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Roosevelt #2
Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom, 1940-1945
This award-winning companion volume to The Lion and the Fox concludes the first and most acclaimed complete biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Undoubtedly the most comprehensive study of one of America's most acclaimed presidents, this classic biography is unparalleled in its depth, accuracy, and accomplishment.
736 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
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About the author
James MacGregor Burns
76 books79 followersAn 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
April 9, 2022
This focuses on FDR’s war activities but that isn’t all. For instance:
"In June 1944 Roosevelt talked with Rosenman about the subject he had toyed with again and again in his four decades of political activity: party realignment. “We ought to have two real parties—one liberal and the other conservative,” he told Rosenman. The Democratic party must get rid of its reactionary elements in the South and attract to it the Republican liberals. He asked Rosenman to take the question up with Willkie, who had just been shouldered out of the Republican running by the G.O.P. regulars. At a secret meeting with Rosenman in New York early in July, Willkie expressed enthusiastic support for the idea of party realignment, and he agreed to work plans out jointly with the President. But on one thing Willkie was insistent. He could not meet with Roosevelt until after the election. At a time when he was still trying to keep some leverage in the Republican party he feared that co-operation with the President would be misinterpreted as a “sellout” on his part to the Democrats. Roosevelt, however, wanted to pursue the matter before election, and it was here that his reputation for cunning and indirectness tripped him up. The more the President pressed for an early meeting the more Willkie was convinced that he was engaged in an election tactic rather than in a long-term strategic effort. A series of leaks to the press about the indirect communication between Roosevelt and Willkie served only to heighten the latter’s suspicion. In any case, it was too late; for Willkie, who had always spent his energies recklessly, died of a coronary thrombosis in October. Thus was lost perhaps the supreme opportunity in a generation for party realignment."
(I have read a wide range of histories of this period and this came as a surprise to me. Unless comments discuss this further we can save speculation on what current politics might have been, if FDR had gotten his wish, for another day.)
A very comprehensive study of the last years of Roosevelt’s presidency that looks particularly at his preparations for and response to Axis aggression. As noted above, it also sweeps up politics, personal relationships and his desire for accomplishments during his final years.
"In June 1944 Roosevelt talked with Rosenman about the subject he had toyed with again and again in his four decades of political activity: party realignment. “We ought to have two real parties—one liberal and the other conservative,” he told Rosenman. The Democratic party must get rid of its reactionary elements in the South and attract to it the Republican liberals. He asked Rosenman to take the question up with Willkie, who had just been shouldered out of the Republican running by the G.O.P. regulars. At a secret meeting with Rosenman in New York early in July, Willkie expressed enthusiastic support for the idea of party realignment, and he agreed to work plans out jointly with the President. But on one thing Willkie was insistent. He could not meet with Roosevelt until after the election. At a time when he was still trying to keep some leverage in the Republican party he feared that co-operation with the President would be misinterpreted as a “sellout” on his part to the Democrats. Roosevelt, however, wanted to pursue the matter before election, and it was here that his reputation for cunning and indirectness tripped him up. The more the President pressed for an early meeting the more Willkie was convinced that he was engaged in an election tactic rather than in a long-term strategic effort. A series of leaks to the press about the indirect communication between Roosevelt and Willkie served only to heighten the latter’s suspicion. In any case, it was too late; for Willkie, who had always spent his energies recklessly, died of a coronary thrombosis in October. Thus was lost perhaps the supreme opportunity in a generation for party realignment."
(I have read a wide range of histories of this period and this came as a surprise to me. Unless comments discuss this further we can save speculation on what current politics might have been, if FDR had gotten his wish, for another day.)
A very comprehensive study of the last years of Roosevelt’s presidency that looks particularly at his preparations for and response to Axis aggression. As noted above, it also sweeps up politics, personal relationships and his desire for accomplishments during his final years.
July 11, 2014
This is a well-written history of Roosevelt in power from 1940 to his death in 1945. Burns captures well the events and feelings of the times. His descriptions of war-torn Europe and Asia plus the different characters and their roles is very good. The relations of Roosevelt to the power players of the era – Churchill, Stalin, Chiang Kai-Shek are excellent. There are depictions of the historical events in Normandy, Stalingrad which are succinct but well-crafted.
He does give us the ambivalence of Roosevelt – who was the best actor of that epoch. Roosevelt would be constantly probing to see how far he could go without jeopardizing his popularity in the U.S. If he would have declared war prior to Pearl Harbour all would have been lost. It may have been justified, but Roosevelt knew how to manage and balance the “right thing” with his hold on power.
But Burns gives us little of the personal Roosevelt. There is little on his relationship with those closest to him – like Eleanor, his mother or his children. Even his relationship with those in his government – Harry Hopkins, Francis Perkins is barely mentioned. Roosevelt was a very communicative human being – he loved gossip and wanted to know what made people tick.
Burns is excellent on the political side of Roosevelt, but the personal side is ignored.
He does give us the ambivalence of Roosevelt – who was the best actor of that epoch. Roosevelt would be constantly probing to see how far he could go without jeopardizing his popularity in the U.S. If he would have declared war prior to Pearl Harbour all would have been lost. It may have been justified, but Roosevelt knew how to manage and balance the “right thing” with his hold on power.
But Burns gives us little of the personal Roosevelt. There is little on his relationship with those closest to him – like Eleanor, his mother or his children. Even his relationship with those in his government – Harry Hopkins, Francis Perkins is barely mentioned. Roosevelt was a very communicative human being – he loved gossip and wanted to know what made people tick.
Burns is excellent on the political side of Roosevelt, but the personal side is ignored.
June 11, 2014
The concluding volume of Burns' biography on FDR - this one covering the war years from just after the 1940 election (leading to an unprecedented third term for FDR) to FDR's death on 4/12/45. Burns does a good job covering Roosevelt's cultivation of his two main Allies: Churchill and Stalin. The multiple overseas conferences are discussed in detail, including Roosevelt's mixed success in trying to appease the various factions of the fractured French government, and also his passive-aggressive treatment of Chiang Kai-Shek of China.
