My Day: The Best of Eleanor Roosevelt's Acclaimed Newspaper Columns 1936-62

by Eleanor Roosevelt, Blanche Wiesen Cook (Introduction), David Emblidge (Editor)

"I think Eleanor Roosevelt has so gripped the imagination of this moment because we need her and her vision so completely. . . . She's perfect for us as we enter the twenty-first century. Eleanor Roosevelt is a loud and profound voice for people who want to change the world." -- Blanche Wiesen Cook

Named "Woman of the Century" in a survey conducted by the National Women's Hall of Fame, Eleanor Roosevelt wrote her hugely popular syndicated column "My Day" for over a quarter of that century, from 1936 to 1962. This collection brings together for the first time in a single volume the most memorable of those columns, written with singular wit, elegance, compassion, and insight -- everything from her personal perspectives on the New Deal and World War II to the painstaking diplomacy required of her as chair of the United Nations Committee on Human Rights after the war to the joys of gardening at her beloved Hyde Park home. To quote Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., "What a remarkable woman she was! These sprightly and touching selections from Eleanor Roosevelt's famous column evoke an extraordinary personality."

" My Day reminds us how great a woman she was." -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Politics, Journalism, Biography, Essays, Memoir

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was an American political leader who used her influence as an active First Lady from 1933 to 1945 to promote the New Deal policies of her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as well as taking a prominent role as an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, she continued to be an internationally prominent author and speaker for the New Deal coalition. She was a suffragist who worked to enhance the status of working women, although she opposed the Equal Rights Amendment because she believed it would adversely affect women. In the 1940s, she was one of the co-founders of Freedom House and supported the formation of the United Nations. Eleanor Roosevelt founded the UN Association of the United States in 1943 to advance support for the formation of the UN. She was a delegate to the UN General Assembly from 1945 and 1952, a job for which she was appointed by President Harry S. Truman and confirmed by the United States Congress. During her time at the United Nations chaired the committee that drafted and approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. President Truman called her the "First Lady of the World" in tribute to her human rights achievements.
She was one of the most admired persons of the 20th century, according to Gallup's List of Widely Admired People.

Reviews

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read many biographies of Eleanor Roosevelt. I really enjoyed hearing her own thoughts as expressed through her My Day columns. She was intelligent, compassionate and tireless in promoting justice, equality and her vision of what was best for the United States and the world.

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know shocking, but this is only getting a two from me. I read it ridiculously fast and somehow I highly doubt this is the "best"--it was only after googling to see if there was a FULL collection of her columns, I stumbled upon this:
http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/myday/br...

Not sure why that site is so broken, but all her full columns are there, so now that I finished reading the Jefferson correspondence that is archived online, I guess this will be my next project.

This book--while good and fast read--had a lot of typos and yes, in one case a repeated paragraph. Not all the headers felt appropriate to the snippets beneath and it felt rushed. Like the FBI was given two hours to compile an Eleanor Roosevelt column book or hostages would die. Some of the context was okay, but I would have preferred to have been less spoon fed portions and given a main course. I was hoping this book would be more like The People and the President: America's Extraordinary Conversation with FDR, which was great, but felt like rehash.

In fairness, it could be that the huge span of years and columns (6 columns a week for almost 30 years is a lot of material)--it probably would have been a better project to have like a volume per decade of the best.

[Kym Gamble · Rating 1 out of 5]

Love Eleanor Roosevelt - really disliked this book. I am so surprised people like this book. I was expecting whole entries from her newspaper columns with maybe some editorial here and there. This book is nothing but a bunch of editorial with snippets of her columns (and I'm not sure that I would ever consider them the "best of"). I found a gem here or there but am SO disappointed in this book. I love to read about Eleanor Roosevelt and was looking forward to reading HER words, HER thoughts, and this was far from a book of that. SO disappointed. I have rarely rated a book so low. The only reason I keep reading is to see if I can find those "gems". If you're looking for Mrs. Roosevelt, in her own words, don't waste your time or money on this book.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this selection of Eleanor Roosevelt's daily columns - hard to beleive she was what we would refer to as a "blogger" back in the 1930's - 1960's! I especailly liked the contextual references included by the editor. Nicely done.

[Andrea Engle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adlai Stevenson, the U. N. Ambassador in 1962, in his eulogy for Eleanor Roosevelt at the U. N. General Assembly, remarked: “She would rather light a candle than curse the darkness. Her light has brought warmth to all the world.” These selections from her newspaper columns highlight her devotion to causes, her tireless support for the under-dog, and her indefatigable service to her country, the United Nations, and the world … a most remarkable woman …

[Lexish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Eleanor Roosevelt wrote her "My Day" column during the critical pre-war and World War II years when her husband was President. This book organizes her columns chronologically from 1936 through the death of FDR in 1945. The editors were wise in giving brief but thorough notes prior to many columns so readers would understand the events to which the First Lady was responding in her writings on a given day.

