The Essential Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Library of Freedom) [Hardcover]

John Gabriel Hunt (Author)

Book Description

Series: Library of Freedom | Publication Date: January 25, 1995

A collection of important writings and speeches includes Roosevelt's famed ""Fireside Chats,"" which were originally broadcast on the radio during the Great Depression and World War II.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 334 pages
• Publisher: Gramercy (January 25, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517122898
• ISBN-13: 978-0517122891
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,940,540 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Without his voice, there isn't much, August 28, 2000

By 

Candace Scott (Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Essential Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Library of Freedom) (Hardcover)

The point of Franklin Roosevelt's brilliant fireside chats and other seminal speeches was that the listener could hear his voice and experience his charisma. This is impossible with this book which is merely lifeless words on the printed page. Of course some of FDR's speeches make interesting reading, but the entire thrust of his message is lost without the resonant voice and the indefinable "something" he brought to the microphone.

Just yesterday I was listening on CD to FDR's incomparable Pearl Harbor speech from December 8, 1941. Even though this was long before I was born, I always get goosebumps listening to his intonations, the cheering from the Representatives and Senators and the feeling that you are actually witnessing history. There is none of this in this book, where reading speeches is a paltry substitute (at best) for listening to FDR, who was perhaps the most effective Presidential orator of the 20th century. Those who extol Reagan as an effective and charismatic communicator need to listen to Roosevelt.

My advice is to buy a CD with the collected speeches of FDR and ignore this book. The idea is good but the premise flawed. You need to hear Roosevelt's voice, not merely read his words.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Comprehensive Collection of FDR's Major Works, January 2, 2000

By 

J. Mendelsohn (Palo Alto, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Essential Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Library of Freedom) (Hardcover)

The Essential Franklin Delano Roosevelt is by far the most comprehensive collection of that President's major works. Each and every piece presented in this book is historically relevant. Formatted in chronological order, Hunt takes his reader on a journey from Roosevelt's First Gubernatorial Inaugural Address to remarks Roosevelt gave to congress on the Yalta Conference days before his death. The Essential FDR is the perfect book for anyone from a Roosevelt scholar or research-paper-writing high school student. Almost 350 pages of anything quotable by one of history's greatest men. As an aside, John Gabriel Hunt's introduction is also quite informative and gives great background information. If you want FDR, you want this book!

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT BOOK TO GET TO KNOW THE BEST PRESIDENT EVER, January 24, 2000

By 

"nen5" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Essential Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Library of Freedom) (Hardcover)

First - I hate political books that make it seem that you have to have an MBA to read it. But this book is intelligent, a reference guide, and a great book to which you will read great works of speeches. FDR, is a great idealist and essentially a great man. This is a great book, in which to read his thoughts.