No comments about The Autobiography of Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1790.

5 comments about The Dying President: Franklin D. Roosevelt 1944-1945.

1. In the 1970's Jim Bishop wrote an excellent book titled "FDR's Last Year," which contained some inaccuracies and a lot of very relevant history, (despite sometimes making it sound like FDR could have died at any given moment), but this book by Robert Ferrell is a real mess. Bishop's book was good reading, and followed his subject along through a consistent chronological pattern over the course of a year, and while it did focus a lot on FDR's health, it also revealed all the work FDR accomplished up until his death. This new book is completely unnecessary and a pale comparison to Bishop's. The author's personal agenda must be to prove that FDR tricked the nation into re-electing him when he knew he was dying. An old theory, and there's never been any substantial proof, and certainly not in Ferrell's book. Who really needs several pages of FDR's recorded blood pressure readings on different dates (especially in a book this small)? Who wants to read a book that is so inconsistent in chronological sequencing that it is impossible to understand what the author is attempting to construct or prove? Is this book necessary at all when virtually all the information in it has been known for decades from other books and sources? The book is not well-written and the subject material is derivative. Avoid it and search out better material such as Bishop's book or other more accomplished biographies such as the recent book by Doris Kearns Goodwin, "No Ordinary Time."



2. I couldn't help but contrast this book with the Bishop book, 'FDR's Last Year'. This writer paints FDR as someone and something far different than I've read in many, many other books. He most certainly was ill, he had poor medical care, and possibly he deceived the nation about his true condition. However, he also provided the nation with reassuring leadership and contributed to our war effort literally until his death. This book is poorly organized, but worse, is mean-spirited. Definitely a 'pass'.



3. Some have written that Ferrell's work is sloppy and depressing. I disagree. Ferrell does an excellent job of showing 21st Century readers just how different this country was 50 years ago. That the entire country could look at Roosevelt during his last run for office - and know that he was a dying man - and not know it at the same time, is amazing. This is the same country that couldn't deal directly with a President in a wheel chair. The country knew it, but didn't know it, all at the same time. How different was the relationship between the press and the White House!

   The purpose of this book is not simply to drive home the point that Roosevelt was a dying man when he ran for a fourth term. The point of this book is about collective denial. The fact that most of the country suffered from it, used it, and both benefitted from it in some ways, and paid for it in others. Collective denial isn't much different from individual denial. It is a powerful mechanism that existed not only in the relationship between FDR and the country, but between FDR and himself. It also is the mechanism that allowed the United States to fight WWII to "make the world safe for democracy," while at the same time the country was somehow unaware of its own racist, anti-democratic values. Ferrell's book should be read within the context of the times, so that it may shed light on ours.




4. Arthur Schlessinger theorized that every thirty years, the political pendulum swings between the left and right wings. No surprise then, that nearly 60 years after his death, there has been a slew of books slamming Franklin Delano Roosevelt's wartime leadership. No surprise, either, is that this book is published by University of Missouri press, since Robert Ferrell goes out of his way to all but directly state that Missourian Harry Truman saved the world from the sick and incompetent FDR.

   Ferrell's thesis is that FDR's poor health made him largely ineffective during his last year. His doctors had recommended four-hour work days. Ferrell fails to note that FDR largely ignored his doctors mandates, and continued to submit himself to a punishing schedule which included exhausting summit trips, numerous press conferences, and a re-election campaign. He arbuably worked harder that the physically healthier George W. Bush, and may have worked himself literally to death.

   Ferrell's credibilty is obliterated by the ridiculous statement that FDR was nearly as incapacitated as was Woodrow Wilson in 1920. Wilson was a near vegetable following his stroke. But anyone who has read the minutes of the Yalta conference--which I doubt Ferrell has--will realize that despite his physical condition, FDR remained mentally sharp.

