A First-Class Temperament: The Emergence of Franklin Roosevelt

by Geoffrey C. Ward

Looks at Roosevelt's career as a young lawyer, his marriage to Eleanor, and his efforts to return to politics after his bout with polio

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

889 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Geoffrey Champion Ward is an author and screenwriter of various documentary presentations of American history. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1962.

He was an editor of American Heritage magazine early in his career. He wrote the television mini-series The Civil War with its director Ken Burns and has collaborated with Burns on every documentary he has made since, including Jazz and Baseball. This work won him five Emmy Awards. The most recent Burns/Ward collaboration, The War, premiered on PBS in September 2007. In addition he co-wrote The West, of which Ken Burns was an executive producer, with fellow historian Dayton Duncan.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A First Class Temperament: Franklin D. Roosevelt 1905-1928 by Geoffrey C. Ward

I think, that in the telling of his own life story, FDR was his own least reliable witness, unable or unwilling to tell the truth about his early years for reasons rooted both in his upbringing and in the relentless ambition that upbringing ensured. Few leaders in our history can have labored harder to create a personal past less rooted in reality. There is always both more and less to him than meets the eye. — Geoffrey C. Ward

This partial biography of FDR, written in 1989 by Geoffrey C. Ward, swept the literary awards for biographies winning the Pulitzer for Biography, National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography and the Francis Parkman Prize for History. The Parkman Prize is not exclusively for biographies but they typically dominate the list.

So this tome of nearly 900 pages covers the period of FDR’s life from his marriage to Eleanor in 1905 to his 1928 election night victory to become Governor of New York. Ward always writes with compassion and a deep understanding of his subject. He does capture the magnetism of Roosevelt who really was a charismatic figure and already dreaming of the presidency while still in college. So clearly he knew at an early age that he could charm the pants off nearly anyone. There is also substantial coverage of Eleanor and to a much smaller degree coverage on some of his marital infidelities.

Rather than recapping the book, I thought I’d chronicle some of the health scares that FDR had to overcome in the nine year period between 1912-1921.

1. Typhoid Fever - 1912
2. Appendicitis - 1915
3. Spanish Flu - 1918
4. Polio - 1921

FDR had been a sickly child so, speculating here, it seems he had issues with his immune system. In any event each of these adult diseases nearly killed him in the prime of his life - his thirties - and also kept him bedridden for countless months. One can argue that the secondary effects from polio did in fact kill him at age 63.

It is amazing how someone could serve so effectively as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (1913-1920) and then run successfully for the Governor of New York in 1928 despite these setbacks. Well it turns out that FDR had a dear friend Louis Howe, a newspaperman and political advisor and confidante, who helped him campaign and also served as his able surrogate during much of the time that FDR was ill. And although it wasn’t covered in this book, Howe was also instrumental during FDR’s presidential run of 1932.

4.5 stars. I didn’t expect this read to be anything less than excellent and Ward did not disappoint. By the way I also loved Ward’s biography ’Unforgivable Blackness’ on the African-American boxer Jack Johnson. His story growing up in Galveston Texas was all new territory for me.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

Geoffrey Ward's “A First-Class Temperament: The Emergence of Franklin Roosevelt” was published in 1989, four years after the publication of its predecessor volume “Before the Trumpet: Young Franklin Roosevelt.” Ward is a historian, author, screenwriter and frequent collaborator with Ken Burns who recently directed Ward's PBS documentary "The Roosevelts: An Intimate History."

This 799 page sequel covers Roosevelt's life from his marriage in 1905 (where "Before the Trumpet" concludes) to his election as governor of New York in 1928. Given this span of his life, there is understandably more emphasis on Roosevelt's character and personal relationships and less focus on his political philosophy. But where FDR was often peripheral (or entirely absent) from large swaths of this book's prequel, he is undeniably the center of attention here.

"A First-Class Temperament" is exquisitely written and provides a richness of detail rarely found in biographies; to suggest the book was the result of exhaustive research almost seems an understatement. And in this volume Ward continues his habit of providing copious - and uniquely insightful - footnotes which routinely take up much of the page but provide more than their share of wisdom.

Ward is neither a clamorous critic nor a fawning disciple of FDR; his book describes a self-centered and often deviously ambitious man blessed with unflinching optimism and energy. FDR is at once charismatic, energetic and self-assured while also selfish, immature and slightly duplicitous. Not a biographer to leave delicate topics aside, Ward provides significant transparency into nearly every aspect of FDR's life.