Burns devotes a large portion of the book to examining Roosevelt's leadership style, and indicating that how, ultimately, nobody could really ever figure him out. He was alternately charming and cutting, devious and frank, flexible yet stern - all depending on who he was dealing with and when. He rightfully credits FDR for his incredible capacity to handle the demands of the presidency and balance so many diverging major issues simultaneously. Yet, his penchant for secrecy and deviousness alienated many advisers and friends over the years, and ultimately it left Harry Truman in a difficult position upon FDR's sudden (though not wholly unexpected) death. Burns does not really talk in depth about Roosevelt's lack of contingency planning in case anything did happen to him.
I enjoyed Burns' first volume more than this one. While well-written, at times the narrative seemed bland to me - oddly detached. Burns talks so much about Roosevelt's leadership qualities and flaws that I think he sometimes missed the more personal side of the man. For example, Eleanor Roosevelt is a very minor player in this book. Yet she still played a big role in his life as far as being a sort of social conscience about issues such as racism. Roosevelt's resumption of seeing his former mistress Lucy Rutherfurd is mentioned perfunctorily. Overall a decent biography, but I prefer Jean Edward Smith's "FDR" or Doris Kearns Goodwin's "No Ordinary Time" for a more well-rounded portrait of FDR.
Burns devotes a large portion of the book to examining Roosevelt's leadership style, and indicating that how, ultimately, nobody could really ever figure him out. He was alternately charming and cutting, devious and frank, flexible yet stern - all depending on who he was dealing with and when. He rightfully credits FDR for his incredible capacity to handle the demands of the presidency and balance so many diverging major issues simultaneously. Yet, his penchant for secrecy and deviousness alienated many advisers and friends over the years, and ultimately it left Harry Truman in a difficult position upon FDR's sudden (though not wholly unexpected) death. Burns does not really talk in depth about Roosevelt's lack of contingency planning in case anything did happen to him.
I enjoyed Burns' first volume more than this one. While well-written, at times the narrative seemed bland to me - oddly detached. Burns talks so much about Roosevelt's leadership qualities and flaws that I think he sometimes missed the more personal side of the man. For example, Eleanor Roosevelt is a very minor player in this book. Yet she still played a big role in his life as far as being a sort of social conscience about issues such as racism. Roosevelt's resumption of seeing his former mistress Lucy Rutherfurd is mentioned perfunctorily. Overall a decent biography, but I prefer Jean Edward Smith's "FDR" or Doris Kearns Goodwin's "No Ordinary Time" for a more well-rounded portrait of FDR.
May 6, 2016
https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2016...
“Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom (1940-1945)” is the second of two volumes in James MacGregor Burns’s series on FDR. Published in 1970 (fourteen years after the first volume) this biography won the 1971 Pulitzer Prize for History. Burns was a historian, biographer and professor at Williams College for nearly 40 years. He died in 2014 at the age of 95.
This final volume of Burns’s series begins on election night 1940 when FDR secured his third presidential term. Clearly the product of extensive research, this book dives deeply into the four-and-a-half remaining years of Roosevelt’s presidency. The author’s central propositions: that Roosevelt was a deeply divided man (between principle and prudence) and that he was complex and nearly incomprehensible – even to his friends.
Unfortunately, Roosevelt is destined to remain enigmatic to readers as Burns studiously avoids any meaningful study of FDR’s personal life or inner-self. As a self-described “political biography” the focus of this book’s 612 pages is consistently on the politician rather than the person. Fortunately, this volume does place some emphasis on understanding the personas of FDR’s contemporaries: Churchill, Dewey, Truman and others.
But as much as the book promises a laser-like focus on Roosevelt (his war leadership and political vision, in particular) this is often far less a biography of any kind than a political discourse on World War II. In its earliest chapter it offers a thorough examination of the tactical situation of the global conflict and only periodically refocuses on FDR for more than a modest stretch of time.
This is no sweeping story of the war, however. Readers unfamiliar with the timeline of World War II or its famous battles will develop an appreciation for its large-scale movements but will not develop a particular intimacy with its most vibrant (and often disturbing) details. Burns generally avoids placing the reader in the heat of the battle, preferring to focus on decisions being made behind the scenes by military and political leaders.
Though jam-packed with details – some of them vital, the majority of them inconsequential – there are few overarching themes or grand conclusions developed. Periodic insights are offered but while the book moves steadily (and sometimes tediously) through the last years of Roosevelt’s life, its lacks an engaging narrative and, for the most part, penetrating insight. FDR is closely observed but never dissected or understood; there is no comprehensive examination of his legacy.
Fortunately, there are many moments when this sequel shines. Discussions of Hitler’s unrestricted submarine warfare and the surprisingly vast effort to develop an atomic weapon are fascinating. Burns provides one of the more rousing descriptions of the D-Day invasion I’ve read (in an FDR biography) and his review of the Tehran Conference is excellent. But for the most part the book lacks an engaging narrative and is never fully intellectually satisfying.
Overall, like its predecessor volume, James MacGregor Burns’s “Roosevelt: Soldier of Freedom” is relatively disappointing. While it does not promise to fill the role of a traditional biography, neither is it a satisfactory study of his political philosophy or a detailed review of the final years of his presidency. Readers seeking a comprehensive understanding of Roosevelt – or even merely of his presidency – will do better elsewhere.
Overall rating: 3½ stars
“Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom (1940-1945)” is the second of two volumes in James MacGregor Burns’s series on FDR. Published in 1970 (fourteen years after the first volume) this biography won the 1971 Pulitzer Prize for History. Burns was a historian, biographer and professor at Williams College for nearly 40 years. He died in 2014 at the age of 95.