   There is no denying that FDR was in poor physical shape during his last 15 months in office. He suffered from congestive heart failure and high blood pressure. Ferrell also presents the theory, neither denying nor endorsing it, that FDR may have had melanoma and/or stomach cancer, but there is no evidence for that. What were the root causes of FDR's decline? Common sense points to diet and excercise. FDR's diet during the white house years left much to be desired. For example, the President breakfasted every morning on scrambled eggs and bacon. Of course, in the 1940s far less was known about the dangers of cholesterol that today. Despite his paralysis, FDR tried to remains physically active and healthy by swimming daily. (His correspondence with Daisy Suckley indicates that he was mildly preoccupied with his weight, and he tended to "yo-yo" in weight during his first two terms in office.) As the war made greater demands on his time, he abandoned his excercise routine, which was accompanied by weight gain, loss of upper body muscle tone, and increasing blood pressure.

   There is no doubt, also, that FDR husbanded his strength during his last year. He concentrated his work on two overriding goals: 1) Allied victory in World War II, with the greatest possible speed, and the smallest possible loss of Allied soldiers (four of whom were his own sons). 2) The creation of the United Nations as a means of preventing a Third World War, which FDR knew humanity would not survive.

   Franklin Delano Roosevelt was successful on both counts.




5. The Dying President: Franklin D. Roosevelt 1944-1945 by Robert H. Ferrell isn't much of a book, and it doesn't cover much information not previously published.
   
   Most FDR fans know the basic facts about his life and death. In 1944, his daughter, Anna Roosevelt Boettiger, insisted that her father have a complete physical because of what could be seen as a visible and marked physical decline. Prior to that, the president's standing physician, Dr. Ross McIntire, was a Navy doctor whose specialty was Ear, Nose and Throat. A battery of doctors from Bethesda Naval Hospital discovered that FDR suffered from severe hypertension and congestive heart failure. In 1944, there was little the medical profession could do for these two maladies. Unbelievably, the president was kept in the dark about his health, and he never asked questions about his health, constant medical testing, or his treatments. These medical experts (who took over his treatment) were also not consulted about FDR's decision to run for a fourth term.
   
   There is not much new in The Dying President, except what comes from the diaries of FDR's distant cousin and confident, Margaret Daisy Suckley. But even these revelations don't add much to the story, other than the fact that FDR did know that Dr. Howard Bruenn was a cardiologist. Ferrell does offer the theories that FDR could have suffered from stomach cancer or melanoma. But he provides no additional research to prove or disprove these already published speculations.
   
   When discussing a book written by Dr. Ross McIntire about FDR, Ferrell describes it as "absurdly thin." The same can be said about The Dying President. The body of this book is only 152 pages, and 36 of these pages are photographs. Ferrell also claims that FDR was such an ill man, that his omissions and mistakes changed the course of history. History reveals otherwise. Even his own cabinet member, Frances Perkins, was quoted as saying "He has a great and terrible job to do, and he's got to do it, even if it kills him."
   
   I recommend you save your money and read The Hidden Campaign by Hugh Evans or FDR's Last Year by Jim Bishop for a better accounting of Roosevelt's last years.

No comments about The Triumph of Internationalism: Franklin D. Roosevelt and a World in Crisis, 1933-1941 (Issues in the History of American Foreign Relations).

5 comments about The Right Moment: Ronald Reagan's First Victory and the Decisive Turning Point in American Politics.

1. The Right Moment details the governor's race in 1966 with Pat Brown (the incumbent) against a political newcomer, one Ronald Reagan. I thoroughly enjoyed this book for one major fact: It wasn't all about Reagan.
   
   Writing books about Reagan is a cottage industry, and most of them, while not bad, rarely cover new territory. ("God and Reagan" by Paul Kengor being one of the few recent exceptions.) I started this book expecting it to be another cheerleading Reagan-was-great gloss-over.
   
   Thankfully, it's anything but. While it does detail Reagan's ascendancy in the conservative movement (and, not incidentally, his discarding of his liberal past) and his subsequent race for the governorship, it is more about California politics in general and the disintegration of Pat Brown's stewardship.
   
   It has what every election book has: the personality profiles of the political bosses, the attempts of primary challengers to knock out the inevitable winner, the gaffes and "defining" moments that seem ridiculously banal thirty years hence; and the culminating victory.
   
