FDR

Plain prose plainly read is the virtue of Marc Cashman's fine rendition of Smith's full-scale biography. Smith covers every aspect of FDR and Eleanor's public and private lives, with an admiration that clarifies rather than buffers the truth of these two complex personalities and their careers. The biography is also an effective prism with which to view two World Wars, the Great Depression, and the emergence of the American military and industrial state. That tall order is served well by the stamina and conviction of Cashman's voice, which has the distinctive inflection of a period radio voice. Appropriately, one of this book's themes is the role of the media--in this case, radio--in shaping modern politics and statecraft. FDR was the first U.S. president to have the ability to address the nation live, a skill at which he excelled above all presidents. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 07]