This final volume of Burns’s series begins on election night 1940 when FDR secured his third presidential term. Clearly the product of extensive research, this book dives deeply into the four-and-a-half remaining years of Roosevelt’s presidency. The author’s central propositions: that Roosevelt was a deeply divided man (between principle and prudence) and that he was complex and nearly incomprehensible – even to his friends.
Unfortunately, Roosevelt is destined to remain enigmatic to readers as Burns studiously avoids any meaningful study of FDR’s personal life or inner-self. As a self-described “political biography” the focus of this book’s 612 pages is consistently on the politician rather than the person. Fortunately, this volume does place some emphasis on understanding the personas of FDR’s contemporaries: Churchill, Dewey, Truman and others.
But as much as the book promises a laser-like focus on Roosevelt (his war leadership and political vision, in particular) this is often far less a biography of any kind than a political discourse on World War II. In its earliest chapter it offers a thorough examination of the tactical situation of the global conflict and only periodically refocuses on FDR for more than a modest stretch of time.
This is no sweeping story of the war, however. Readers unfamiliar with the timeline of World War II or its famous battles will develop an appreciation for its large-scale movements but will not develop a particular intimacy with its most vibrant (and often disturbing) details. Burns generally avoids placing the reader in the heat of the battle, preferring to focus on decisions being made behind the scenes by military and political leaders.
Though jam-packed with details – some of them vital, the majority of them inconsequential – there are few overarching themes or grand conclusions developed. Periodic insights are offered but while the book moves steadily (and sometimes tediously) through the last years of Roosevelt’s life, its lacks an engaging narrative and, for the most part, penetrating insight. FDR is closely observed but never dissected or understood; there is no comprehensive examination of his legacy.
Fortunately, there are many moments when this sequel shines. Discussions of Hitler’s unrestricted submarine warfare and the surprisingly vast effort to develop an atomic weapon are fascinating. Burns provides one of the more rousing descriptions of the D-Day invasion I’ve read (in an FDR biography) and his review of the Tehran Conference is excellent. But for the most part the book lacks an engaging narrative and is never fully intellectually satisfying.
Overall, like its predecessor volume, James MacGregor Burns’s “Roosevelt: Soldier of Freedom” is relatively disappointing. While it does not promise to fill the role of a traditional biography, neither is it a satisfactory study of his political philosophy or a detailed review of the final years of his presidency. Readers seeking a comprehensive understanding of Roosevelt – or even merely of his presidency – will do better elsewhere.
Overall rating: 3½ stars
April 30, 2016
This review is for both volumes of this biography
The two volumes of James MacGregor Burns’ magisterial political biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt are unique in their intricate and nuanced understanding of FDR as a political operator. While other biographies may give one more of a feel for the man as a person or hone in on one aspect or another of his life, there is no better political analysis of FDR’s presidency and political career than that which Burns has written.
In The Lion and the Fox Burns looks at FDR’s political life up to 1940. This includes a detailed account of the ins and outs of New Deal policy making and FDR’s political role in it. The title is taken from Machiavelli who notes the importance of having both cunning and decisiveness. Burns explores many examples of FDR’s mixture of both qualities and how these attributes came to be formed. Always with the political decisions of the president in mind, Burns details the development of FDR’s character from his earliest moments to eventual triumph in social and political spaces; starting with Groton, Harvard and on and up through the New York Governorship. Interspersed are welcome political cartoons and illustrations that bring the feeling of the varying time periods to life.
Undoubtedly the best of the two volumes, The Soldier of Freedom looks at FDR’s war leadership and attempts to create an international organization where Wilson, with his doomed League of Nations, had failed. Describing FDR’s leadership at this time is no easy task but Burns handles it with an astute gift for insightful analysis. He does note how FDR must, of necessity, become more decisive than he had previously been comfortable with due to the pressures of international conflict. The at times intentional confusion and competition FDR set up among his subordinates during the New Deal years had to be jettisoned in order to manage the war successfully. Regardless, Burns shows how FDR managed to maintain his power and skill as a politician in the midst of international and national command.
Reading both volumes of this political biography is an absolute necessity for any student of FDR and for that matter any student of US and international politics more generally. No book written before or since captures the political animal that Roosevelt was in the insightful way Burns has done – whether lion or fox.
The two volumes of James MacGregor Burns’ magisterial political biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt are unique in their intricate and nuanced understanding of FDR as a political operator. While other biographies may give one more of a feel for the man as a person or hone in on one aspect or another of his life, there is no better political analysis of FDR’s presidency and political career than that which Burns has written.
In The Lion and the Fox Burns looks at FDR’s political life up to 1940. This includes a detailed account of the ins and outs of New Deal policy making and FDR’s political role in it. The title is taken from Machiavelli who notes the importance of having both cunning and decisiveness. Burns explores many examples of FDR’s mixture of both qualities and how these attributes came to be formed. Always with the political decisions of the president in mind, Burns details the development of FDR’s character from his earliest moments to eventual triumph in social and political spaces; starting with Groton, Harvard and on and up through the New York Governorship. Interspersed are welcome political cartoons and illustrations that bring the feeling of the varying time periods to life.
Undoubtedly the best of the two volumes, The Soldier of Freedom looks at FDR’s war leadership and attempts to create an international organization where Wilson, with his doomed League of Nations, had failed. Describing FDR’s leadership at this time is no easy task but Burns handles it with an astute gift for insightful analysis. He does note how FDR must, of necessity, become more decisive than he had previously been comfortable with due to the pressures of international conflict. The at times intentional confusion and competition FDR set up among his subordinates during the New Deal years had to be jettisoned in order to manage the war successfully. Regardless, Burns shows how FDR managed to maintain his power and skill as a politician in the midst of international and national command.
Reading both volumes of this political biography is an absolute necessity for any student of FDR and for that matter any student of US and international politics more generally. No book written before or since captures the political animal that Roosevelt was in the insightful way Burns has done – whether lion or fox.
