The Three Roosevelts: Patrician Leaders Who Transformed America

by James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn

Book Overview

The Three Roosevelts is the extraordinary political biography of the intertwining lives of Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt, who emerged from the closed society of New York's Knickerbocker elite to become the most prominent American political family of the twentieth century. As Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning author James MacGregor Burns and acclaimed historian Susan Dunn follow the evolution of the Roosevelt political philosophy,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802138721
• ISBN13: 9780802138729
• Release Date: February 2002
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 688 Pages
• Weight: 2.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.8" x 5.8" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Interesting Writing. Pulitzer Prize Biographer.

This book caught my attention when it received good reviews from major newspapers, magazines, and critics when it came out (which you can find on the Internet). The writing is interesting and moves along smoothly. James MacGregor Burns knows his material well. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his biography of FDR. The theme and emphasis of this book is that the three Roosevelts were elite and rich, and yet battled concentrated wealth. The book begins with the solemn scene of President Lincoln's funeral procession, which Theodore Roosevelt as a child watched from his upscale residence. The book then shows how Theodore Roosevelt was influenced by Lincoln's presidency. Theodore Roosevelt did what he thought was right and rejected the life of comfortable leisure. Theodore Roosevelt acted boldly in some circumtances, while in other circumstances he acted compromising (like a skillful politician.) This was very much in the model of Lincoln who moved at first to only protect the union, seemingly acted in a compromising way (like a skillful politician) until the war seemed to be under control, and then made his masterful move to abolish slavery - a truly magnificent achievement. This book has limitations. Theodore Roosevelt's foreign affairs are not mentioned. The emphasis is on the progressive nature of the three Roosevelts. The book shows that Franklin Roosevelt followed the path of Theodore Roosevelt. Like T.R., FDR was born into a rich, elite social class. He entered politics, became under-secretary of the Navy, and then governor of New York. T.R. was in FDR's wedding to Eleanor Roosevelt, who was from T.R.'s family circle. And he used masterful political skills as president like T.R. (and Lincoln), except that FDR took the power and achievements of the presidency to an all-time high, transforming that office into the "imperial presidency." The coverage of FDR is very good, although you really need to read a full-length biography to learn the full story. The section that covers Eleanor Roosevelt is maybe the strongest part of the book. Eleonor Roosevelt was a tireless champion of issues for ordinary people and the disadvantaged. She took up causes that her huspand politically could not. She championed the anti-lynching law when FDR had to be silent or risk losing his political coalition. She astounded a group of impoverished workers on strike by showing up to their gathering to show her support. Here was a well-dressed lady of the highest education and refinement showing up without security to show her support for their cause. All three Roosevelts (Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor) made "The Time 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century" list. FDR was ranked the runner-up most important person of the 20th Century, along with Gandhi. (Einstein had the top spot). "The Three Roosevelts" is a good way to learn about the three Roosevelts without having to read three lengthy biographies.

FANTASTIC BOOK

This novel was immensely informative and entertaining. I am an English teacher who reads a lot, and I could not put it down. I loved the descriptions of leaders such as Huey Long and Gerald Smith and the isolationist movement. It was also impressive that it was so well-balanced and avoided sensationalism and cheap shots. The authors did not take sides or make quick judgments. You must read this book. My two favorite sections were the descriptions of the New Deal and the class struggle in New York during TR's time.

Politics: Art of the Best Possible Compromise

James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn, Democrats by conviction, give an unequal account of the life of three Roosevelts by dedicating most of their biography to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. MacGregor Burns and Dunn show their audience how these three patricians left behind a relatively easy life to descend into the arena of politics. Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt had to overcome their prejudices about other classes, religions, ethnicities and races to get an understanding of the issues at hand and, at times make, painful compromises to get things done. MacGregor Burns and Dunn explain to their readers that the three Roosevelts have ultimately left an indelible imprint on the psyche of the nation by each setting an example of transformational leadership. On the domestic front, the country has been working on the best possible reconciliation of the respective interests of business, labor and consumers as well as the rights and duties of its respective races and ethnicities. Abroad, the country has weighed the pros and cons of an interventionist policy on a case-by-case basis to safeguard its vital interests, and to advance the cause of a world that espouses the values of responsible democracy and capitalism.

The Three Roosevelts: They don't make 'em like that anymore!

