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No Ordinary Time Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt The Home Front in World War II

by Doris Kearns Goodwin
No Ordinary Time Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt The Home Front in World War II

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ISBN13: 9780684804484
ISBN10: 0684804484
Condition: Standard


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Awards

Winner of the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for History

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize

No Ordinary Time is a monumental work, a brilliantly conceived chronicle of one of the most vibrant and revolutionary periods in the history of the United States. With an extraordinary collection of details, Goodwin masterfully weaves together a striking number of story lines — Eleanor and Franklin's marriage and remarkable partnership, Eleanor's life as First Lady, and FDR's White House and its impact on America as well as on a world at war. Goodwin effectively melds these details and stories into an unforgettable and intimate portrait of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt and of the time during which a new, modern America was born.


About the Author

Doris Kearns Goodwin is the author of the runaway bestseller Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. She won the Pulitzer Prize in history for No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II and is also the author of the bestsellers Wait Till Next Year, The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys, and Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream. She lives in Concord, Massachusetts, with her husband, Richard N. Goodwin.

Table of Contents

Preface
1. "The Decisive Hour Has Come"
2. "A Few Nice Boys with BB Guns"
3. "Back to the Hudson"
4. "Living Here Is Very Oppressive"
5. "No Ordinary Time"
6. "I Am a Juggler"
7. "I Can't Do Anything About Her"
8. "Arsenal of Democracy"
9. "Business As Usual"
10. "A Great Hour to Live"
11. "A Completely Changed World"
12. "Two Little Boys Playing Soldier"
13. "What Can We Do to Help?"
14. "By God, If It Ain't Old Frank!"
15. "We Are Striking Back"
16. "The Greatest Man I Have Ever Known"
17. "It Is Blood on Your Hands"
18. "It Was a Sight I Will Never Forget"
19. "I Want to Sleep and Sleep"
20. "Suspended in Space"
21. "The Old Master Still Had It"
22. "So Darned Busy"
23. "It Is Good to Be Home"
24. "Everybody Is Crying"
25. "A New Country Is Being Born"
Afterword
A Note on Sources
Notes
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Index

Reading Group Guide

Reading Group Discussion Points
  1. Goodwin characterizes FDR as a brilliant, energetic, cheerful man who rarely folded under pressure or displayed his innermost feelings. How might the elements of FDR's character and of his time have blended to create a man so successful in marshaling America's forces to defeat the Axis powers? Compare FDR to other wartime presidents such as Lincoln and Nixon. Why is FDR's place in history so secure?

  2. With deft ability, Goodwin brings Eleanor Roosevelt to life. Who was she and what were her concerns? How did she alter America's conception of the role of First Lady? What innovative and lasting contributions did she make to the civil rights movement and to women? Why was she called, during her last years, "the greatest woman in the world"? Compare Eleanor to other prominent First Ladies, such as Jacqueline Kennedy and Hillary Clinton.

  3. Franklin and Eleanor had a very unconventional marriage, even by today's standards. What bound them? What kept them from living more completely as man and wife? What helped to make them such an extraordinary team? How did the combination of their characters serve to create such a remarkable and successful partnership?

  4. Both Franklin and Eleanor found other people to fill the needs they could not seem to satisfy in one another. Eleanor at various times turned to her daughter, Anna, to Lorena Hickok, and to Joe Lash for her personal needs. What did these three people contribute to Eleanor's life that Franklin either could not or would not? At various times, Franklin relied on Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd, Missy LeHand, and Princess Martha of Norway for companionship. What did these women offer him that Eleanor did not? What are the various portraits that emerge of these important characters?

  5. Who are the other people, either personal or political, that populated the Roosevelt years, such as Harry Hopkins and Frances Perkins? What were their roles in FDR's life and his presidency?

  6. What characterized the celebrated and remarkable friendship that grew between Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill? How did this friendship affect the war's outcome? What was their relationship to Stalin, and how did the three of them function as a united group that served to change the world?

  7. When Eleanor came back from visiting the front, she fell into a deep depression. Goodwin writes, "Nothing in her previous experience had prepared her for the misery she encountered in the hospitals: the mangled bodies, the stomachs ripped by shells, the amputated limbs, the crushed spirits. Only a few photographs of dead American soldiers had appeared in magazines and newspapers since the war began. The Office of War Information, established by Roosevelt, had so sanitized the war experience that few people on the home front understood what the war was really about." What purpose did it serve to keep Americans from truly witnessing the horrors of war? Do you think if Americans had seen, as Eleanor did, the firsthand horrors of war, they would have continued to support the war effort?