December 5, 2018
Imagine if you will – a giant chess board. Only instead of it being square shaped with only two players, it’s a hexdecagon (a 16 sided shape). There are about 16 different people all playing against one and other. As one of the players, your strategy is to somehow not only be the victor of this colossal chess game, but also ensure some of the players other than yourself manage to beat some of your opponents while never getting the upper hand on you. Many of your “allies” on this chessboard aren’t really your friends – you just need them to help you beat some of the participants that you really don’t like. Get all that?
Essentially, this is what Franklin Roosevelt had to do for the United States of America before, and during, World War II. All of the geopolitical implications of the major (and minor) players in this game are enough to make your head spin. Yet FDR proves that he’s a master of this chess game. He manages to play his chess pieces perfectly and although he might lose a piece or two during the match, he proves that he is a genius.
Let me now say that this is volume 2 of a 2 volume series by James MacGregor Burns. Volume 1 details Roosevelt’s life from birth up until 1940. I did not like volume 1. In a word, I thought it was boring. So I wasn’t that enthused to pick up this next installment. Let’s just say that I was immensely overwhelmed as to how much I enjoyed this one as opposed to the first. I’m thinking the subject matter had a lot to do with it. Reading about the details of the ugliest war in our world’s history is much more interesting than reading 500 pages about The New Deal. In many cases, you almost forget this is a book about Roosevelt, and instead think you’re actually reading a book about the war. Yet Burns carefully crafts his telling of history to ensure that everything that happens is happening through Roosevelt’s eyes.
There’s a lot of buildup in the early part of the book to December 7th, 1941. The war actually explodes in Europe more than 2 years prior, and the “good guys” (mainly Winston Churchill – the brand new Prime Minister of England) is soliciting help from FDR anyway that he can. FDR’s constituents, however, want no part of a European conflict. Why should we get involved of something that’s “over there” when we have enough problems “over here”? So Roosevelt has to walk a fine line. Sadly, he and most other intelligent figures in the government know that America will eventually have to be involved in this ugly conflict. It’s just a matter of when. Without going into too much detail, relationships with Japan are not good, and you can actually feel the buildup of tension. Once Pearl Harbor is attacked, no one is really surprised. There’s almost a sense of “relief” (dare I use that word) that the waiting is over.
So Roosevelt’s job is to motivate his countrymen towards a sense of inevitable duty, and as history as shown us, he does a remarkable job. We’re not given too many glimpses into the everyday cries of sacrifice and patriotism. Instead the author focuses on the masterful global wide chess game. FDR seems to always be thinking of the future, always visualizing the chess board two or three moves in the time to come. He knows what will happen, and his energy therefore is devoted to what his next moves are to be. Once the war starts, Roosevelt knows that there will be setbacks. Yet once we arrive at about 1943, the consensus amongst the major powers is that the allies will, without a doubt, actually win the war. It’s just a matter of when.
A lot of negotiating and bickering goes on between Roosevelt, Churchill and Joseph Stalin. These three men want very different things, have different priorities, different objectives and seem to be at odds with each other quite a lot. It’s a bit interesting seeing FDR’s relationship with Stalin, particularly. Nowhere in these pages is the man portrayed as the evil butcher that we know he was. He never comes across as a soft, cuddly teddy bear, but he’s always portrayed here as “one of the good guys”. Perhaps this is because Roosevelt had to treat him with kid gloves since our ultimate goal was to destroy Adolf Hitler. In other words, the only reason Russia was our ally in World War II was because Nazi-ism was a greater evil than communism.
The book isn’t entirely about the War. There are plenty of issues happening within the continent, yet FDR still manages to handle all of it wonderfully. Still, with all of the problems at home, the war is the main thing on everyone’s mind, and just about everything that is done in the U.S. is geared towards winning the conflict and bringing the boys back home as soon as possible. Yet there is still a lot of bickering within the halls of congress about just about anything, so things obviously weren’t that much better than they are today.
1944 arrives. D-Day is a success and there are talks of “ending the war by Christmas”, yet within all of this drama, it’s time for another presidential election. According to Roosevelt, he doesn’t really “want” a fourth term, but people are obdurate in their feelings and desires. So he runs again and wins. Oddly, before the election, FDR starts to have serious health issues. He pushes them down as best he can, and makes a huge effort to appear presidential, yet those closest to him are worried. Many times, you have to wonder if his illness may have hampered some of the ongoing relationships with Churchill and Stalin, yet the author maintains that Roosevelt handles things just fine – he just has to treble his efforts to overcome these issues. I couldn’t help wondering that if the internet or cable television had been around, if FDR would have been re-elected. Yet since most people couldn’t “see” him frequently, his illness was more gossip than fact among most.
So as the war starts to wind down in 1945, sadly, so does Roosevelt. He passes away in April, without getting to see final victory in Europe a few short weeks later, and victory over Japan a few months after. This was really the only minor gripe about the book. The author just “ends” the story when Roosevelt dies. I would have enjoyed a postscript that would give a summary of how and when the war ended (it was very different in Europe than it was in Asia), as well as an overview of the state of the world following the end, yet we don’t get that here. I was actually very surprised. Still, though, this was a great read and well deserved of the Pulitzer that it received.
After I read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book on Lincoln and his advisors (“Team of Rivals”), I made the comment that I felt that God had placed one of the best presidents of the United States directly into the time when we needed one the most. After reading this book, I’d like to believe that The Almighty did the United States one more favor eighty years later.
A truly great man.
July 23, 2014
I must say this book was an undertaking. Over 600 pages of text covering Roosevelt during the five years from 1940-1945. Yet, when I saw it on the shelf at the book sale, I knew that I simply had to have it. I am so glad to have made the journey through this book. I found the book very insightful. It not only told about the actions of Roosevelt, but really did a great job of putting Roosevelt in the perspective of his time. It gave the points of view of Stalin, Churchill, and many other countries and clearly illustrated how their actions and views affected Roosevelt and how his affected them. It discussed the plight of European Jews and how many people who had been colonized clamored for freedom. It discussed Congress and how Roosevelt worked with and sometimes against them to get the country mobilized for war and to continue to fight the good fight. The book also did a great job of presenting a fair picture of FDR. It did present him as the great president, statesman and hero that he was, but Burns was not afraid to point out his shortcomings. Most notably, the many ways in which Roosevelt failed to make his actions achieve his high ideals. I feel that I better understand Roosevelt, as well as the events of World War II both at home and abroad. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has an interest in history, and certainly to anyone who shares my intense interest in Roosevelt and the World War II era.
