January Book Review

by Jim Michie

by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Ms. Goodwin has produced a scholarly, biographical history of the U.S. president and first lady during World War II that is impressive in the breadth and detail of its undertaking. I found the book fascinating because of the sheer volume of research presented between the covers, because I have always admired both the political prowess of Franklin and the ethical courage of Eleanor, and because it is such an important contrast in priorities to those currently being espoused from the depths of the oval office.

It was also appreciated because it recreates the times at the beginning of World War II when the U.S. was struggling to recover from the Great Depression and the times during the war when the U.S. emerged as the most powerful of all nations. This was the cultural landscape on which the unique elements of the 1950s were brightly splashed in bold brush strokes of altruism, domestic tranquility, optimism, respect for authority, and rational values. These were the times that formed my inner self, and I miss them enormously. Understanding the transition that the nation underwent during its preparation for and winning of the war is crucial to understanding our parents and the parts of themselves they gave to us when we were in our formative years.

Ms. Goodwin captures the desperation, dedication, and exuberance of these times exceedingly well. For this effort, she won the Pulitzer Prize for history in 1995, and the reader would do well to keep that in mind. This is a scholarly book of both biography and history. It is not a novel, nor is it an historical novel, nor is it a novelized biographical history. However, if one is interested in this specific slice of history, the Roosevelts, or the social conditions of the U.S. in the thirties and forties as the history that shaped the Class of ’55 era, plowing through the facts will be more rewarding than tiring. Since I would categorize myself as being to the left of Mrs. Roosevelt, if she were still alive, I will say that I found it all fascinating once again, even though I have read several other books on the period and the topic.

The big loss for the readers of this book is that Ms. Goodwin, who is a well reasoned thinker (I enjoyed her for many years on The News Hour before she disappeared from their panels of historians), seemed too timid to provide more than a smattering of her own research conclusions. Instead, the book is laced with second hand conclusions by other observers of the times or by the studies of other historians. While this might be an accepted style for books of this type, I personally feel that a historian should be focused on the available historical records and the facts they contain instead of the rehash of other peoples opinions.

I find that I have become too critical of the mechanics. Let me state once again that I enjoyed the subject and spirit of this book very much. It was a good choice for people of our generation looking back and trying to make sense of the factors that shaped our lives.