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lirewoodis's review
5.0
This book was timely for me. As a student of political history, I found this first installment of the Age Of Roosevelt particularly fascinating, more so due to the time of my reading. I started this book just before the 2020 SC Dem primary and finished it amidst the massive quarantining caused by COVID-19. This current season is full of massive uncertainty and fear, which allowed me to read this book with a different lens.
FDR is a cog in a wheel of this first book. Schlesinger spends the majority of his time setting the scene going into great depths to lay the groundwork of political philosophy present at that time. FDR is much more central in the back 30% of this volume. I’ve read a good bit on FDR, but up until now, I never quite realized how much uncertainty surrounded his transition period between election and inauguration. Those in his orbit seemed to be genuinely unsure of what he would pursue as his priorities. We know how the story ends but undoubtedly terrifying to consider at that point in time.
I would highly recommend for anyone interested in 1920s America, Democratic politics pre-New Deal, and political philosophy. Those readers anxious to explore FDR in more depth, I would recommend patience.
FDR is a cog in a wheel of this first book. Schlesinger spends the majority of his time setting the scene going into great depths to lay the groundwork of political philosophy present at that time. FDR is much more central in the back 30% of this volume. I’ve read a good bit on FDR, but up until now, I never quite realized how much uncertainty surrounded his transition period between election and inauguration. Those in his orbit seemed to be genuinely unsure of what he would pursue as his priorities. We know how the story ends but undoubtedly terrifying to consider at that point in time.
I would highly recommend for anyone interested in 1920s America, Democratic politics pre-New Deal, and political philosophy. Those readers anxious to explore FDR in more depth, I would recommend patience.
claphuenf's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
kateofmind's review
5.0
Magnificently illuminating and comprehensive, with a truly stunning array of parallels to today (all of them Depressing). We're re-living almost all of these crises, but without any adults in the room to manage them. I think I need to buy this book.
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