All in all, "The Three Roosevelts" is well written, interesting, hard to put down, even a "page-turner" at times. Problems? Just a few. First is the sheer sprawling scope of the undertaking - ONE book on THREE Roosevelts, when there have been volumes written on EACH Roosevelt? But, overall this works pretty well here, and like the Roosevelts themselves, it's hard to fault the authors for trying to cover too much ground. A more fundamental problem with the book is that although the three Roosevelts' lives overlapped to an extent, their political careers and activities were more or less separate, sometimes giving this book the feel of really being three books sort of stuck together. First, we have a relatively short book on Teddy Roosevelt, followed by a moderately long book on FDR, and then another relatively short book on Eleanor. Are there common themes here tying it all together? Absolutely. But are there also three separate individuals here, each with his/her own story? Absolutely. The last fault of "The Three Roosevelts" is perhaps the most problematic; namely, the authors obviously LOVE their subjects, and the overwhelming positive slant on all three Roosevelts (the authors occasionally cite a fault, but usually just to show how the particular Roosevelt in question overcame it and became a better person) can become a little annoying at times, and even hurt the authors' credibility somewhat. Personally, I agree that these three people were amazing, fascinating, important, even heroic figures, but they were certainly not perfect. The internment of Japanese-Americans under FDR, to cite just one example, is an absolute disgrace, a moral outrage, and a HUGE blot on FDR's record. Teddy Roosevelt's nationalistic/imperialistic jingoism, cruel streak, and even bloodthirstiness are certainly not endearing or admirable qualities either! Having said all that, I still really liked this book, and definitely recommend it. Basically, the authors do an excellent job with the fascinating story of how three pampered, upper-class snobs became courageous activists, leaders, and champions of the common man. The authors give us a good feel for how Eleanor Roosevelt grew to eventually leave "the insular world of the patrician elite far behind." Also, how FDR and TR came to despise the idle rich, and how they both came to see inherited wealth as immoral and un-American (FDR: "the transmission from generation to generation of vast fortunes...is not consistent with the ideals and sentiments of the American people"). What would FDR and TR have made of the current Republican Party's zeal to repeal the "Death Tax," as they call it?" Mincemeat, for one thing! But, sadly, the Franklin and Teddy Roosevelts of the world seem to be in short supply these days - in either political party.A constant theme throughout "The Three Roosevelts" is that of the WASP establishment vs. the "class traitors" (the Roosevelts), and how each side came to hate each other.

Profiles in Leadership

One of the pleasures of reading "The Three Roosevelts" by James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn is that it reminds us of a time when this country achieved great things under great leaders. During the presidency of Republican Theodore Roosevelt the federal government challenged the activities of powerful, unregulated industries, protected the health and rights of working people, protected consumers from contaminated food and unsafe drugs, and built the Panama Canal. Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt oversaw the building of monumental dams and bridges that serve us still, created the Social Security system, and led the country effectively through the worst war the world has seen. Eleanor Roosevelt mobilized the conscience of her country and of the world on important issues of social justice after her husband and uncle had left the stage. It is chilling to contemplate how the world would look today had they not played the transforming roles they did.The book is really a hybrid -- part biography and part political history. At times, it is organized, like "My Six Crises", around specific problems i.e. FDR and Court-packing, TR and the trusts, rather than according to chronological order. This synthesis limits details of the personal lives of the three in order to fill in eighty years' worth of historical context. Burn, emeritus historian of Williams College, has written two previous works on FDR. Dunn is Professor of the History of Ideas at Williams and has written about the French Revolution. The book's purpose, they say, is to examine how these three, members of a patrician family and a privileged class, became great "transformational leaders" of the 20th century.The book is very good at showing the steps in that process, but less good at explaining where the interior compass came from that guided those steps. For example, TR at Harvard wrote his mother for information on the families of fellow students in order to make sure they were people of the right sort. Yet just six years later he was hobnobbing with cigar-chomping party hacks in a Republican club above a Manhattan saloon. "He aspired to be a hero in an age without heroes", conclude the authors. Undoubtedly true, but insufficient to explain what led him from the Porcellian Club and the slopes of San Juan Hill to battles for social legislation like the Pure Food and Drug Law and the Employers' Liability Law.The introduction of the book suggests the Roosevelts took Lincoln as their model. This connects to the authors' concept of "trasformational leadership" and "transformational politics" as practiced by great leaders. But tracing a philsophical thread from Lincoln to TR's foreign policy and trust-busting is quite a stretch. TR compared himself to Lincoln in being a "cautious radical". The authors' make a much stronger case, it seems to me, for FDR having used TR, rather than Lincoln, as a role model. They say he consciously set out to follow in TR's footsteps: from Groton and Harv