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This title in other formats:For the Survival of Democracyby Alonzo L Hamby
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Franklin D. Roosevelt is remembered as one of America's greatest presidents, a leader who guided us through depression and war. Yet for the period prior to World War II, we rarely think of him in a global context, active as an extraordinary international figure during the crisis years that destroyed the old order and catalyzed the changes that created the world we still inhabit. Truly, it was a time of struggle for the survival of democracy. In For the Survival of Democracy, master historian Alonzo Hamby offers a gripping and revisionist comparative history of this turbulent era, allowing Roosevelt to be viewed in comparison with Stanley Baldwin in Britain, Adolf Hitler in Germany, and a host of supporting yet crucial players. Combining deft character sketches with surprising interpretations of world leaders, Hamby takes us back to a time when nationalism seized the West, when Hitler cloaked his evil in tactical brilliance, and when passive leaders were destined to be swept aside. Franklin Roosevelt emerges as the Depression's most imposing leader. A charismatic personality committed to radical change, a masterful popular communicator, Roosevelt saw no inconsistency between democracy and personal power. Like many great men, he achieved great things but also made great mistakes. Hamby describes in detail his inspiring leadership and the social transformations he wrought, and also examines his failure to achieve economic recovery in the United States long after Germany and Britain accomplished it. The economic catastrophe of the decade before World War II, coupled with the rise of fascism, contains all the drama and high stakes of a fight for survival, during which FDR proved himself to be an essential warrior. In America, in no small part thanks to Franklin Roosevelt, democracy survived to fight another day, and to prevail. Never before has the decade prior to the war been brought to life so vividly, and never have Franklin Roosevelt's achievements been made so clear. Review:William E. Leuchtenburg author of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, 1932-1940 In this vigorously argued, well-written book, Alonzo Hamby breaks new ground by placing Franklin Roosevelt's first two terms in the context of what was happening in Hitler's Germany and Stanley Baldwin's Britain. He is also considerably more critical of the New Deal than are traditional accounts. In both regards, he challenges the conclusions of other historians and the imaginations of his readers. Review:Fred I. Greenstein author of The Presidential Difference and The Hidden-Hand Presidency Hamby provides a vividly kaleidoscopic view of the global crisis of the 1930s — a real page-turner. Synopsis:Includes bibliographical references (p. [439]-473) and index.
Synopsis:The story of Roosevelt's rise to meet the test of the 1930s is traditionally told as an American story--yet the true tale was a global one, both economically and politically, and Roosevelt operated in both a domestic and an international arena. "For the Survival of Democracy is a masterful retelling of the pre-war crisis years that situates Roosevelt and America in the larger context of German, British, and world history--rendering the most accurate picture to date of FDR's extraordinary leadership. Hamby delivers detailed descriptions of the conditions both at home (thirty percent unemployment and a shatered banking industry) and abroad (the rise of Hitler and Mussolini) that Roosevelt faced when he took office in 1933. Few thought Roosevelt was prepared to face the challenges of modern times, yet what happened was extraordinary; he electrified the nation with America's single greatest inaugural speech, effected a revolution in constitutional government, and made himself a key player within the darkening scene of international politics. Filled with fresh insight on one of the twentieth century's most important figures, "For the Survival of Democracy is the masterful portrait of a man dedicated not just to insuring freedom for his own country, but for every country. About the AuthorAlonzo L. Hamby is the author of the critically acclaimed books Beyond the New Deal and Man of the People: A Life of Harry S. Truman. He is currently a Distinguished Professor of History at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, where he also lives. Table of ContentsContents Preface Acknowledgments Prologue: March 1933 1. World Crisis 2. Plumbing the Depths Britain and Germany, Fall 1931-Winter 1933 3. Power Shift The United States, Fall 1931-March 1933 4. The New Deal The First 125 Days 5. Recovery in One Country? The New Deal, July 1933-May 1935 6. Triumph Nazi Germany, 1933-1936 7. Muddling Toward Recovery Britain, June 1933-June 1937 8. Challenges The Origins of the Second New Deal, January-May 1935 9. High Tide Second Hundred Days, Second New Deal, Second Term, June 1935-November 1936 10. Stalling Out The United States, 1937-1939 11. Irrepressible Conflict, 1937-1939 Epilogue: Where Does the Future Lie: Flushing Meadows or Warsaw? Historiographical Note Notes Index
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