January 9, 2011
There are many volumes on FDR. Since the modern Presidency is one of my hobbies, I have read many if not most of them. This is one of the best, a judgment apparently shared by the American Society of Historians, since they awarded it the Francis Parkman Prize.
The book focuses on the war years and ends with FDR's untimely death in Warm Springs, Georgia. The writing is fresh and urgent and the author brings great insight into the momentous decisions made by FDR during those years, decisions that continue to shape our reality more than 50 years later.
This book is absolutely worth reading today if, for no other reason, to allow the current voting public to get a clue as to what a real President looks like.
The book focuses on the war years and ends with FDR's untimely death in Warm Springs, Georgia. The writing is fresh and urgent and the author brings great insight into the momentous decisions made by FDR during those years, decisions that continue to shape our reality more than 50 years later.
This book is absolutely worth reading today if, for no other reason, to allow the current voting public to get a clue as to what a real President looks like.
May 13, 2012
My father looked on Roosevelt as a demi-god. The most perfect man for the job and was sorely sorry that he died when he did. So from his idolization, I was looking for the real man, Roosevelt was in this book. I have a much more realistic vision of him now. A human, with flaws and foibles, but a very perfect leader for the time. His reticence to act sometimes, combined with his snap decisions at others turned out to be the perfect balance of what we needed at a time when we had wars going on in 2 areas at once.
Now, I need to read the precursor of this book, The Fox and the Lion.
Now, I need to read the precursor of this book, The Fox and the Lion.
October 18, 2017
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a complex man and seen by others in various ways. The statements below, from the book, illustrate this:
In Japan , an announcer for Radio Tokyo read the death bulletin and unaccountably presented some special music “ in honor of the passing of a great man . ”
…even those who knew Roosevelt best agreed that he was a man infinitely complex and almost incomprehensible .
Partly because of his disbelief in planning far ahead , partly because he elevated short - run goals over long - run , and always because of his experience and temperament , he did not fashion the structure of action — the full array of mutually consistent means , political , economic , psychological , military — necessary to realize his paramount ends .
To examine closely single aspects of Roosevelt’s character — as thinker , as organizer , as manipulator , as strategist , as idealist — is to see failings and deficiencies interwoven with the huge capacities . But to stand back and look at the man as a whole , against the backdrop of his people and his times , is to see the lineaments of greatness — courage , joyousness , responsiveness , vitality , faith .
described by E . M . Forster — sensitive but not weak , considerate but not fussy , plucky in his power to endure , capable of laughing and of taking a joke . He was the true happy warrior .
James Burns gives us a clear, honest portrait of FDR, showing his qualities that were very much needed during World War II, without whitewashing his foibles. It is interesting to speculate how the war and its aftermath would have turned out had he not been President, or if he had died during the third term, before Harry Truman became Vice President.
It is also interesting to note that, contrary to the claims of the 45th President, Donald Trump is not the first President, (nor was FDR) to be boldly criticized by the press and media. It goes with the territory. Burns brings out those criticisms via quotes and editorial cartoons.
It is in the latter that the quality of the book suffers if one is reading on Kindle. The cartoons are not clear and the words spoken by the characters are usually unreadable. Nevertheless, an outstanding book that gives us a wonderful narrative not only on FDR but also on Churchill and Stalin and the relationship between them.
Five stars.
In Japan , an announcer for Radio Tokyo read the death bulletin and unaccountably presented some special music “ in honor of the passing of a great man . ”
…even those who knew Roosevelt best agreed that he was a man infinitely complex and almost incomprehensible .
Partly because of his disbelief in planning far ahead , partly because he elevated short - run goals over long - run , and always because of his experience and temperament , he did not fashion the structure of action — the full array of mutually consistent means , political , economic , psychological , military — necessary to realize his paramount ends .
To examine closely single aspects of Roosevelt’s character — as thinker , as organizer , as manipulator , as strategist , as idealist — is to see failings and deficiencies interwoven with the huge capacities . But to stand back and look at the man as a whole , against the backdrop of his people and his times , is to see the lineaments of greatness — courage , joyousness , responsiveness , vitality , faith .
described by E . M . Forster — sensitive but not weak , considerate but not fussy , plucky in his power to endure , capable of laughing and of taking a joke . He was the true happy warrior .
James Burns gives us a clear, honest portrait of FDR, showing his qualities that were very much needed during World War II, without whitewashing his foibles. It is interesting to speculate how the war and its aftermath would have turned out had he not been President, or if he had died during the third term, before Harry Truman became Vice President.
It is also interesting to note that, contrary to the claims of the 45th President, Donald Trump is not the first President, (nor was FDR) to be boldly criticized by the press and media. It goes with the territory. Burns brings out those criticisms via quotes and editorial cartoons.
It is in the latter that the quality of the book suffers if one is reading on Kindle. The cartoons are not clear and the words spoken by the characters are usually unreadable. Nevertheless, an outstanding book that gives us a wonderful narrative not only on FDR but also on Churchill and Stalin and the relationship between them.
Five stars.
April 5, 2017
I began reading this with a hope and expectation that the book would focus on Roosevelt the man. Instead, I found myself taking a deep dive into all the minutia of war, with a somewhat mind-numbing collection of historical personages, battles, meetings, etc.
To be sure, elements of Roosevelt, the man, emerged, most notably his political savvy (and the equivocating behavior that defined it).
