FDR's Splendid Deception: The Moving Story of Roosevelt's Massive Disability-And the Intense Efforts to Conceal It from the Public [Hardcover]

Hugh Gregory Gallagher (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0918339502 | ISBN-13: 978-0918339508 | Publication Date: March 1, 1999 | Edition: 3

This moving story of Franklin Delano Roosevelt s massive disability and the intense efforts to conceal it from the public has been widely acknowledged as revising the understanding of Roosevelt s personality and decision making process. It is an intensely personal view of FDR. It traces his developments from the early years, his battle with polio, his fight for rehabilitation, his paralysis and his need to hide it, both in public and in private as well as the impact the paralysis and its cover-up had on his political career, his personality, and his relations with others. Now complete with a detailed account of the FDR Memorial and the struggle by disability advocates to have FDR depicted as he was in his wheelchair. Must reading for everyone interested in presidential history, disability history, and modern American history. A book not to be missed.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The author is a writer and scholar on the Washington scene. He served in the Johnson White House and as a Senate staffer. His previous books include: Black Bird Fly Away: Disabled in an Able-bodied World (Vandamere Press, 1998); By Trust Betrayed: Patients, Physicians, and the License to Kill in the Third Reich, 2nd Edition (Vandamere Press, 1995); Etok: A Story of Eskimo Power, (G.P. Putnam & Sons, 1975); and Advise and Obstruct: The Role of the United States Senate in Foreign Policy Decisions ( Delacorte, 1969), a Pulitzer Prize Nominee. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, People, Mainstream, and many other publications. He is a highly regarded and popular speaker nationwide on both disability and presidential history. He is the father of the Architectural Barriers Act, and considered to be the grandfather of the Disability Rights Act. Gallagher contracted paralytic polio in 1952. He was rehabilitated at the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation. He is paraplegic, uses a wheelchair, and lives in Cabin John, Maryland. In 1995 he was awarded the prestigious Henry B. Betts award in recognition of his lifelong contributions to disability thought.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 242 pages
• Publisher: Vandamere Pr; 3 edition (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0918339502
• ISBN-13: 978-0918339508
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #887,029 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rare But Important Take on FDR, May 6, 2000

By 

Brett Leggett - See all my reviews

This review is from: FDR's Splendid Deception: The Moving Story of Roosevelt's Massive Disability-And the Intense Efforts to Conceal It from the Public (Hardcover)

Countless biographies have been written about the nation's 32nd President, but few devote more than a chapter or passing reference to FDR's battle with Polio. Mr. Gallagher's book is a rare and important one in illustrating what his day-to-day struggle was like. He details FDR's carefully-orchestrated public appearances which, for the country, maintained the illusion that their President could actually walk.

While I found the book to be inspirational, perhaps the most fascinating realization was the respect of the media in maintaining this illusion. For instance, we learn that of the thousands of photos taken of Roosevelt, only a couple exist that show him in his wheelchair. In an age where every aspect of a President's health and private life are scrutinized, this book allows us to ask the uneasy question of whether one of our greatest Presidents could ever have been elected today. You don't have to be a history buff to appreciate the value of this book; I highly recommend it.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't miss this FDR Memorial Edition: terrific!, April 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: FDR's Splendid Deception: The Moving Story of Roosevelt's Massive Disability-And the Intense Efforts to Conceal It from the Public (Hardcover)

I am pleased to see this book back in print. Mr. Gallagher's book is excellent, and a great read for history buffs and those who lived through the Polio epidemics, or want to see what it was like. I had Polio in 1953, and didn't realize FDR had Polio until much later. I never knew until I read this book that FDR wore braces on both legs (my brace was right leg only), and that FDR never walked unassisted (as I was able to do). We both had great upper arm strength, better for a guy than a girl! FDR deceived not only me, but everyone. And, it is good to know the whole story as presented by Mr. Gallagher in his great book. I am pleased to add it to my library.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You can read a lot of books on or about FDR,, February 7, 2003

By 

JOHN GODFREY (Milwaukee ,WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: FDR's Splendid Deception: The Moving Story of Roosevelt's Massive Disability-And the Intense Efforts to Conceal It from the Public (Hardcover)

but this book is the best of a small but special niche. Hugh Gallagher did a fine job & it is obvious from this book & television interviews he has given, that this is a subject he cares deeply about.
There was a conspiracy of silence among reporters & those close to FDR not to acknowledge his paralysis. This silence extended beyond his life to many books & even for a while, the memorial to him. He referred to his affliction maybe once in public late in his life.
The time he spent before & during his presidency rehabing in Warm Springs impacted on him in important ways. A strong bond developed between him, the people of Warm Springs & his fellow patients. That perhaps is the silver lining to his polio: the contact he had with ordinary folks he would never have meet, never would have had anything in common with except his disease.
I think Mr. Gallagher might agree that being stricken with polio was the defining event of FDR's life. Before he was a political lightweight. He was a handsome, charming politician who thought he might like to be president someday. After, he became wiser, more sober yet still charming, less arrogant, more compassionate & a traitor to his upper class breeding. He became stronger, much stronger as a man. The strength he gained from this ordeal contributed greatly to his becoming president & eventually leader of the free world. An important work to read to get the whole Roosevelt.