  8. In an effort to help European Jews, Roosevelt requested a new war-powers bill that would have given him power to suspend laws that were hampering "the free movement of persons, property, and information." Had it passed, it might have helped open the gates of immigration to Jewish refugees. "Once this was made clear, the bill had no chance," Goodwin writes. "The powerful conservative coalition strengthened immeasurably by the by-elections crushed it." Newsweek observed, "The ugly truth is that anti-Semitism was a definite factor in the bitter opposition to the president's request." Do you think FDR could have done more for the Jews? How as a nation do we reconcile such a horrible fact?

  9. At the end of No Ordinary Time, Goodwin recaps Franklin's presidential career, underscoring his successes as well as his failures. For example, Roosevelt's success in mobilizing the nation was extraordinary However, his forcible relocation of Japanese-Americans during the war was certainly a failure of vision. What are FDR's other successes and failures?

  10. After the war, America emerged as a different, modern nation. Goodwin writes "No segment of American society had been left untouched." Discuss the many strides that were made, as well as the fundamental changes that occurred. For example, as a result of the war, numerous advancements were made on behalf of African-Americans. Additionally, many women continued to work outside the home after the war was over, forever changing the domestic front.

  11. It was truly amazing how America, a nation completely unprepared for war, rose up to become an unprecedented leader in war production. "The figures are all so astronomical that they cease to mean very much," historian Bruce Catton wrote. "The total is simply beyond the compass of one's understanding. Here was displayed a strength greater even than cocky Americans in the old days of unlimited selfconfidence had supposed; strength to which nothing-literally nothing, in the physical sense-was any longer impossible." What does this reveal about America and the spirit of the American people?

  12. Would a presidency like FDR's be possible today? How would the contemporary American public view a relationship such as FDR had with Missy LeHand? How might we as a nation react to a man handicapped as FDR was?

  13. What is the legacy left to us by Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt? Count the ways in which we are indebted to them. How might they feel about contemporary America and its role in the world today? How does it differ from their America? How is it the same?

Recommended Readings

The Greatest of Friends: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, Keith Alldritt

It All Adds Up: From the Dim Past to the Uncertain Future, Saul Bellow

Washington Goes to War, David Brinkley

FDR's Fireside Chats, Russell D. Buhite And David W.Levy, eds.

Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox, James Macgregor Burns

The Roosevelts: An American Saga, Peter Collier

The Inheritance, Samuel Freedman

Dunkirk: The Complete Story of the First Step in the Defeat of Hitler, Norman Gelb

This Is My Story, Eleanor Roosevelt

A Rendezvous with Destiny: The Roosevelts of the White House , Elliott Roosevelt

The Age of Roosevelt, Vol. I, Arthur M. Schlesinger. Jr.

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany , William L. Shirer


Reading Group Discussion Points
  1. Goodwin characterizes FDR as a brilliant, energetic, cheerful man who rarely folded under pressure or displayed his innermost feelings. How might the elements of FDR's character and of his time have blended to create a man so successful in marshaling America's forces to defeat the Axis powers? Compare FDR to other wartime presidents such as Lincoln and Nixon. Why is FDR's place in history so secure?

  2. With deft ability, Goodwin brings Eleanor Roosevelt to life. Who was she and what were her concerns? How did she alter America's conception of the role of First Lady? What innovative and lasting contributions did she make to the civil rights movement and to women? Why was she called, during her last years, "the greatest woman in the world"? Compare Eleanor to other prominent First Ladies, such as Jacqueline Kennedy and Hillary Clinton.

  3. Franklin and Eleanor had a very unconventional marriage, even by today's standards. What bound them? What kept them from living more completely as man and wife? What helped to make them such an extraordinary team? How did the combination of their characters serve to create such a remarkable and successful partnership?

  4. Both Franklin and Eleanor found other people to fill the needs they could not seem to satisfy in one another. Eleanor at various times turned to her daughter, Anna, to Lorena Hickok, and to Joe Lash for her personal needs. What did these three people contribute to Eleanor's life that Franklin either could not or would not? At various times, Franklin relied on Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd, Missy LeHand, and Princess Martha of Norway for companionship. What did these women offer him that Eleanor did not? What are the various portraits that emerge of these important characters?

