book 4 stars when I was literally counting down the pages to the end.

The authors' premise is that the three Roosevelts--Teddy, Franklin, and Eleanor--were born to an upper class life where each could've lived lives of comfort and wealth, with no more obligation than noblesse oblige. Instead, they turned their backs on their wealthy peers and fought for those less fortunate, trying to make the world a better place. In doing so, they made enemies of the people who should have been their peers.

The authors focus primarily on Teddy and Franklin's domestic policies; I wouldn't say they gloss over the wars, exactly, but the book is about transforming America. They also show how FDR's policies were, if not influenced by Teddy's exactly, come from the same mindset. (They also state multiple times that FDR could well easily have been a Republican, had the original opportunity presented itself; it was only chance that made him a Democrat.) Reading it, I felt like the authors spent a lot of time trying to say that Teddy is even more progressive than people think and that FDR was more conservative. (They harp on FDR's apparent desire to keep the budget balanced in his early Presidency.) Teddy is definitely portrayed as more radical than I think he's generally thought of, and his domestic policy supports that. The book doesn't spend a ton of time of Teddy, though--he dies on page 157 out of 577, and some of those pages cover Franklin and Eleanor's early years. Part of that is probably because MacGregor Burns has written multiple books on FDR. It shows. (Teddy also took a bit of a darker turn in his post-Presidency days, I feel.)

There's a lot in this book, but I was struck over and over how timely I found it--odd, really, since it was published in 2001. But reading sections about the intense hatred toward FDR and rise of pro-fascism voices in the mid-1930s ("Far less known in retrospect was the intensity of feeling aroused among many millions of Americans who were turning, almost desperately, to any leader who could respond to their needs, assuage their fears, and find scapegoats for their crushed hopes and expectations" [p. 322]) and FDR's frustrations ("[FDR] hated his foes for their unfairness, social backwardness, political Toryism, and economic conservatism . . . he could not overcome their paying starvation wages to women and children, their antiunion policies, their stubborn opposition to changes like social security and regulation of finance except through effective laws. And he could not gain such legislation in the face of a reactionary [Supreme] Court" [p. 344]). Then later, Eleanor reacting to McCarthyism was incredibly resonant.

I read about how FDR wanted to change the judicial branch, and about how he wanted to update the executive branch, and how he proposed re-aligning the political parties by working were certain progressive Republicans, and it was infuriating knowing that all of this work would make today's world so so much better. He was frustrated with the racism in the South and wanted to change it by improving its economy and faced resistance! (The sections on FDR dealing with the racism in the South were fascinating and they just made me more frustrated with the book because I wanted more of that discussion and less of lists of various people and details of New Deal legislation.)

Like, look. I am anti-dictatorship. But I feel like FDR could've been a decent one. I am in favor of leaders who say that the government has the obligation to guarantee citizens' economic well-being (p. 484). Particularly when they are married to a woman who's constantly reminding him of the rights of minorities and other people being left behind.

I feel like the more I read about FDR, the more enigmatic he becomes. Eleanor, on the other hand, just gets more awesome the more I read about her: "Over the years, as she struggled to overcome her prejudices and rise above racism and anti-Semitism, as her empathy deepened, as her deep sense of duty expanded, her feelings of community had broadened to encompass all those in need. More and more she looked beyond the nation's borders to see the connections, similarities, and interdependence among all peoples" (p. 504).

I don't know how much I can recommend you run out and read this book. There's so much good information and the themes are compelling. But it's a big book that's just absolutely bogged down in detail. Which is a shame.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for a book group. I have knowledge of the authors and of course the subject. I wouldn’t have gravitated to this on my own though. The subject matter was interesting, especially both their influence on crucial moments in the history of the 20th century. What was disturbing was how much of this we are still grappling with now and how relevant the book is. It would be interesting to talk with Susan Dunn and get her impressions of then and now. It was also disturbing to note how key issues are influenced generally for the worse by regional parochial dealings. This is true about a umber of things, but none more blatant than civil rights. The rating of three is a function of the content weighted downward because of the delivery. Pedantic, ponderous, didactic. This is almost entirely political and an exploration of the three Roosevelt’s leadership styles. If you are looking for personal insights into their more private lives, this isn’t the book.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

My main problem with this book is that it was told in dollops with very little new information given that was not already known by me -- and I am certainly not a Roosevelt "scholar". (I have probably read only about eight books on the Roosevelts in addition to watching the Ken Burns' documentary.)