Critical to any first-rate biography are compelling portraits of the most important figures in a subject's life. FDR's mother (Sara), his wife (Eleanor), his "boss" at the Department of the Navy (Josephus Daniels) and his long-time adviser (Louis Howe) emerge from these pages as vibrant characters who shaped - and were shaped by - the future president. But the most outstanding feature of this biography is its lengthy but powerful discussion of FDR's battle with polio and his protracted rehabilitation at Warm Springs.

But as compelling as this book (and series) proves to be it is certainly not perfect. Ward's narrative carries the flawed hero to the cusp of national renown and then just...ends. With no third volume published (or apparently ever contemplated) this is a carefully crafted historical journey which lacks any real denouement.

In addition, this book is quite lengthy which could intimidate some readers. A judicious editor could trim the text by one-third without losing any of the book's magic. And while the pace usually feels brisk, the narrative is occasionally so detailed that the audience risks losing the essence of a moment or particular event while absorbing nuances which are comparatively inconsequential.

Overall, Geoffrey Ward's “A First-Class Temperament: The Emergence of Franklin Roosevelt” is an excellent and uniquely penetrating examination of the maturing (but not quite presidential) FDR. It requires a modicum of patience and perseverance but offers much in return. This final volume is satisfying in nearly every way, so it is regrettable that Ward has not been convinced to write a third volume covering the last two decades of Roosevelt's illustrious life.

Overall rating: 4¼ stars

[Aaron Million · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful follow-up to Ward's Before The Trumpet. This book picks up where it left off, in 1905 with the newlywed couple Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Ward examines their complex relationship: neither was able to give to the other what the other really needed. Franklin either could not, or was unwilling to, love Eleanor to the point of making her a focal point of his life and building up her morbidly low self-esteem. And Eleanor could not help herself from being somewhat of a scold and a nag, constantly throwing a damper on Franklin's activities.

Ward also writes at length about FDR's relationships with Josephus Daniels (I knew that FDR had chafed at the bit underneath Daniels during their years together in the Wilson Administration, but I did not know that he frequently verged on insubordination, and sometimes committed it), Louis Howe (a very odd little man who wanted to be close to power but knew he could never achieve it of his own accord), Missy Le Hand (like Howe, devoting her whole life to FDR, possibly at the cost of what good health she still had remaining), Woodrow Wilson (neither man particularly liked the other), Al Smith (same as Wilson, except that Smith and FDR both needed each other politically, and they each knew it), his ever hovering and meddling mother Sara (who never liked FDR being away from her at any time), and his affair with Lucy Mercer. One area that Ward did not dig into as deeply was his relationship with his children. However, Ward makes it clear that FDR had always been a distant father, but as soon as he was afflicted with polio, his children had almost no role in his life at all, and he was not involved in theirs.

Reading this, I gained a better understanding and appreciation of the torment and struggle that FDR had to endure due to no longer being able to walk. Yet, oddly enough, it was difficult for me to feel sorry for him because he basically used almost everyone who came into his life. I should perhaps phrase it differently: I do feel bad for what he had to go through, I think just about anyone would. But I still do not respect him as a person based on how devious he was, and his willingness to treat friends almost as employees, and how he still maintained his sense that he was superior to everyone else and could do what he wished when he wished. Despite all of his affability, he was a lonely man.

Grade: A

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

My growing interest in American History has recently focused on the period prior to and including the Great Depression. I have always found this period intriguing (in part due to my exposure to the works of John Steinbeck) but given the parallels to our present circumstances, an understanding this period seems almost essential. So taking a close look at the person most responsible, in my opinion, for directing the nation out of the Great Depression (among other huge leadership challenges) seemed in order.

This book is a huge thing - 800 pages not counting the notes - but extremely well written and filled with copious details that create a picture of the first 46 years of FDR's life. It ignores FDR's governorship of New York state and his Presidency and only touches on his early years (for more on that see Ward's Before the Trumpet) in an attempt to explore the foundations of FDR's personality and world view. Despite the amount of detail and the somewhat limited scope of the book (which, as it did me, may initially disappoint some readers seeking the more enticing story of his Presidency), I found this a fine read and well worth the effort required to levitate the thing long enough to finish.

