THE DEFINING MOMENT FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope

This study of Franklin D. Roosevelt's early life, character, and especially his first 100 days in office could get weighed down by facts, but with the combination of sprightly writing, a choice of lively details, and Grover Gardner's gifts for pacing and emphasis, it never does. Gardner lets no nuance of sense or emotion slip by; if there's irony, for instance, however slight, he expresses it, without belaboring the text. Perhaps one can fully appreciate his work only after hearing a poor reader, but Gardner's crisp reading is admirable without comparisons. This is one of those books more enjoyable to listen to than to read. W.M. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 06]