Very little in-depth coverage of any one issue confronting any of the Roosevelts -- for example, I think that less than 50 pages was devoted to FDR's handling of the Great Depression and not even that much to WWII.

Not the worst biography I have ever read, but VERY far from being the best.

[Jasmine | Poppies and Jasmine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m a huge Roosevelt fan, so I was very annoyed that the author moved very quickly and lightly through Theodore Roosevelt, who is obviously the best Roosevelt. I mean, half a sentence on his times in the Badlands, and only a paragraph on Cuba? On top of that, the writer clearly has a fairly negative view on Teddy’s approach to a lot of things. From there, he dragged out FDR and Eleanor, and still managed to focus on less consequential accomplishments while ignoring their more important achievements. Not a fan at all.

[Johannes Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tight, no-nonsense review you can drop straight onto Amazon:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Three Roosevelts is a solid, engaging portrait of a remarkable political dynasty. The authors do a great job tracing how Theodore, Eleanor, and Franklin shaped — and sometimes strained — each other’s lives. It’s well-researched and often fascinating, though it does run long in places and gives surprisingly little space to the Panama Canal, which I had expected to feature more prominently. Still, a thoughtful and worthwhile read.

[Steve Maradian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exceptional book for anyone interested in understanding America since 1900. Well written, a gripping prose, detailed, insightful, fast pace when required and slower when the issues require that. If one enjoys reading presidential leadership books, this is a must read and for those who did not understand the role of Elanor Roosevelt in the administration and American history, the section on ER links to her uncle and husband

[Dan Darragh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't expect a biography, but rather this is a book about how three related Roosevelts, all from wealthy families, helped make massive changes in America. Interesting in these turbulent, Trumpian times because we can see that the Roosevelts also met with tons of resistance and anger when they tried to make changes they perceived for the betterment of the common folks.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Legends of their Times

I have read some other pieces on them individually, but I liked seeing them as a flow. I always wondered how TR had been Republican but FDR and Eleanor were Democrat. This book did not sugar-coat the foibles and weaknesses of the 3, but that probably makes me admire them at least as much knowing that sometimes the motives or methods were not always as admirable as the accomplishments. It took me a while to wade through this, but I am glad that I did.

[Jane Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Politics

This is an interesting book. The author shows how much Eleanor and Franklin depended on the words and actions of T.R. I had never before had it presented to me like this. He shows how much T. R. had inluenced them. It explains a lot.

[Mary Ann Shaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found it interesting to read about the lives of Theodore, Franklin Delano and Eleanor Roosevelt.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderfully written and enjoyable book. It was interesting and engaging to read and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about these historical figures.

[Steve Greenleaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

The French have a saying, "Plus les choses changent plus elles retent les memes", which translates as "the more things change, the more they stay the same." That little ditty kept running through my mind as I read The Three Roosevelts: Patrician Leaders Who Transformed America (2000) by James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn. It's a biography of Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Of course, each of these individuals has commanded numerous and extensive biographies, including a two-volume biography of FDR by Burns first published in 1956. However, the conceit of this volume that emphasizes the relationships of the three and how they affected one another is worthwhile because these three handed a political tradition down from one to the other.

Of course, Theodore is the root of the Roosevelt political dynasty in the 20th century. TR fought hard for progressive reforms and continued his efforts even as he rejected and, in turn, was rejected by the Old Guard of the Republican Party that fought to protect established business interests. TR ended up going down in flames in 1912 when he ran as the Bull Moose candidate against the incumbent Taft (his hand-picked successor when TR chose not to run again in 1908) and the Democrat Woodrow Wilson.

But as Theodore was dominating the national stage, Franklin was launching his political career as a Democrat (despite his admiration for his cousin Theodore). Franklin's story is at the heart of the book because he was involved in the national stage from 1920 to his death in 1945. With his election near the beginning of the Great Depression, he came to dominate American politics. But when I write “dominate,” perhaps that’s the wrong word. It would be more accurate to say that he became the focus of American politics. Even at the height of his popularity and power, FDR was always aware that the winds of political fortune can shift abruptly. FDR worked with Democrat majorities in Congress, but because the Democratic Party was an amalgam of various interests, a significant portion of which included racist southern Democrats, FDR always tread very carefully. And this is where I see how “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” I was repeatedly struck when reading about FDR's successes and travails how President Obama has faced many of the same problems. FDR, like Obama, was attacked vehemently from the right, and FDR turned to a pugilistic frame of mind worthy of TR in taking on the" plutocrats". Obama, of course, has always tended towards reconciliation rather than confrontation, but there is no question that Obama would always be checked by Wall Street and its influence in Congress. But the wealthy business class was not the only group who opposed FDR. From a different political direction came radicals like Father Coughlin, the populist and anti-Semite, and Huey Long, the populist senator from Louisiana. Shades of Donald Trump, anyone? And, of course, both presidents suffered criticism from the Left for not doing enough.

