Franklin Delano Roosevelt stands astride American history like a colossus. Having pulled the nation out of the Great Depression and led it to victory in the Second World War, in his four terms as president Roosevelt transformed an inward-looking country into the greatest superpower the world had ever known. Few biographies have been able to capture the full scope, the charisma, and the complexities of the man in full-until Conrad Blacks Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In this extraordinary and eminently readable assessment, Black-a staunch conservative-takes to task the Roosevelt naysayers, lays bare the Yalta myth, and makes a surprising and compelling case that that FDR was the most influential and important person of the twentieth century.
Hailed by critics from all sides of the political spectrum as masterful, epic, and the best biography of Roosevelt yet, Franklin Delano Roosevelt is bar-none the definitive biography of the 32nd president. It is an essential resource for anyone who wishes to understand not only Roosevelt-but the very history of the twentieth century, both in America and throughout the world.
What you can learn from a Great Leader
No leader has had more positive influence in the 20th century than Franklin D Roosevelt.
This book of 1280 pages shows you what he did, why he did what he did, and why it worked. The book presents to you the reality. Not everything FDR did was good and or successful like for example his attempt to change the membership of the Supreme Court.
The immense detail in his book gives you the feeling of really understanding FDR. Reading this book gives you a clear picture of the differences between leading a country and leading an, even very large, business. One important difference is the dependence of a leader of government to maintain the support of the majority of the citizens of a country.
An excellent example is the way FDR was able lead American opinion to accept the necessity of the United States to take the lead in defeating German Nazism and Japanese Imperialism. The overwhelming opinion, when FDR became president was that the USA should not get involved in European quarrels. FDR realized this in 1933 but waited until the Japanese attacked the US before asking congress to approve a declaration of war. But, by that time FDR had already organized a tremendous build up of armaments, saved the UK from defeat and supported the Soviet Union with arms.
This example shows how a great leader of a country was able to influence public opinion, facing head on the competition for that opinion by powerful political and ideological leaders violently opposed to his policies, like John L. Lewis, President of the United Mine Workers Union from the political Left and Charles Lindbergh, the famous aviator, on the political Right.
Reading the book you realize the moral dilemmas a great leader has to face. If you tell the truth about of what should be done too early, you will loose the election. And you will be unable to reach the goals to which you are committed. The dilemma is to force yourself to subordinate straightforwardness to what feels like manipulation.
Equally interesting is how FDR dealt with the depression when appointed. It is frightening to read that several of the causes of the depression in 1933 were the same as in 2008/2009. Are we unable to learn? Do we have incompetent leaders?
The book again describes the reality of getting out of the depression. Some measures FDR installed were good others were not. FDR was a "learning" president. He wanted short term to get out of the depression and long term that the United States would become a more equitable society but did not know exactly how to achieve it. He therefore experimented and monitored the outcome. If it did not work he tried something else. He always had a clear objective, and talked to many people with different and conflicting views about what should be done. On several occasions FDR had the courage made decisions different from those recommended by his cabinet members that turned out to be right.
FDR also succeeded several times in achieving support of both parties. A simple method was to include prominent Republicans in the cabinet like Henry L. Stimson who was secretary of State in the Republican Cabinet of H. Hoover, 1929 to 1933 and Secretary of War in the FDR Democratic cabinet 1940 to 1945.
FDR is a good example of a leader that never gave up. FDR was a cripple but he accomplished more than any other US President except Abraham Lincoln.
You become inspired by what a good leader can accomplish and learn a lot.
The Leader's Way: The Art of Making the Right Decisions in Our Careers, Our Companies, and the World at Large
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