One surprise (mentioned just a few times in passing) was Roosevelt's attitude about his physical disability. I'd often read about how the press avoided photographing FDR in his wheel chair and how, as a consequence, many Americans did not realize the president was largely wheel-chair bound. Indeed, Roosevelt made great efforts to appear to be more mobile than he really was. Yet one episode described in the book related how FDR insisted on being wheeled through a veteran's hospital ward so the soldiers could see they were not alone in their infirmity. On another occasion, toward the end of his life, FDR addressed the press without taking the lectern, expressing how much easier it was to talk from his chair without the extraordinary weight of his leg braces. It was these moments that made me feel as if I were seeing a more human side of the man than what was presented through most of the work.
The book is unquestionably well written and meticulously researched. Normally, I enjoy nonfiction of all kinds, and history in particular. However, I came away feeling like I'd just been served a helping of an ill-flavored vegetable -- healthy, but unappealing to my taste buds. In all fairness, it may be my taste buds that are at fault.
To be sure, elements of Roosevelt, the man, emerged, most notably his political savvy (and the equivocating behavior that defined it).
One surprise (mentioned just a few times in passing) was Roosevelt's attitude about his physical disability. I'd often read about how the press avoided photographing FDR in his wheel chair and how, as a consequence, many Americans did not realize the president was largely wheel-chair bound. Indeed, Roosevelt made great efforts to appear to be more mobile than he really was. Yet one episode described in the book related how FDR insisted on being wheeled through a veteran's hospital ward so the soldiers could see they were not alone in their infirmity. On another occasion, toward the end of his life, FDR addressed the press without taking the lectern, expressing how much easier it was to talk from his chair without the extraordinary weight of his leg braces. It was these moments that made me feel as if I were seeing a more human side of the man than what was presented through most of the work.
The book is unquestionably well written and meticulously researched. Normally, I enjoy nonfiction of all kinds, and history in particular. However, I came away feeling like I'd just been served a helping of an ill-flavored vegetable -- healthy, but unappealing to my taste buds. In all fairness, it may be my taste buds that are at fault.
June 2, 2022
This review is a review of this book but also the first book by James MacGregor Burns' biographies of FDR
For the longest serving president, there is an element of irony to the fact that FDR has remained an enigma, a mix of pragmatic and idealistic tendencies it is hard to pin down exactly what motivated the president. Burns walks the reader through the difficult decisions and political environment that FDR faced. I believe that through these books the reader is likely to come as close as possible to understanding FDR. There is a slight sense of tragedy within this book regarding the failed dreams of FDR, from his failure to save Poland from swapping one brutal regime to another and his failure to gain firm commitment from his allies to end imperialism and bring democracy to the whole world.
This second book is well written, although it assumes a certain degree of knowledge about the second world war, it provides context. Some reviews have accused it of focusing too much on the other leaders in the second world war, but the author draws connections on how their actions influenced and affected the actions of FDR and vice versa. Reading this book showed the great complexity and challenge of running the American war effort during the second world war. In reading this book, it's hard to imagine anyone would have been fit for the task other than FDR.
An excellently written and researched book, combined with it's prequel covering the pre-war years of FDR, this should be considered the definitive biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt!
For the longest serving president, there is an element of irony to the fact that FDR has remained an enigma, a mix of pragmatic and idealistic tendencies it is hard to pin down exactly what motivated the president. Burns walks the reader through the difficult decisions and political environment that FDR faced. I believe that through these books the reader is likely to come as close as possible to understanding FDR. There is a slight sense of tragedy within this book regarding the failed dreams of FDR, from his failure to save Poland from swapping one brutal regime to another and his failure to gain firm commitment from his allies to end imperialism and bring democracy to the whole world.
This second book is well written, although it assumes a certain degree of knowledge about the second world war, it provides context. Some reviews have accused it of focusing too much on the other leaders in the second world war, but the author draws connections on how their actions influenced and affected the actions of FDR and vice versa. Reading this book showed the great complexity and challenge of running the American war effort during the second world war. In reading this book, it's hard to imagine anyone would have been fit for the task other than FDR.
An excellently written and researched book, combined with it's prequel covering the pre-war years of FDR, this should be considered the definitive biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt!
May 28, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up. This was a very informed book about events of the war years and FDR's leadership style.I learned a lot and many questions were answered. I now have a much better understanding about why decisions were made. I came away feeling frustrated for Stalin as commitments made to him by Roosevelt and Churchill were repeatedly broken. His army was fighting the Nazis almost singlehandedly without the armaments that were continually promised but never arrived. He begged the other two Allies to open up a second front to take the heat off of him, but it took them 3 years of flimsy excuses before they finally invaded France in 1944. They seemed to find it acceptable to let his army bleed to death so theirs didn't have to. It's obvious why Stalin ultimately couldn't trust them and why the Cold War came about.
This can't in any way, be considered a biography. I didn't feel like I came away knowing FDR as a person, His wife was such a pivotal person but she's hardly even mentioned. There was much too much political detail which got tedious. The book was over all slow going.
This can't in any way, be considered a biography. I didn't feel like I came away knowing FDR as a person, His wife was such a pivotal person but she's hardly even mentioned. There was much too much political detail which got tedious. The book was over all slow going.
June 29, 2025
The saga continues. Franklin Delano Roosevelt still wore the crown of thorns of the Great Depression when history thrust him unto the world stage to defeat Germany and Japan, or, to quote FDR, "Dr. New Deal" has become "Dr.-Win-the War". First he had to rally a reluctant nation to take up the mantle of freedom in defending England from total collapse, and then hold his own against two equally masterful political animals, Churchill and Stalin. On the domestic front FDR alienated old allies, such as United Mine Workers president John Lewis, picked up new enemies, New York Governor Thomas Dewey in foremost place, and kept some supporters on hold until victory could come, African-Americans, North and South. James McGregor Burns, surer of himself in the role of FDR biographer after volume I, ROOSEVELT: THE LION AND THE FOX, and more relaxed and subtle in his prose, delivers a stunning portrait of a man who hoped to turn the New Deal into a global campaign against colonialism and poverty, leaving behind the torch but not the tools to do the job.