The story of FDR is complex. It deals with the Great Depression, Congress, and changes in the domestic American political scene, and then it switches direction with the advent of World War II and FDR's goal of seeking to frame a new world order out of the ashes. Of course, FDR failed in this with his untimely death in April 1945, but Eleanor continued to carry the torch.

Of the three, I learned the most about Eleanor, who grew from a shy, withdrawn girl into a forceful presence of her own. Even after the death of FDR, Eleanor continued to advocate for causes in which she believed. She remained an activist until her death in 1962. In fact, after FDR's death, she seemed to grow in stature, rising to the occasion. Her marriage to FDR was a complex and baffling relationship, especially given FDR's infidelity and the distinct change in their intimate relationship that occurred around 1920 (which is also about the time that Franklin was struck with his life-altering polio). Yet for all their heartache, the two had a bond of respect that overcame their deep alienation to allow Eleanor to have a mind and voice of her own that grew in political significance throughout her lifetime. Any other power couples come to mind?

For anyone new to the Roosevelt saga that arranges for almost a century between the birth of TR and the death of Eleanor, this is an excellent book to start exploring. By combining the three lives, the authors not only provide a snapshot of each of the individuals, but they emphasize how all three affected one another and therefore the whole of American political life. Done with an easy and flowing narrative, it's a great place to get a sense of how American politics has changed and how it hasn't. I suspect if Barack Obama would read this book after the end of his presidency, he’d have many occasions to smile in recognition.

[Iradj Farahmand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Great book and was very details about the three Roosevelt’s and also depression world wars and ideology and political views of each Roosevelt and special it is well written about Elinor Roosevelt human write and civil right works, she was the most amazing First Lady and well known through out the world for her work!!!

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little long at times but rich in detail for Teddy and FDR. Eleanor's story was a bit overshadowed by her husband's early in the book but I enjoyed the focus on her at the end. An excellent overview of Progressivism, the New Deal and the politics of WW1 and WW2.

One correction: the authors state that the Balfour Declaration was declared after the British had taken Palestine from the Ottomans. General Allenby didn't move into Gaza from the Sinai until a week after the Declaration. The British made this promise before they even controlled the land in the hope of the Zionists contributing to the war front in the Middle East.

I loved this quote from Eleanor: "if we had put into teaching people to recognize Communism and what it was, why then we needn't have been afraid. People could have defended themselves. This business of acting frightened, that is one thing I hate." She was referring to the McCarthyism of the 50's and the fearmongering generated by our own government. It seems to me this is something to remember today when we consider Islamaphobia.

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good joint biography of the three Roosevelts. It nicely summarized how each in turn made his or her impact on history and each other. This is just the book for anyone who is interested in these historical figures but do not want to slog through individual volumes for each of them. A decent read all around.

[Denise Clegg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book about the Roosevelt family. There was a lot of detail related to the era that I never knew. The detail that went into the writing cannot be imagined. This is a long book, however, at least 400 pages of the e version are dedicated to the sourcing of the quotes. The hours that went into the research cannot be numbered I'm sure. Well done!

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book, looking at Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. They are considered in their interactions with one another and the background of their belief systems is explored. Probably the best book I have read on the Roosevelts.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teddy is fascinating. Franklin is fascinating. But Eleanor wins. All I want to do is learn more about her after reading this long, expansive, interesting, sometimes boring but always educational and insightful book.

[Marian Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I am not a great history buff..but I did enjoy reading this book. Since I grew up in the 1940,50 's, I remember some of what was written. Never realized E.R. had accomplished so much in her lifetime.

[Andrea Engle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wide-ranging history of American politics from the energetic engagements of TR through the manipulative achievements of FDR to the triumphant humanitarianism of Eleanor ... Strong on political aspects of events ... Very informative ...

[Cws]

973.91

[Laura Petto]

For independent study... lots of fun! Met the author, too. Amazing book that brings up a lot of relevant questions.

[Tracey]

Interest in topic - saw in Bookperk newsletter 9/25/14

[Susan S Werner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historica glimpse into the leaders of our country in the 1900s. Heavy reading, historical facts and good character descriptions of Teddy, Franklin & Eleanor.