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FDR

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description FDR Overview

"FDR" is a 2008 comprehensive biography by Jean Edward Smith profiling the 32nd President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt. The book details his early life, his battle with polio, and his ascent to the presidency during the Great Depression. Smith extensively documents Roosevelt's implementation of the New Deal and his leadership during World War II.

Drawing on previously unseen archival material, the biography offers an in-depth examination of his political strategies and the complexities of his marriage to Eleanor Roosevelt.

help FDR FAQ

How does Jean Edward Smith portray Roosevelt's response to polio?

Smith presents the paralysis Roosevelt experienced after becoming ill in 1921 as a defining personal and political trial. He explains how Roosevelt worked to appear standing in public, used heavy leg braces, and built Warm Springs in Georgia into a rehabilitation community.

Does the biography examine Roosevelt's decision to seek four terms?

Yes. Smith follows Roosevelt through four presidential victories, from 1932 to 1944, and considers how economic crisis and World War II helped overturn the two-term precedent associated with George Washington.

How does Smith handle FDR's wartime partnership with Churchill?

The biography covers Roosevelt's close but strategically complicated relationship with British prime minister Winston Churchill. Their cooperation included the Atlantic Charter and the Allied demand for unconditional surrender, while disagreements remained over colonialism and postwar priorities.

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