March 8, 2018
I liked this book and enjoyed reading it. It opened up for me not only the challenges, power, failures, and achievements of Roosevelt the man and the president leading up to America’s declaration and pursuit of wars with Japan and Germany and thru it until his death. Like nothing else I’ve read previously this book helped me understand just how large, complicated, and chaotic the “world” in World War II was. Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin and others were unusual and gifted men with great flaws as well as strengths. It was daunting as I developed a shallow grasp of all Roosevelt dealt with politically in both the domestic and world wide arenas, militarily, economically, even spiritually, during these years. I am enlightened and horrified more deeply than ever at what the conduct of war requires of leaders as well as soldiers and civilians. I remain impressed by Roosevelt!
April 18, 2021
I was not able to finish this book, stopping about halfway in. This suffers from the exact problem I had with the first volume. That it's a book about Roosevelt but it covers anything else but Roosevelt. Particularly the war years, most of the book is about Churchill, Stalin, Hitler and WWII which in some sense is needed for context but I felt I was reading a general WWII book and not a book about the person Roosevelt. The parts about Roosevelt is also shallow, more of an account of what happened but it feels like no attempts are made to look into the thinking of Roosevelt. For a biography I really expected to learn about the person but I did not find that here. I'm only marginally wiser on how and what Roosevelt gave to the world and why that was.
This is fine as a WWII book from Roosevelt's/American perspective, but as a biography of Roosevelt, I don't see little value here.
This is fine as a WWII book from Roosevelt's/American perspective, but as a biography of Roosevelt, I don't see little value here.
April 1, 2020
It's a thorough narrative of Roosevelt's presidency starting in 1940, but I think Burns sells Roosevelt short. He portrays Roosevelt as often indecisive, shallow, and lacking in strong principles. Where Roosevelt shows strength of conviction, Burns seems to regard Roosevelt more as stubborn than principled. He seems to regard Roosevelt as naive in his dealings with Stalin and his hopes for the United Nations, but perhaps if Roosevelt had lived he might have dealt better with the Soviet Union than his successors. So, overall thorough and interesting, but I'm not sure it's a balanced view of Roosevelt.
June 14, 2023
This morning, 78 years after the fact, I wept for the loss of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt while finishing the final chapter of this extremely detailed biography. Although I often resorted to selective/speed reading of passages covering material in which I was minimally interested (such as tax policy or internal partisan wrangling), others were read much more slowly or even multiple times (such as meetings with Churchill or Harry Hopkins). Overall, this book turned out to be a challenge (882 pp.) but one that was worth the effort, putting the history of the times in perspective and filling in some gaps.
September 18, 2018
I greatly enjoyed Burns' first volume which has a subtitle of ": The Lion and the Fox: 1882-1940" but which actually covers 40-45 in a somewhat condensed version. This one is just as well written, you can almost feel the author's voice telling the story, and covers just the war years in great detail relative to the politics behind the decisions.
October 26, 2018
World War 2 Story
This is a very good book, focusing on Roosevelt's leadership in World War 2. It is wel researched and well written. It is one of the best mirrors of the war.leader's character i have ever seen. It answers many questions and explains his relationship with Stalin.
This is a very good book, focusing on Roosevelt's leadership in World War 2. It is wel researched and well written. It is one of the best mirrors of the war.leader's character i have ever seen. It answers many questions and explains his relationship with Stalin.
December 5, 2018
An interesting read. At times it labored a little bit because of the details but that is expected with a more in depth biography. A lot of emphasis was placed on the relationship with Churchill and Stalin and how FDR made his war strategy decision.
July 24, 2020
Had high hopes for this book and was disappointed. Many stretches seem to be an historical history of WWII vs. a biography of Roosevelt. The book itself was entertaining, but it was not as enlightening on Roosevelt the person as I would have expected.
July 3, 2023
No study of FDR could ever approach the definitive level. This second volume of Burns classic biography is still worth a close read. All of WWII's dimensions: political, strategic, military, and diplomatic show FDR in war, much as in peace... remained the Lion and the Fox.
November 17, 2020
James MacGregor Burns is the FDR biographer.
November 7, 2021
This is the conclusion of an excellent multi-book biography of Roosevelt covering the years between Lend Lease and his death near the end of World War II.
Read
November 27, 2021Enlightening to see the perceptions of world leaders changing from an alliance with Russia to a cold war
May 17, 2024
La patrie ou la mort, nous vaincrons!
March 20, 2017
This review is for both volumes of this biography
The two volumes of James MacGregor Burns’ magisterial political biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt are unique in their intricate and nuanced understanding of FDR as a political operator. While other biographies may give one more of a feel for the man as a person or hone in on one aspect or another of his life, there is no better political analysis of FDR’s presidency and political career than that which Burns has written.
In The Lion and the Fox Burns looks at FDR’s political life up to 1940. This includes a detailed account of the ins and outs of New Deal policy making and FDR’s political role in it. The title is taken from Machiavelli who notes the importance of having both cunning and decisiveness. Burns explores many examples of FDR’s mixture of both qualities and how these attributes came to be formed. Always with the political decisions of the president in mind, Burns details the development of FDR’s character from his earliest moments to eventual triumph in social and political spaces; starting with Groton, Harvard and on and up through the New York Governorship. Interspersed are welcome political cartoons and illustrations that bring the feeling of the varying time periods to life.
Undoubtedly the best of the two volumes, The Soldier of Freedom looks at FDR’s war leadership and attempts to create an international organization where Wilson, with his doomed League of Nations, had failed. Describing FDR’s leadership at this time is no easy task but Burns handles it with an astute gift for insightful analysis. He does note how FDR must, of necessity, become more decisive than he had previously been comfortable with due to the pressures of international conflict. The at times intentional confusion and competition FDR set up among his subordinates during the New Deal years had to be jettisoned in order to manage the war successfully. Regardless, Burns shows how FDR managed to maintain his power and skill as a politician in the midst of international and national command.
