The Eleanor Roosevelt Encyclopedia [Hardcover]

Maurine Hoffman Beasley (Author), Holly Cowan Shulman (Author), Henry R. Beasley (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0313301816 | ISBN-13: 978-0313301810 | Publication Date: December 30, 2000

Perhaps the most important woman in 20th century America, Eleanor Roosevelt fascinates scholar and layperson alike. This exciting encyclopedia brings together basic information illuminating her complex career and making the interaction between her private and public lives accessible to scholars, students, and the general public. Written by scholars—including the most eminent Eleanor Roosevelt and New Deal scholars—journalists, and those who knew her, the 200 plus entries in this book provide easy access to material showing how Eleanor Roosevelt changed the First Lady's role in politics, widened opportunities for women, became a liberal leader during the Cold War era, and served as a guiding spirit at the United Nations. A unique resource, the book provides an introduction to American history through the vantage point of a woman who both represented her times and moved beyond them.

Illuminating her multifaceted career, life, and relationships, The Eleanor Roosevelt Encyclopedia offers the reader an unparalleled opportunity to examine the complicated and fascinating life of Eleanor Roosevelt.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century. Her involvement with social causes, her unconventional career as first lady, and her underappreciated work with the United Nations carved a place for her in history. The many roles of wife, mother, reformer, reporter, columnist, TV interviewer, radio commentator, diplomat, and political campaigner are all covered in this comprehensive encyclopedia.

Some 237 entries arranged in alphabetical order and interspersed with numerous black-and-white photographs bring together the people and the achievements centered on this one remarkable woman. Topics were selected based on the recommendations of scholars and the staff at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and range from the excellent essay on how biographers have studied Roosevelt to discussions of more mundane issues, such as her clothing. Difficult subjects such as the changes in the Roosevelts' marriage and speculation about the first lady's own sexual orientation are given due consideration. Her support for civil rights and her invaluable work on the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" receive serious attention. Even her voluminous FBI file and J. Edgar Hoover's deep dislike and distrust are covered in detail. Useful lists are found in the entries Awards (noting her many honorary degrees) and Internet resources.

The articles vary in length from a few paragraphs to multiple pages for entries such as Civil Rights; Roosevelt, Franklin D., Jr.; and Speeches. Most are signed and conclude with a selected bibliography that is generally a mix of primary and secondary source materials. Cross-references to related articles are noted with an asterisk. The index notes entry headings in bold type. The entries are preceded by a chronology and two pages of well-known Roosevelt quotations. One photograph showing Roosevelt on a trail ride in Yosemite National Park seems misplaced in the entry on her religious beliefs.

That Eleanor Roosevelt was a complex twentieth-century woman is illustrated throughout the volume, which brings together in a scholarly yet readable style the many facets of her life and career. This encyclopedia is recommended for high-school, public, and academic libraries. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Our fascination with Eleanor Roosevelt grows larger with each passing year. This splendid encyclopedia offers an expansive, near-definitive exploration of her life and times. It belongs on the bookshelf of everyone who seeks to understand the meaning of the 20th century United States."-Nelson Lichtenstein author of Walter Reuther: The Most Dangerous Man in Detroit

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 656 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood (December 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313301816
• ISBN-13: 978-0313301810
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,046,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Eleanor Roosevelt Encyclopedia is a Winner, February 16, 2001

By 

Lewis L. Gould (Austin, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Eleanor Roosevelt Encyclopedia (Hardcover)

Maurine Beasley, Henry R. Beasley, and Holly C. Shulman have produced an outstanding reference work on Eleanor Roosevelt. They have enlisted an array of distinguished authors to write about every aspect of Mrs. Roosevelt's life, and the result is a fascinating collection of essays that range from her impact on the institution of the First Lady to the many social causes that she championed. Well illustrated and comprehensive in its coverage, the book is rewarding for the insights it provides into one of the most important women in American history and is simply an excellent reading experience on its own terms. This is a volume that belongs in every school and public library that wants to provide a lively, reliable, and perceptive introduction to the life and career of the First Lady of the World, as Mrs. Roosevelt was known. Anyone interested in Eleanor Roosevelt will also want to own this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a good read!, February 22, 2001

By 

Gay L. Gullickson, Professor of History, Univ... (College Park, MD 20742) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Eleanor Roosevelt Encyclopedia (Hardcover)

The first thing that should be said about The Eleanor Roosevelt Encyclopedia is that it is a "good read." You can open it anywhere and read fascinating information about Eleanor Roosevelt's life, friends, family, work, and political causes. You can follow the asterisks in the text to related entries, or you can read successive entries, learning serially and serendipitously about Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd, ER's social secretary who became romantically involved with FDR; ER's friend Rose Schneiderman, a Polish immigrant who became one of the most important labor leaders of the twentieth century; the scholarly debate over ER's sexuality; and Alfred Smith, Democratic presidential nominee in 1928. Everyone who was active in the progressive movement is here, as well as political organizations, foreign leaders, and discussions of such topics as television, the anti-lynching movement, birth control, the democratic party, ER's biographers, and the United Nations. Most especially, the amazing fullness of Eleanor Roosevelt's life is here. Small wonder that Hillary Clinton wanted to talk to her when she became first lady.