Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Rendezvous with Destiny

by Frank Freidel

The acclaimed one-volume biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt, praised by Doris Kearns Goodwin as "brilliant...a magnificently readable saga."

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

710 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Frank Burt Freidel was a professor of history at Harvard University and the first major biographer of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He received his B.A. (1937) and M.A. (1939) from the University of Southern California before graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1942 with a doctorate in history. He taught at a number of colleges before joining the faculty of Harvard University, where he taught from 1955 until his retirement in 1981.

Reviews

[RJ Corby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frank Freidel has written a pretty good book about one of our most complex and admired presidents, but it certainly is not exhaustive. Freidel goes a good job explaining the who, what, where and when, but leaves out the all-important "why" in many of FDR's decisions. I would have loved to read more of FDR's thought processes and what went into his various judgments, especially at the all-important "Big 3" meetings at Tehran and Yalta. For instance, in David McCullough's Pulitzer-Prize winning tome, "Truman," we get plenty of meat on Truman's thoughts during the Potsdam conference - words from his diaries, notes to subordinates, etc. McCullough gives readers dozens and dozens of pages on Truman's analysis and thought processes during the critical conference. In contrast, readers really don't get terrific, exhaustive details in Freidel's book, and it's a letdown. These details separate a good presidential biography from a great one.

However, this is not a horrible book by any stretch. The author offers readers plenty about the 1932 election, FDR's disastrous attempt to pack the Supreme Court, his thoughts and actions following Pearl Harbor, FDR's wartime strategy on the home front, his four presidential elections and even his death on April 12, 1945. Freidel covers the milestones of FDR's presidency well, but the devil is in the details. While I have not yet read Conrad Black's mammoth 1,200-page bio on FDR, one would hope it goes deeper than Freidel's 600-page tome. This book is recommended as a starter for beginners to understand and study FDR. (Orig. Review - Nov. '04)

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 1950s Frank Freidel was the first historian to write a biography of Franklin Roosevelt using the resources at the FDR Presidential Library at Hyde Park. Though the four volumes he completed remain valuable for their detail and analysis, they ended at the very start of Roosevelt's presidency. Though this book is a single-volume summary of FDR's life and career, in many ways it reads like an effort by Freidel to wrap up his unfinished work, as he spends the first 107 pages covering the ground of his earlier volumes and the remaining 500 pages of text on the rest of Roosevelt's presidency. Freidel's focus throughout the book is on Roosevelt's political career; while he does address FDR's personal life, this takes backstage to Roosevelt's efforts to address the problems of economic depression and war. His prose is plain and straightforward, and gives the reader a sense of being led through the developments of Roosevelt's life by a sure guide familiar with the details. As a result, Freidel’s book endures as one of the best single-volume treatments of FDR's life and achievements, one that will enlighten anyone seeking to learn more about one of the most important presidents in American history.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2016...

“Franklin D. Roosevelt: Rendezvous with Destiny” is Frank Freidel’s 1990 single-volume biography of FDR. One of the first major biographers of FDR, Freidel wrote the first four (of a projected six) volumes on Roosevelt’s life between 1952 and 1973 but never completed the series. Freidel was a history professor at Harvard University between 1955 and 1981. He died in 1993 at the age of 76.

Although somewhat lengthy with 607 pages of text, Freidel’s book is the shortest of five single-volume biographies of FDR I’m reading. Nonetheless it proves comprehensive, detailed and thoroughly researched. But despite its reputation for being one of the best standard biographies of FDR, its flaws are numerous and glaring.

Immediately clear is that Freidel, having previously detailed FDR’s pre– presidency in his abandoned series, was eager to get to Roosevelt’s years in the White House. As a result, the first five decades of FDR’s life account for fewer than 80 pages here. And while Freidel provides a solid synopsis of these years, far too much of consequence is glossed over or ignored entirely for this to prove an adequate introduction to Roosevelt.

More importantly, Freidel’s focus is almost exclusively on FDR the “public” man; the reader is seldom exposed to what made Roosevelt himself so fallible and interesting. But this lack of personal insight does not affect just Freidel’s primary subject. None of the major characters in FDR’s life (or his relationships with them) are closely covered or explored – not even Eleanor Roosevelt or Winston Churchill are exceptions to this rule.

In addition, the book’s pace is uneven and, lacking a narrative quality, is rarely engaging. It reads far more like a series of history lectures than the vibrant biography of an acclaimed president whose impact on his country was undeniably dramatic.

Finally, much to my disappointment Freidel provides no thesis, no overarching themes or messages and almost no judgment of Roosevelt’s actions as president. His political legacy is entirely unexamined and while Freidel does an excellent job detailing what happened during the FDR presidency he rarely explores why.

For the more academically-oriented reader, Freidel’s biography may prove a treasure-trove of detail. This book is packed with information and provides a detailed (if not always captivating) view of FDR’s presidency. Freidel clearly possesses an exceptional understanding of the era and has structured his book in a methodical and well-organized way.

Readers already familiar with FDR’s life will find the relatively brief discussion of his pre-presidency more than adequate; it distills a complicated period of personal and political maturation (and evolution) into relatively few pages. With its emphasis squarely on FDR’s presidency, the best chapters of the book are probably those covering Roosevelt’s years as a wartime president – the Tehran and Yalta conferences, in particular.

