Roosevelt entered the White House in 1933 confronting twenty-five-percent unemployment, bank closings, and a nationwide crisis in confidence. With reforms ranging from the legalization of alcohol to mortgage relief for millions of Americans, Roosevelt launched the New Deal that conservatives have been working to roll back ever since. Badger emphasizes Roosevelt’s political gifts while humanizing Roosevelt and suggesting a far more useful yardstick for future presidents: the politics of the possible under the guidance of principle.
Roosevelt took office in the throes of a horrible economic crisis for the U.S. The controversial New Deal was his emergency response to the Depression. Upon his inauguration, like President Obama, FDR appealed to a Democratic Congress and went to work spending money to create jobs. Narrator William Hughes handles the rapid-fire political and economic details without theatrical characters or emotion. With a quick pause in the narration, he makes it clear when he speaks the words of someone not the author. Hughes enhances the sometimes-tedious rhetoric by varying his pitch and rhythm, making the delivery conversational. Hearing this audiobook in the light of the new Obama administration, facing similar challenges, makes it more timely and appealing than it might otherwise be. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
Booklist...
'With insight, great judiciousness, and extremely well-ordered pacing, Badger, an expert in American history at Cambridge University, reviews the pieces of legislation and analyzes their effectiveness. An important book in contributing to a complete picture of twentieth-century U.S. history that is clear and accessible.”
About the Author
Anthony J. Badger is Paul Mellon Professor of American History at Cambridge University and Master of Clare College. He is the author of a number of books, Including North Carolina and the New Deal and The New Deal: The Depression Years, 1933-1940.
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