   There are only two disappointments. One is there is very little detailing the mixing of Hollywood and California politics. Many believe that Reagan was the first, and he was the most important. However, George Murphy ("a song-and-dance man") became a hard-right senator before Reagan even "converted" to politics, and he gets scant mention. And Helen Gahagan is ignored as well. This isn't a book about Hollywood and politics, but it was an important enough phenomenon it might have been given a bit more consideration.
   
   The other miss is the "election roundup" common in books of this type; I like them. I would have been interested to know where in California he had pulled his support--both geographically and demographically. There's a little bit at the end but not much.
   
   Thankfully, one thing that is left out is the expected "and this was the start of something big" nonsense. While true, it could degenerate into a love feast with the same platitudes you read in other Reagan books. There is no such section in this book, which increases its quality.
   
   People might dismiss this book as a Reagan book, and in reality it's not. It is an excellent portal into a small fraction of a very influential movement.



2. The Book "The Right Moment" by Matthew Dallek is an important piece of balanced research into the 1966 campaign for Governor of California. The race chronicles one conservative (actor turned politician) verse an old guard liberal who dominated California politics for the last eight years named Pat "The Giant Killer" Brown.
   
   This book makes a few very important cases. One being Reagan benifited from the changing trends in politics nationally as well as in California. There is no doubt there is truth in that but it is also important to note that Reagan did what no other modern conservative had done and that is win big. Dallek understands that it was Reagan's skill plus the right times which brought about a national change. Riots, Vietnam, and the failings of the Great Society turned America into a nation ripe for political change. Reagan was the man who lead the revolution from California and eventually ending with the demise of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
   
   Dallek also understands what many authors do not and that is Reagan ran a mainstream conservative campaign from California on into the White House.
   
   It is also important to note that this book chronicles the life, campaigns, and ambition of Pat Brown who was a very able politician who knocked off former Vice President Richard Nixon in 62 who challenged Brown's hold on Sacramento.
   
   Much of the problem with Brown was that he underestimated Reagan (which would not be the last time an incumbent did that) and failed to quell the anarchy in Watts and Berkley.
   
   If you enjoy studying Ca politics, political campaigns, or political history this book is very valuable and brings out a lot of new information on the 66 Governor's race. Another strong quality is the balanced approach "The Right Moment" offers and its obviously well researched. I believe more could have easily been written about the 66 race.



3. Matthew Dallek's account of Reagan's victory in California's gubernatorial race of 1966 is a page turner. People interested in political history will learn much about Reagan's character and about the shortcomings of liberalism in the sixties. Great book.



4. Ronald Reagan's speech in favor of Barry Goldwater's presidential campaign was the starting point of his political career. His successful campaign for governor of California, against incumbent Pat Brown, was the start of the conservative movement.
   His ability to bring together the Birch society members, the conservative democrats, Republican moderates and other conservatives proved that Reagan was a political genius. Many believed that a B movie actor, former Roosevelt democrat, GE pitchman, and former union member could never be considered a serious political campaigner. How wrong they were !
   Matthew Dallek, in this wonderfully written account goes to great length to describe all the events surrounding that first campaign, the race riots (Watts), the student uprising at Berkeley, the divisions within both the democratic and conservative parties, and all the characters who were directly involved in the campaign. He is fair and allows the reader to really understand how the conservative movement in America really started with Reagan's first successful run in California.
   He also tells us that Reagan became a true hero and political mentor to many politicians, as is the case of the current Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzeneger. Both men had many different political beliefs, but they both had great personal charisma. Their foundations are very similar.
   This is a great book with many details. Highly recommended and very enjoyable to read.



5. Not being a fan of the usual election campaign books, I took this up with low expectations. I just wanted to know something about Ronald Reagan's first campaign for governor. I also suspected that it would be something of a hatchet job on RR. To my pleasant surprise, Matthew Dallek has produced an engaging--even exciting--narrative that is very well balanced. Though he does tend to laud the "responsible liberalism" of Edmund "Pat" Brown, the Democratic incumbent that Reagan unseated, he also fairly portrays the new conservatism and "Creative Society" philosophy of Ronald Reagan and his supporters. I highly recommend this work as essential for understanding the beginnings of the Reagan Revolution. After this, a good read that bookends the subject is John Ehrman's 'The Eighties: America in the Age of Reagan.'

