No Ordinary Time

Various members of the inner circle at the White House provide an intimate look at Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt beginning in the spring of 1940--at that point in their marriage leading quite separate lives but bound by family, the presidency, country and war. Edward Herrmann subtly captures the assured and patrician voice of Franklin. As Eleanor, Herrmann conveys her humility and self-doubt, as well as her conviction and graciousness. Perhaps because of the abridgment, the book's subplot, "the home front during WWII," plays second fiddle to the Roosevelts. Despite this shortfall, Herrmann's reading sweeps us along in a riveting narrative. J.H.L. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Starred review from August 29, 1994
No previous biography of a president has given so complete a picture of how private lives and political questions intersect uniquely for the residents of the White House. Nor has any history of WWII so fully documented the domestic life of the nation during the international crisis. Narrating the events of the war from the vantage point of the White House, Goodwin (Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream) reveals a political drama fought in Congress, within the cabinet, in the press and in the living quarters of the executive mansion. As Goodwin makes richly evident, Eleanor was a homefront counterpart to Winston Churchill, a partner and provocateur whose relationship with FDR was rarely smooth and often frankly confrontational. Previous works on the Roosevelts have suggested that, as an adviser, Eleanor was her husband's political and social conscience; Goodwin shows in stunning detail that even more, she was his astute political partner, lobbyist and goad. The author's portrait offers a fresh perspective on WWII and, more than coincidentally during the debate over the proper role of Hillary Rodham Clinton, depicts how a savvy, relentlessly involved First Lady incalculably enriched and shaped the political and social agendas of the nation. Photos. History Book Club split main selection; BOMC alternate; author tour.

Both were born rich. She had buckteeth and a weak chin. Before being crippled by polio, he damaged the marriage by bedding her personal secretary. This imperfect man, FDR, and his imperfect wife, Eleanor, strove mightily for a more perfect state, leading us out of the Great Depression. Prescient about the Nazi threat, FDR prepared the nation for war. He and his wife took us most of the way to victory. Starting slowly, the book accumulates telling detail, casting a powerful spell. Nelson Runger goes up the scales, rendering the deep voice of the omniscient narrator, the mirthful garrulity of FDR, and the willfully na•ve falsetto of his first lady: "But Franklin, that would be wrong." A sterling performance; an inspiring tale. B.H.C. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine