No ordinary time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt the home
front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Doris Kearns Goodwin is one of America’s premier historians. Two time winner
the Pulitzer Prize for history writing as well as many other awards. Often seen
on television as a history consultant she has done it all in her field. Her
study of Lincoln’s political skills in Team of Rivals showed how that skill
could be an honorable one and help to save the nation. Turned into a movie it
also won an Academy award as well as her second Pulitzer Prize.
Her first Pulitzer was No Ordinary Time. In the setting of the home front in World War II It tells the story of the
marriage so unusual it almost defies description. We learn of an affair, a broken but patched up marriage and then most remarkably what they
did together and apart which changed and brought a nation into its modern form and
and opened the door to world leadership.
Above all else though the book is an intimate
characterization of the Roosevelt’s and all the people they met and interacted
with during the most destructive war ever. But but what a cast of characters! Some world famous and others not Page by
page, chapter by chapter it all becomes more personal. And then perhaps like me
you will be saying wow! Their relationships, the successes and failures, the
foibles etc.Public and private details and anecdotes weave a story you will never
forget. I loved it all. Finally though my minded drifted to our RECENTLY PAST leader in Washington and I felt immeasurably sick.......
I must read this again! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI have read books about Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, watched the fabulous Ken Burns documentary on their family, and visited their homes and burial site at Hyde Park, NY. He was an imperfect man with an imperfect marriage and together they made a perfect team.
ReplyDeleteI saw the movie:)
ReplyDeleteThey were a facinating couple who somehow made it work.
ReplyDeletePaul watched the documentary on PBS but it was too looooong for me, so didn’t know they were so interesting. Think we’ll look up the movie.
ReplyDeleteGood post Ray, and excellent book. In terms of the too long, it seems endemic to our times, we have only the attention span of a short cartoon. It's how things like trump happen, is people cannot focus on any one thing for more than 15 seconds.
ReplyDeleteI have read almost all of her books. I so sadly have to agree with you about our present "leader." Who would ever imagined such a person as POTUS?
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