In her columns, Eleanor Roosevelt emphasizes that she is very much a regular person trying to do as much good as she can with the position that came automatically to her when her husband took office. She hints occasionally that would have preferred to live a private life, but is nonetheless dedicated to doing the most with the influence she knows she has. Eleanor Roosevelt speaks candidly about the people she meets, the letters she receives, her impressions of the areas she visits in order to see the American troops stationed abroad, her grandchildren, and the occasional awkward (and funny) moments that happen among people within the artificial environment of the White House.

The editors have done an excellent job of excerpting from her full columns those details that make for a coherent "story" as the days go on. In particular, the editors have taken care *not* to make the book all about FDR's presidency as seen through his wife's eyes, because she was interested in so much more than that. This really is Eleanor's life, the way she herself shared it with the public.

Eleanor Roosevelt enjoyed writing the column so much that it became the one -- and nearly only -- part of her public life that she continued after she left the White House following FDR's death. For all the dull, dry history books out there, this one is the antidote. Go Eleanor.

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was interesting if for no other reason than to appreciate how incredibly intelligent Eleanor was, particularly given the time period, and the then-role of women in society. Her insight into a wide range of issues is amazing, and really shows the power of her intelligence.

[John Smiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful articles written by Eleanor Roosevelt from the 30's until her death in 1962---really paints an interesting portrait of the country through her eyes.

[Veronique Van Bilsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dit boek zuigt je mee in het leven en de persoonlijkheid van Eleanor Roosevelt, journaliste, activiste en feministe avant la lettre. De uitgever maakt een keuze uit haar 26 jaar durende dagelijkse columns en rijgt deze aan elkaar met korte schetsen van de Amerikaanse (en regelmatig ook de internationale) actualiteit van die periode, waardoor je als het ware in de geschiedenis ondergedompeld wordt.
In het nawoord van David Emblidge lezen we: Quote "My day" was but one of Eleanor Roosevelt's achievements. A truly full portrait of Mrs. Roosevelt shows her not only as a writer but also as mother, presidential adviser, social reformer, diplomat, world traveler, political activist, philanthropist, philosopher, gardener-knitter-homemaker, and lifelong student. As with all great heroes, the story of her life enlarges te scope of our own. Unquote

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book presents various My Day columns that Eleanor wrote, starting in the late 1930's through 1962. They are presented with historical and personal information that places them in context and provides a sampling of her thoughts, opinions, and actions. It took awhile to get through the book because some of the reading was heavy - discussing wars and arms races and racial and religious prejudices in the U.S., etc., but it was lightened with anecdotes about the daily lives of the Roosevelts. My favorite was serving hotdogs to the Queen of England at a picnic.

Eleanor really tells it like she sees it, about and from decades of political involvement. She was definitely for the betterment of people and their situations, and the responsible use of personal freedoms, as applied all over the world. The only thing she was silent on that surprised me was the Japanese concentration camps during WWII, but that may have been because she was a First Lady at the time. Apparently, "they" didn't want her mucking up the presidency too much during those times.

The book as a whole gives a nice, longitudinal view of U.S. and world politics/events for a good thirty year period, with some influences from the past, given that both Eleanor and FDR were related to Teddy Roosevelt and could comment on that time period and the then-current politics. You really do get the idea that what we talk about in politics today isn't new - we've been going in cycles for a long time.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eleanor Roosevelt was say ahead of her time and in fact way ahead of our time. Her comments and observations are incredibly timely and incredibly right on. If we as a country had listened to her and had been moved to action by her observations, I believe the world would be a whole lot better off than it is now and certainly the United States of American would be. Everyone should read this book. Greg Mortenson practices mucch of what Mrs. Roosevelt recommended and his work is paying off in Pakistan and Afganistan- something I really can't say about the work of the U.S. there.

At the end of her book, she "was struck by the fact that some of the young Harvard graduates working in Tanganyika with the bush people came to have great respect" for traditional ceremonies there. The Tanganyikans "had to ask you about all your family and you had to reciprocate." Sound familiar? In Greg Mortenson's book he makes the observation that perhaps the U.S. Military should make those traditions (sharing 3 cups of tea) part of the U.S. decision making when the U.S. is deciding to bomb or send drones to various parts of Afganistan.

Read this book!

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The history that begins each year is informative and helpful to place in perspective. The biographical information provided in italics preceding each article sheds light on ERs current thoughts and situation. I found her encouraging, idealistic and pleasant. Her opinions are on topic, even now, expressing the liberal perspective. I enjoyed this more than The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt and felt it gave more insight into her life as well as better expressed her opinions. Recommend for all ER admirers.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat dissatisfied with most of this book. The paragraphs introducing most days' entries speak of the bold statements she is making, but most entries seem rather conciliatory. I don't know whether my impression is because of the half-century of attitude changes in the country, her own natural reticence or the wise hesitance to alienate the wide audience she felt privileged to address. But it left an overall flat impression. The one time she really let herself go (blasting Eisenhower, Nixon and Dulles over their handling of the Suez War) was Jon Stewart worthy.