Overall, Frank Freidel’s “Franklin D. Roosevelt: Rendezvous with Destiny” serves well as a supplemental text for someone already familiar with FDR – or who is particularly focused on his presidency. But for a reader seeking a “go to” biography of FDR which fully explores both the public and the private man and examines his actions and his legacy it leaves much to be desired.

Overall rating: 3¼ stars

[Dan Darragh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is especially interesting in an election year,with America so polarized over the candidates. Neo-conservatives picture FDR as the devil incarnate and liberals as the second coming.
While most of us remember from history about his court-packing scheme being shot down and the Supreme Court nixing the NRA, we have forgotten -- or never learned -- that it wasn't at all clear sailing for Roosevelt, despite being elected four times.
On many issues, he would be considered conservative by today's standards.

[Kevin J. Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent one-volume biography of FDR. Professor Freidel concentrates on the high points of President Roosevelt's career while managing to draw a complete and poignant picture of his character. Excellent read.

[Connor P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt while reading this that Rendezvous with Destiny struggled to find its narrative footing that could leave one with a conclusive opinion upon the life of Franklin Roosevelt. Coupled with its nearly-total devotion to articulating to a wider audience Roosevelt's activities as a President and a politician (less than 80 pages are dedicated to his pre-presidency) and a drier writing style, Rendezvous with Destiny serves as a much more thorough, academic account of the Roosevelt Administration rather than a biography which illuminates the nature, character and legacy of America's 32nd President.
Where this book shines is in what it is focused on previously-mentioned above; especially its straightforward depictions of Roosevelt's congressional campaigns for New Deal legislation. Through a succinct and precise prose, Freidel is able to capture in simple language and ideas the machinations of the New Deal as it unfolded, and the growing tensions in Europe and Asia before the outbreak of World War II.

[Joe Stack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filled with a lot of information, this biography does not get bogged down. Very readable. There are many books on FDR and his administration, so it can be difficult to know where to begin if one wants to read about FDR. This book is an excellent starting point, or simply the one biography to read if the reader is not interested in any more than one book.

[Anthony · Rating 2 out of 5]

An extremely boring book that contains some interesting bits nonetheless, my favorite of which is the fact that when he was assistant secretary of the Navy Roosevelt was jealous that the main secretary had its own flag and the assistant didn't so he designed and implemented one

[Russ Weimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book but hard to describe all about this fascinating man in one volume.

[Jeff Eisele · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive biography of one of our greatest presidents covering FDR’s entire life, but especially the vast personal and presidential challenges beginning in TheGreat Depression through WW2.

[Thomas]

An interesting look at one of America’s most consequential presidents.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

FDR is one of those presidents that, love him or hate him, you can't ignore him. So I picked up this history book a while back to become better informed about the man and his accomplishments. Certainly, Mr. Freidel makes a good case for considering FDR as one of the greatest presidents ever. Mr. Freidel chronicles FDR's 12 years in office very well and with very few complicating internal debates that can bog down other histories. FDR's struggles during the Great Depression and World War II are given unbiased consideration here and this is a great starting point for anyone interested in his accomplishments. In case you've noticed, I use the word "history" to describe this book because, while this is a great history, it is not a very good biography. There is practically no analysis of what made FDR tick. His whole life prior to the presidency makes up less than 90 pages of the whole narrative. His whole adolescence and schooling, approximately the first 28 years of his life, are only given one thirteen-page chapter. And up until the last two chapters, Mr. Freidel only glances over FDR's personal life in favor of his political accomplishments. Particularly shocking was when Mr. Freidel devoted only one or two sentences to the fact that the Roosevelts lost a son in infancy and only one or two pages to FDR's affair with Lucy Mercer. Very little is said about Franklin and Eleanor's marriage other than that it was strained afterwards. Very disappointing. So, in short, this is a great place to start if you want to know more about FDR's presidency, especially if you're in an AP U.S. History or a college introductory U.S. history class, but if you're looking for a biography that injects some flesh and blood into the man, you may want to look somewhere else.

[Jim Sargent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one-volume history, Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Rendezvous with Destiny (Little, Brown, 1990), was the culmination of a career of teaching, researching, and writing about Franklin Roosevelt's life and Presidency by Frank Freidel, the eminent Harvard historian who passed away more than twenty-five years ago. Still, Freidel was the best researcher and likely the most informed writer to undertake the the task. This thick paperback volume on FDR is simply excellent. Many other authors and historians have an axe to grind with Roosevelt, the New Deal Years, his World War II leadership, or his personal life, but Freidel wrote the history of America's most famous 20th century President in objective fashion based on a mountain of research. Freidel's FDR is the standard against which other Roosevelt biographies should be measured.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about Franklin Delano Roosevelt who became the President of the United States in 1933. When Roosevelt became president the United States along with other countries around the world were facing the Great Depression. After FDR took office he took immediate action to try and get the US out of this economic crisis. His New Deal program was a series of projects that were created to give unemployed people jobs. These projects lasted all the way up to the second world war when the economy finally was able to prosper. His leadership throughout his 12 years in office makes him arguably one of the greatest presidents in american history.

[Silas White · Rating 2 out of 5]

I made it to page 208. This is a rather dry historical record, and I found it hard to get engaged having not lived or otherwise been immersed in these times.

[Bob Young]

Had to bail. I supppose I was hoping for something more along the lines of Caro on Robert Moses...set myself up. Gave it 120 pages.

[Redpoet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too much time spent on trivial details and way too little time spent on analysis.

[John Wojcik]

Very interesting!