I did not know it until just now when I checked out Ward's other work here on Goodreads, but his scope of interests reach far and wide. I knew I had seem him interviewed about FDR on a TV biography. But I did not know that he has been a multi-time collaborator with Ken Burns, best known for his PBS documentaries. Now I will have to read more of his work.

[John Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography does not evaluate Roosevelt's strengths and failures as a political leader. Since this volume only takes Roosevelt up to his election as Governor of New York in 1928, which was the first high political office he held, it would not even have been possible for the author to do that.

This volume also does not delve deeply into the most significant events in Roosevelt's life during the years it covers - the decay of his relationship with Eleanor from a real, if awkward, marriage into something more resembling a mere social and political alliance, or even more importantly, his battle with polio and never-ending but unsuccessful attempts to rebuild his body. These events of course are covered in the book, but the author focuses more on documentable actions rather than attempting to unearth Roosevelt's innermost thoughts, in other words, his true character.

What the book does do is document Roosevelt's actions and day-to-day life in great detail. This type of biography is much easier to write when the subject is a public man as Roosevelt was, because a great deal of material regarding his these subjects is available, while many famous people, especially polititical leaders like FDR, develop the habit of concealing their true selves from all but a few carefully selected confidants. What the book does, though, it does well, which is why I give it four stars.

A few interesting odds and ends:

Shortly after Roosevelt was elected President in 1932, he visited Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., who had retired from the United States Supreme Court earlier that year. When Roosevelt left Holmes observed that he had a "first class temperament, but a second class intellect." This shrewd observation provides the title of the book. It also, I think, explains both Roosevelt's success as a politician and his policy failures. Roosevelt's chosen career required him to go along and get along with all types of people, including many whom his upper-class family and friends never would have been willing to receive. This was especially true for a Democrat like FDR, whose party was dominated largely by corrupt big-city machines like New York City's Tammany Hall and coarse southern segregationists. At the same time, his lack of understanding led to policy failures which more than likely prolonged the Great Depression.

During that visit, Holmes also recounted a story from Holmes' youth, when, at the family dining table, Holmes' father remembered coming home with a friend one day as a young man. At dinner that day, the friend, referring to Alexander Hamilton, who was born out of wedlock on the island of Nevis, said "you know, I saw that little West Indian bastard downtown today." This obviously was an unkind statement, though probably unexceptional at the time.

What struck me more was how it illustrated how new America really is. The country had gone from the generation of the founders, of which Hamilton was a prominent member, to FDR in just two lifetimes. Today, many people regard FDR as an irrelevant relic of ancient history, but there are living people who saw or met Roosevelt when they were small children, and could describe the same sort of memories about him. Roosevelt's era may have passed, but it did not pass by that long ago, and remains highly relevant to the study of history today.

[Bookish]

This chronicle of Franklin D Roosevelt’s formative journey begin with his marriage to fifth cousin, Eleanor, who also happened to be a relative of the sitting President of the United States, Theodore. Franklin dives into the family business, making the Roosevelts into the rare bipartisan dynasty. Geoffrey C. Ward captures this brood of large-hearted and hungry public servants as war and disease challenged them, and ultimately forged their resolve. —John R. Bohrer (https://www.bookish.com/articles/book...)

[Ron Sitton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally finished Geoffrey Ward’s account of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s emergence on the national scene. It's very informative and gave me some insight into a man who would become the first President with a disability. Democrats and Republicans can both agree his ever-cheerful attitude in the face of insurmountable obstacles served the United States well when faced with the Depression and World War II.

I liked the book, but didn’t like the fact that it took me more than six months to plow my way through it. Granted, it’s hard reading something so dense during the school year. That being said, I’ve had it for 12 years and didn’t decide to pick it up until I started thinking about the similarities between FDR and Obama. Sadly, I found the best reading times during oil changes, hospital visits and “can’t get to sleep” nights.

That’s the bad news.

The good? You definitely come to know FDR before he fully comes to power. You see his potential downfalls, but seldom feel sympathy as he creates his difficulties … until he gets infantile paralysis. Then you see the re-building of a man you can admire for his courage in the face of insurmountable obstacles.

Roosevelt’s wife, Eleanor, foreshadows his determination with her famous quote: “You must do the thing you cannot do.”