[Tori Kae]

Mrs. Roosevelt has always been my favorite historical figure. She carried such a strong ethical common sense that spilled into every day living. The introduction by Martha Gellhorn, a long-time close friend, is a rare and gentle read into the life of Eleanor. What I really enjoy about this reading are the every day truths of facing fear and having strength and courage to face any situation. She writes without indignation, and interjects a dry and kind humor.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, maybe I should have given it 4 stars but while I appreciated the history lesson and background at the beginning of the chapters to set up the columns, I found it very tedious that they then retaught you the history before each column too. I did learn ALOT, but found it hard to get into the flow of the book. She was a great lady.

[Ris · Rating 2 out of 5]

i read this as a companion piece to eleanor roosevelt's epic biography. i wanted something in her own words. and it was good, but in some ways i feel as though the bio captured her even more. her public tone was so strong in these columns.

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excerpts from Eleanor Roosevelts long running daily newspaper column. an interesting look into a very impressive woman. One of my book groups read anything about Eleanor or by her. What a great topic!

[Lynne Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleanor Roosevelt truly was such a progressive woman. In one column she recommended to her readers that they learn Spanish because it was going to become necessary in the future. Boy, what she right.

[Kathy Fields · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I was getting a book that was mostly My Day columns, but there is a lot more commentary and explanatory history than I expected. If you want to read just the columns, George Washington University has a complete collection of My Day columns at http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/myday/#

[Marcie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I was going to like this more than I did. It was a cross between a collection of her articles and a biography but I wasn't really satisfied by the depth of either one.

[G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its fascinating/depressing how little the world has changed in 50+ years. She talked about the same issues we do today: Haiti, energy usage, nuclear power.

[Michele bookloverforever · Rating 4 out of 5]

in her own words

[Joni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delightful period essays and columns from the indomitable Eleanor Roosevelt, first lady extraordinaire. Sassy, wise and brimming with humanity, one learns much from her wisdom and panache.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copy I read is only the Post War years but her usual folksy articles covering current events, relationships, and opinions of life and world events.

[Kim Lanza · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fall trip to Hyde Park sparked my interest in Eleanor Roosevelt. Reading her columns solidified my respect for her. As a woman. As an activist. As a writer.

[Phoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating era, formidable woman, brilliant look into her daily life.

[Wayne Geiser · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A Book Your Mom/Dad Loves" for this year's reading challenge.

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

"We should remember Thomas Jefferson's admonition that democracy, which we have discovered through the years to be one of the most difficult forms of government, cannot function except with an educated electorate." Not the kind of book to keep you up at night, but if, like me, you highly admire Eleanor Roosevelt, you might be interested in reading these columns selected from those she wrote daily for 26 years. She boldly speaks out against injustices, like Harry Belafonte, his wife and young son unable to find nice housing in New York City due to the color of their skin, or the U.S. government's reluctance to help the island of Haiti suffering horribly under a long drought-caused famine. Her meetings with a young JFK, an obstinate Krushchev, and so many other significant historical figures are really interesting to read about. Readers with a particular interest in this amazing woman's take on this quarter century of history may find this collection worth the read...others, I'm not too sure about.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not know too much about Eleanor Roosevelt before reading this, for instance, I did not know that she was more closely related to Teddy Roosevelt than FDR was. :O I enjoyed reading her articles and the historical summaries accompanying them. She comes across as such a refreshing combination of someone who was both extremely empathetic and rational -- which I really identified with. It is amazing (and somewhat depressing) how similar the issues she spoke of are still pertinent today.

The one article that really jumped out to me was her quoting Jefferson.

We should remember Thomas Jefferson's admonition that democracy, which we have discovered through the years to be one of the most difficult forms of government, cannot function except with an educated electorate.

I had recently come across an article that was doing a poll about the purpose of education in the United States, and not one response spoke of the need for an educated electorate which I found shocking, so it was nice to see her make that point.

[Agnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super impressive that Eleanor Roosevelt wrote 6 articles a week for over 20 years!

This was not a quick read, the same tone & format got a bit tedious but
I have so much respect for her.
She talked about national health insurance, better pay for teachers, freedom from want (poverty), affordable housing. She quit the D.A.R. when they were racist. She held press conferences with all female reporters.
She worked her ass off until the day she died. She was smart and could see all sides of an argument/political stance. In the height of the communist fear she could see that communist beliefs were not inherently evil, they just don't seem to work in practice. Things she said then still hold true now "The accusation of communism is rather loosely bandied about and covers whatever you happen not to like."

If she was alive now she would weep at what this country has become, but I wish we had someone with her intelligence, honesty, and fortitude speaking up.