Man of Destiny FDR & the Making of the American Century

Yet, as the distinguished historian Alonzo Hamby argues, FDRs record as president was more mixed than we are often led to believe. Roosevelt was a great politician and war leader, but the New Deal, his most famous legacy, failed to achieve its goal of reviving the nations economy, in no small measure because of FDRs hostility toward the business and financial communities.

Hamby is no less perceptive about FDRs private life. Drawing on overlooked sources, he documents the presidents final months in intimate detail, claiming that his perseverance despite his serious illness must be counted as one of the twentieth centurys great feats of endurance.

Man of Destiny is a measured account of the life, both personal and public, of the most important American leader of the twentieth century.

“No one has written with greater authority on American political leadership in the 1930s and 1940s than Alonzo Hamby. Man of Destiny is simply the best one-volume biography of FDR we have—a superb, clear-headed study based on a lifetime of research and hard thinking.”

David M. Kennedy, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945

“Franklin D. Roosevelt re-wrote the American social contract in the New Deal and, by leading the Allies to victory in World War II, laid the foundations for a new international order. In this unfailingly compelling book, Alonzo Hamby lucidly explains how FDR accomplished those monumental achievements, and vividly illuminates their lasting historical consequences.”

“[Man of Destiny] offers several interesting insights into Roosevelt as a man and as a politician… an easily digestible, well-researched account that is ideal for general readers.”

Publishers Weekly

“A reliable one-volume introduction to the ebullient New York governor who became the 32nd president of the U.S.”

Kirkus

“A straightforward, ‘flesh-and-blood study of the president that underscores the depth and ambiguity behind the charming facade.”

John Lewis Gaddis, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of George F. Kennan: An American Life

“We have long lacked a comprehensive one volume life of FDR by a historian equally proficient in the political, economic, and international history of his era. Alonzo Hambys Man of Destiny more than meets that need: beautifully written, solidly researched, and admirably fair in its findings, it will henceforth be the most readable—and teachable—biography of the 20th centurys most influential American president.”

Jeremi Suri, author of Liberty's Surest Guardian: American Nation-Building from the Founders to Obama

“FDR remains the most influential, enduring, and enigmatic leader of twentieth century America. Alonzo Hamby's book offers a fascinating portrait of Roosevelt, brilliantly capturing his political prescience and strategic acumen, as well as his personal egotism and intellectual inconsistency. Hamby explains how a very human president contributed to seemingly super-human outcomes. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in history, politics, and leadership.”

John Judis, Senior Writer, National Journal

“Alonzo Hamby has written a terrific biography of Franklin Roosevelt. He has a good eye for the relevant rather than superfluous detail. And he answers the big question about FDR: how someone of inherited wealth and lofty standing became the scourge of Wall Street and the champion of the ordinary American. I have a somewhat more positive assessment of Roosevelt's New Deal years, but Hamby's more critical view, especially in regard to his analysis of the 1937-8 recession, has given me pause. I highly recommend this book.”

Anthony Badger, author of FDR: The First Hundred Days

“No one has written with greater authority on American political leadership in the 1930s and 1940s than Alonzo Hamby. Man of Destiny is simply the best one-volume biography of FDR we have—a superb, clear-headed study based on a lifetime of research and hard thinking.”

David M. Kennedy, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945

“Franklin D. Roosevelt re-wrote the American social contract in the New Deal and, by leading the Allies to victory in World War II, laid the foundations for a new international order. In this unfailingly compelling book, Alonzo Hamby lucidly explains how FDR accomplished those monumental achievements, and vividly illuminates their lasting historical consequences.”

No president looms larger in twentieth-century American history than Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and few life stories can match his for sheer drama. Following in the footsteps of his Republican cousin President Theodore Roosevelt, FDR devoted himself to politics as a Democrat and a true man of the people. Eventually setting his sights on the presidency, he was elected to office in 1932 by a nation that was mired in the Great Depression and desperate for revival.

As the distinguished historian Alonzo Hamby argues in this authoritative biography, FDR's record as president was more mixed than we are often led to believe. The New Deal provided much-needed assistance to millions of Americans, but failed to restore prosperity, and while FDR became an outstanding commander-in-chief during World War II, his plans for the postwar world were seriously flawed. No less perceptive is Hamby's account of FDR's private life, which explores the dynamics of his marriage and his romance with his wife's secretary, Lucy Mercer. Hamby documents FDR's final months in intimate detail, claiming that his perseverance, despite his serious illness, not only shaped his presidency, but must be counted as one of the twentieth century's great feats of endurance.

Hamby reveals a man whose personality -- egocentric, undisciplined in his personal appetites, at times a callous user of aides and associates, yet philanthropic and caring for his nation's underdogs-shaped his immense legacy. Man of Destiny is a measured account of the life, both personal and public, of the most important American leader of the twentieth century.

1. “The Best People”: Family and Identity, 1882–1896

2. Young Gentleman: Schooldays, 1896–1904

3. Eleanor and Franklin: Marriage, Family, Job, 1904–1910

4. Insurgent Progressive, 1910–1913

5. Riding in Front: Assistant Secretary of the Navy, 1913–1914

6. Armageddon: The Great War, 1914–1919

7. Victory in Defeat 1919–1921

8. Paralysis and Philanthropy 1921–1928

9. The Young Prince Returns, 1922–1928

10. Chief Executive: Power in Albany, 1929–1932

11. Destiny Calls: The Quest for the Presidency, January–July 1932

12. Much to Fear: Election and Interregnum, July 1932–March, 1933

PART II: The New Deal

13. Nothing to Fear: Creating a New Deal, March–July 1933

14. Unlimited Ambitions, Limited Achievement: The First New Deal, July 1933–November 1934

15. Presidential Government: The Politics of Maximum Leadership, 1933–1934

16. Toward "A New Order of Things": Origins of the Second New Deal, 1935

17. Rendezvous with Destiny: The Second New Deal and the Triumph of 1936

18. "Panic and Lack of Confidence": The Economic and Political Consequences of the Second Hundred Days, 1937–1939

PART III: The World at War

19. Winds of War, 1933–1939

20. Private Plans and Public Danger, September 1939–November 1940

21. Undeclared War, December 7, 1940–December 7, 1941

22. Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations, December 1941–January 1943

23. Dr. New Deal at Bay: Mobilization and Mortality, 1942–1944

24. War and Diplomacy, February 1943–June 1944

25. Indispensable Man, June 6, 1944–November 7, 1944

26. The Quest for A New World Order, November 8, 1944–April 15, 1945

Epilogue: FDR and the American Century