It definitely comes from my readings of Goffman, but I see FDR framing information when discussing the labor struggle that still haunts the nation on occasion: “If we call the method regulation, people hold up their hands in horror and say ‘un-American’ or ‘dangerous.’ But if we call the same identical process co-operation, these same old fogeys will cry out ‘well done.'” – FDR, March 3, 1912

I’m not going to recommend anyone jump out of their chair to go to the library and get this book. That said, those with a taste for history or politics will find this an interesting, thorough read.

[Vic Bondi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title refers to Oliver Wendell Holmes' observation that FDR possessed a second-class intellect and a first-rate temperament, and this book is on par: a book of first-rate research that delivers second-class value. There is nothing here by way of insight to connect the meticulously researched personal history of FDR, drawn from access to family letters and dairies, to the broader historic themes that placed FDR at the center of the 20th century. We are given no understanding of why FDR sided with the Allies in the First World War--auspicious for the precedent it set for his position going into WWII--why he embraced (and then embodied) the Progressivism of the age--and the shape and mould his combat with polio made on his outlook towards the poor and unfortunate. Instead we have a chatty and gossipy account of his early career that occasionally veers towards insight as to his upbringing, and his relationship to his mother and wife. And even here, the book is disappointing. Out of all those letters, Ward couldn't tease the definitive read on whether FDR had an affair with Missy Le Hand or not? -- Gossips gonna gossip, but this book doesn't deliver.

[Joyce Brabner · Rating 5 out of 5]

FDR was a charmer. He also learned to hide what he was feeling in deference to what other people needed or expected, and we all know about the way he concealed his paralysis from the rest of the country. That’s something I liked about this book and Volume 1, the author shows us behind the green curtain and, even when he ‘s clearly frustrated or disapproving of FDR’s “deviousness”, he’s fond of this all too human Wizard.

Something else. I have had too much to do with musculoskeletal handicaps and absolutely loved the in depth reporting on FDR’s illness, physical therapy and OT, much of which he designed for himself. “This author really, really understands what it’s like to use crutches and leg braces,” I marveled. It turns out the author had poliomyelitis as well— that is probably what started him off exploring the Roosevelt stories. And I liked that.

[Raime · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vivid account of a period in a Roosevelt's life.
Ward does a marvelous job of categorising the main couple's character traits, like an excellent author would in a proper novel.

"Eleanor’s real trouble lay within. Her own accounts of her children and their doings, both in the letters she wrote during their infancy and in her much later autobiographical writings, are singularly joyless. For her, young children seem to have been for the most part merely sources of further anxiety—fragile, undisciplined, uncontrollable—precisely what her younger brothers had been to her when she was herself a little girl and charged with their welfare by her unhappy mother, her drunken father, and her own exaggerated sense of responsibility."

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful biography, and an excellent followup to the first volume. I only knocked off one star because I sometimes found the minute political details bogging my reading down when I wanted to read more about the character of FDR and Eleanor. I really appreciate that both people are shown for all their weaknesses and strengths. They are real people in this, not idealized or demonized.

[Kathleen Finney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a first class biography. A pleasure to read.

[James McBean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I expected but an interesting look at the times and the development of one of America's greatest statesmen.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be one of the best nonfiction books that I've read recently. It gives a lot of insight into the character of Franklin Roosevelt. It doesn't glorify him or demonize him. He's just a person. We get to know Eleanor a bit too in the book and see some of her faults.
I don't know what else to say about the book but that it reads well and it's great.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have long regarded Franklin Roosevelt as one of the greatest American presidents, but I don't think I fully appreciated him as a person until I read Ward's book while I was in college. While the preceding volume, Before the Trumpet , is good, it's this second one, which covers FDR's life from his marriage to Eleanor Roosevelt to his successful campaign for the governorship of New York in 1928, that is truly brilliant. Credit is due not just to Ward's skills as a writer, but the insight he brings to FDR's life as a fellow polio victim. After reading it it's impossible not to appreciate the role the infliction of the disease played in making FDR who he was as president.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biographical history

I have read many books on the Roosevelt's but learned many new things from this book. In addition to revealing new information it is a page turner. It holds your interest much like a well written mystery novel. Highly recommended.

[Michael]

I know the author. He is a remarkable historian and writer.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

See note on volume 1.