No comments about "Lincoln's Humor" and Other Essays.

No comments about A Commitment To Honor A Unique Portrait Of Abraham Lincoln In His Own Words.

3 comments about Hitler in Vienna, 1907-1913: Clues to the Future.

1. This is a book which gives the reader uncommon insight into what could well be the unseen fermenting origins of the most evil mastermind and destroyer in human history(Adolf Hitler). This detailed account of the degenerate class of life in which Hitler resided at the start of his manhood encompasses a curious mixture of the little-known facts about his obscure poverty, in stark contrast to the series of events revolving around Vienna which led directly to World War I. A positive aspect of this interesting work is the fact that as we witness the tramp and the homeless Hitler, his life is told without omission of detail, and most importantly, it is told independent of any direct comparison to the future leader who would eventually come to rule the Third Reich. A must for those who crave the hidden details beneath the ordinary texts.



2. this book is not only incredible for its meticulous detail and unknown information about hitler but its also a social discourse on life in general of the old hapsburg empire and vienna at the turn of the century.the fact that this man was a bum who almost died of sickness and spent a few years sleeping in doorways and parks and was very close to starving but survived to be master of not only a country but a continent and almost the world is just further proof that fact is indeed stranger than fiction. stories about his adventures with many friends who were jewish is astonishing and in direct contradiction to his rantings in mein kampf where he liked to say he became an ant semite in vienna. its not true and suggests that hitler was only bieng an anti semite because it was politically advantageous in a land where anti semitism was widespread. if that is true that makes him even scarier. he was a close friend of a jew named joseph nueman and many of the mens homes he lived in were run by jews. he only liked to do business with jews and it was a jew who helped him from freezing to death by giving him a coat and many jews bought and sold his paintings for him.a very engrossing book for anyone interested in the subject of what shaped hitlers thinking



3. Extremely interesting and informative insight into a fascinating (time)...Much insight into the character of A.Hitler ( and friends)..As an amateur historian i learned much I didnt know..The author wrote without prejudice(s) and merely presented facts..The opinions should be left to the reader...If your interested in this subject you will enjoy the book...

No comments about Balfour (British Prime Ministers of the 20th Century) (Life&Times).

1 comments about The Clinton Charisma: A Legacy of Leadership.

1. For too long, too many on both the right, and the ultra far left have accused Bill Clinton of political cowardess, that he was a panderer, that he did tihngs for political expediency. This book finally ends the myth. Most of the things Clinton did as President were NOT politically convenient. They were risky costly items, as the book mentions. Examples include the bill which ended the deficit in 1993, which passed with 51-50 thanks to Al Gore. It was many Democrats who cowered into a corner on that. His decision to fight Bin Laden was brave as well, considered Republicans accused him of "wagging the dog". Notice how Bin Laden didn't get us in the US until Clinton was gone. Bill Clinton was a leader, to win the popular vote twice, unlike George W Bush and his father.

5 comments about A Man of Faith: The Spiritual Journey of George W. Bush.

1. A man of faith with the faith unspecified.
   
   Back in the 1800's when his folks were in politics, they firmly believed the wrong side won the AMerican REvolution.
   
   This book, written by a subject of the British throne reveals why Bush once again places us as peons and mercenaries for the british imperial crown.
   
   Back in the 1800's the bush family joined Cotton MAther of Yale in burning landowners as witches in order to steal their profitable farms.
   
   
   Now he demonizes the IRaqi nation and kills an estimated million of them to steal their oil fields
   
   Nothing new under the sun. Only do not call it faith
   
   FAith in the gun, maybe.
   
   Saint JAmes writes even the devil believes in God and shudders in fear.
   Faith without good works is nothing.
   By their fruits will you know them.
   Bush's fruits stink to high heaven.
   