Reading both volumes of this political biography is an absolute necessity for any student of FDR and for that matter any student of US and international politics more generally. No book written before or since captures the political animal that Roosevelt was in the insightful way Burns has done – whether lion or fox.
The two volumes of James MacGregor Burns’ magisterial political biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt are unique in their intricate and nuanced understanding of FDR as a political operator. While other biographies may give one more of a feel for the man as a person or hone in on one aspect or another of his life, there is no better political analysis of FDR’s presidency and political career than that which Burns has written.
In The Lion and the Fox Burns looks at FDR’s political life up to 1940. This includes a detailed account of the ins and outs of New Deal policy making and FDR’s political role in it. The title is taken from Machiavelli who notes the importance of having both cunning and decisiveness. Burns explores many examples of FDR’s mixture of both qualities and how these attributes came to be formed. Always with the political decisions of the president in mind, Burns details the development of FDR’s character from his earliest moments to eventual triumph in social and political spaces; starting with Groton, Harvard and on and up through the New York Governorship. Interspersed are welcome political cartoons and illustrations that bring the feeling of the varying time periods to life.
Undoubtedly the best of the two volumes, The Soldier of Freedom looks at FDR’s war leadership and attempts to create an international organization where Wilson, with his doomed League of Nations, had failed. Describing FDR’s leadership at this time is no easy task but Burns handles it with an astute gift for insightful analysis. He does note how FDR must, of necessity, become more decisive than he had previously been comfortable with due to the pressures of international conflict. The at times intentional confusion and competition FDR set up among his subordinates during the New Deal years had to be jettisoned in order to manage the war successfully. Regardless, Burns shows how FDR managed to maintain his power and skill as a politician in the midst of international and national command.
Reading both volumes of this political biography is an absolute necessity for any student of FDR and for that matter any student of US and international politics more generally. No book written before or since captures the political animal that Roosevelt was in the insightful way Burns has done – whether lion or fox.
October 21, 2023
This book cover’s the “political life” of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as he made his way through World War II, from its start (for America) to its near close.
This book is an interesting read, that made some surprisingly critical comments about FDR’s management style. He didn’t like anyone to become too powerful, or independent, so Roosevelt would create similar agencies with seemingly the same (or at least “adjacent”) jobs, and wasn’t too bothered when they fell out, or resulted in arguments. James MacGregor Burns put this down to preventing people from becoming “bigger than the president” or becoming an alternative focus of power (maybe?). I’m inclined to wonder if it’s just bad management. Certainly, Roosevelt was a polarizing by his death.
Moving away from that, you’ll probably learn a lot about Roosevelt’s war years by reading this book, if you’ve not read any other books about FDR. If you have, this book, doesn’t add anything hugely new, but is well researched, and will give the reader more examples of issues than most other books about Roosevelt (I think).
One thing that I found interesting was Burns’ description of there being “4 political parties”, a Republican, and Democratic Party focused on the presidency, and another 2 focused on congress. The result was there was surprising overlap between the presidential, and congressional parties that I’d never thought of before.
The other thing I found interesting was the degree of overlap between the 2 (Democratic and Republican) parties, and that Roosevelt wanted to make the Democrats more liberal, even if it resulted in the Republicans becoming more conservative. The book discusses Roosevelt’s efforts, in this regard, in some detail.
Overall, it was a thorough, and generally interesting read.
This book is an interesting read, that made some surprisingly critical comments about FDR’s management style. He didn’t like anyone to become too powerful, or independent, so Roosevelt would create similar agencies with seemingly the same (or at least “adjacent”) jobs, and wasn’t too bothered when they fell out, or resulted in arguments. James MacGregor Burns put this down to preventing people from becoming “bigger than the president” or becoming an alternative focus of power (maybe?). I’m inclined to wonder if it’s just bad management. Certainly, Roosevelt was a polarizing by his death.
Moving away from that, you’ll probably learn a lot about Roosevelt’s war years by reading this book, if you’ve not read any other books about FDR. If you have, this book, doesn’t add anything hugely new, but is well researched, and will give the reader more examples of issues than most other books about Roosevelt (I think).
One thing that I found interesting was Burns’ description of there being “4 political parties”, a Republican, and Democratic Party focused on the presidency, and another 2 focused on congress. The result was there was surprising overlap between the presidential, and congressional parties that I’d never thought of before.
The other thing I found interesting was the degree of overlap between the 2 (Democratic and Republican) parties, and that Roosevelt wanted to make the Democrats more liberal, even if it resulted in the Republicans becoming more conservative. The book discusses Roosevelt’s efforts, in this regard, in some detail.
Overall, it was a thorough, and generally interesting read.
August 28, 2015
A very good read. This a very balanced biography that discusses many of FDR's successes and good qualities but doesn't sugarcoat some of his controversial actions, most notably the imprisoning of over 100,000 Japanese-Americans during WW2. Goes into depth about FDR's governing style; a recurring theme in the book is his use of popular opinion to guide his actions, and his reluctant, cautious approach to enter WW2 until it was politically feasible and advantageous for the U.S. For example, it was pretty clear FDR wasn't going to immediately provide the second front Stalin desperately wanted in the European theater so as to weaken both Hitler *and* our "ally" Russia. There are many examples of his shrewd negotiating skills in his summits with both Churchill and Stalin (the best part of the book) and more often than not he won over his allies. His health was greatly deteriorating as the war neared its end, and it was a bit disconcerting that the once-sharp FDR ceded some major issues to Stalin he ordinarily wouldn't have done (Poland, voting power in the UN). It's not really a book that goes into details on the battlefield, which is fine since I find reading about war battles a bit tedious. Reading the book you really get to know Roosevelt and when he dies, it almost feels like a death in the family. Highly recommended, especially if you're a history/presidential buff.
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