FDR

Author: (American) Burns
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: Roosevelt was the only U.S. president to serve four terms. While seated in a wheelchair, he skillfully used "fox-like tactics to achieve lion-like goals." Under his leadership, the United States laid a solid foundation for its status as a superpower, and he became one of the greatest presidents in the hearts of the American people. This book is primarily a political biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt. In addition to his public life, it thoroughly discusses his personal life, as work ruthlessly swept the great statesman into its vortex, including his family, even his beloved dog. How did Roosevelt become such a political figure? Why was he able to effectively gain power? From a long-term perspective, how powerful was he as a leader? In what areas did he fail, and why? What was the significance of his life for the Americans and U.S. policy? This book also focuses on the issue of political leadership within the U.S. democratic system. It primarily examines Roosevelt himself but also discusses the political environment in which he operated. My approach is based on the main findings of social scientists: leadership is a universal problem of character and is rooted in a specific spiritual civilization. We can only understand this political figure by examining his political, social, and ideological context, that is, by understanding how he shaped society and how society shaped him.