   For a faith with good works read a theologian like the REverend Father John Dear's Jesus the rebel, and learn why every Christian faithful and true must firmly oppose George W Bush.
   
   
   By the way, this piece of partisan politicizing which helped steal our 2004 elections by deceiving countless well-intended but eagerly gullible people is now going for fourteen cents.



2. I guess I am the only one that has actually read this book and the Bible. An unnecessary war? Maybe these people have been hiding under a rock. Or maybe they are just liberals that love to act like they have faith until they open their mouths and it becomes obvious they have no idea what they are talking about. Anyway, if you are a "true" Christian that actually reads and understands your Bible, you will enjoy this book. Thank God for President Bush. A great man of convictions, values, and morals. The rest of you - well you are cowardly traitors.



3. How many people are now dead because of the stubbern recklessness of this pompous man?
   It makes me sick to the stomach to see him refered to as "spiritual". In this particular case his ACTIONS have spoken, loudly, to the kind of person he truly is. Just because we've been fed lies over and over again does not mean that they've become truth.



4. This "family friendly" exposition of George W. Bush's journey into Christian faith, describes his conversion and his declaration of faith well, in clear and in as complimentary terms as one could expect. However, by not examining the meaning of this conversion in light of the 43rd President's record, it seems to beg an important question: What has Mr. Bush's Christian faith meant in terms of how he has governed, or in terms of how "un-Christian-like" most of his policy actions have actually turned out to be?
   
   Except for his African AIDS initiative, one would be hard-pressed to find in this book any "Christian-like resonances" emanating from the GW Bush administration, or from any of his policies. One wonders what kind of grade Jesus might have given Mr. Bush on how Christian his humanitarian record has been? Surely by omitting the connections between his Christianity and the humanity of his policies, the author is not intentionally leaving open the possibility that our 43rd President's Christian conversion was mere cynical, if not astute politics, without any substantive meaning whatsoever?
   
   I admit, I am not a G.W. Bush fan, and am a "born-again non-Christian," but I do approach each book, including this one, with an open mind. I had the hope that I would find a new kind of meaning in G.W. Bush's Christian conversion, but try as I might there is none of that here. What one finds instead is that while "turning to Jesus" may have saved GW's from his own descent into personal self-destruction, and did indeed save his presidential candidacy, it did not change his hard-conservative heart:
   
   Mr. Bush still stands alone among Christian Presidents as having executed more death row criminals than any other official in U.S. History. His un-Christian-like negligence during the Katrina Hurricane was not just incompetent, but smacked of racism and of Christian uncaring, and left a black mark on the American humanitarian record that will endure. Arguably this negligence was one of the most irresponsible domestic acts ever committed by a U.S. President. Add to this the pre-emptive aspects of the new "Bush doctrine," which is to shoot first, declare victory and then ask the hard questions later, and one begins to want to ask of GW the Tina Turner question: "What does converting to Christianity have to do with any of this?"
   
   Three Stars



5. Those who keep screaming at the top of their lungs obscenities about this great man are obviously people who are so entenched in their own liberal philosophies that they simply can't be reasoned with despite the facts. I think, like the last competent democrat president Harry Truman, in time after his presidency is complete, history will give him the credit he deserves in doing more than anyone else in history to try to end tyrrany in the world and dealt state sponsored terrorism a crippling blow. There is a reason this man held the reigns of the most powerful nation on the face of the planet at times such as these - God knew he had the strength to withstand the unprecedented pressure of the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil and the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. His liberal critics conveniently leave out the facts that both situations were a direct result of democrats' dangerous liberal policies: Clinton and his worthless and unending "proportional" responses to terrorist attacks and congressional democrats constant obstruction to regulate major mortgage banks. One reviewer of this book asked, "How does he sleep at night?" Much better than you I bet - because his conscience is clear and unlike you, he's actually done something great with his life. Remember that this country no longer has a military draft so all the brave men and women who have given their lives to defend this great nation in recent years were all volunteers who soberly weighed the consequences of their decision to put on the uniform. If there were more men of faith like him, the whole world would be a better place.