  5. Who are the other people, either personal or political, that populated the Roosevelt years, such as Harry Hopkins and Frances Perkins? What were their roles in FDR's life and his presidency?

  6. What characterized the celebrated and remarkable friendship that grew between Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill? How did this friendship affect the war's outcome? What was their relationship to Stalin, and how did the three of them function as a united group that served to change the world?

  7. When Eleanor came back from visiting the front, she fell into a deep depression. Goodwin writes, "Nothing in her previous experience had prepared her for the misery she encountered in the hospitals: the mangled bodies, the stomachs ripped by shells, the amputated limbs, the crushed spirits. Only a few photographs of dead American soldiers had appeared in magazines and newspapers since the war began. The Office of War Information, established by Roosevelt, had so sanitized the war experience that few people on the home front understood what the war was really about." What purpose did it serve to keep Americans from truly witnessing the horrors of war? Do you think if Americans had seen, as Eleanor did, the firsthand horrors of war, they would have continued to support the war effort?

  8. In an effort to help European Jews, Roosevelt requested a new war-powers bill that would have given him power to suspend laws that were hampering "the free movement of persons, property, and information." Had it passed, it might have helped open the gates of immigration to Jewish refugees. "Once this was made clear, the bill had no chance," Goodwin writes. "The powerful conservative coalition strengthened immeasurably by the by-elections crushed it." Newsweek observed, "The ugly truth is that anti-Semitism was a definite factor in the bitter opposition to the president's request." Do you think FDR could have done more for the Jews? How as a nation do we reconcile such a horrible fact?

  9. At the end of No Ordinary Time, Goodwin recaps Franklin's presidential career, underscoring his successes as well as his failures. For example, Roosevelt's success in mobilizing the nation was extraordinary However, his forcible relocation of Japanese-Americans during the war was certainly a failure of vision. What are FDR's other successes and failures?

  10. After the war, America emerged as a different, modern nation. Goodwin writes "No segment of American society had been left untouched." Discuss the many strides that were made, as well as the fundamental changes that occurred. For example, as a result of the war, numerous advancements were made on behalf of African-Americans. Additionally, many women continued to work outside the home after the war was over, forever changing the domestic front.

  11. It was truly amazing how America, a nation completely unprepared for war, rose up to become an unprecedented leader in war production. "The figures are all so astronomical that they cease to mean very much," historian Bruce Catton wrote. "The total is simply beyond the compass of one's understanding. Here was displayed a strength greater even than cocky Americans in the old days of unlimited selfconfidence had supposed; strength to which nothing-literally nothing, in the physical sense-was any longer impossible." What does this reveal about America and the spirit of the American people?

  12. Would a presidency like FDR's be possible today? How would the contemporary American public view a relationship such as FDR had with Missy LeHand? How might we as a nation react to a man handicapped as FDR was?

  13. What is the legacy left to us by Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt? Count the ways in which we are indebted to them. How might they feel about contemporary America and its role in the world today? How does it differ from their America? How is it the same?

Recommended Readings

The Greatest of Friends: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, Keith Alldritt

It All Adds Up: From the Dim Past to the Uncertain Future, Saul Bellow

Washington Goes to War, David Brinkley

FDR's Fireside Chats, Russell D. Buhite And David W.Levy, eds.

Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox, James Macgregor Burns

The Roosevelts: An American Saga, Peter Collier

The Inheritance, Samuel Freedman

Dunkirk: The Complete Story of the First Step in the Defeat of Hitler, Norman Gelb

This Is My Story, Eleanor Roosevelt

A Rendezvous with Destiny: The Roosevelts of the White House , Elliott Roosevelt

The Age of Roosevelt, Vol. I, Arthur M. Schlesinger. Jr.

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany , William L. Shirer


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Janet McPherson , October 09, 2013 (view all comments by Janet McPherson)
This is the first biography I have read about FDR and Eleanor. I've not been able to put it down. I can't wait to read Doris Kearns Goodwin's book about President Lincoln. Her research on her subjects is excellent!

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Lindy , January 01, 2012 (view all comments by Lindy)
The writing is thoughtful and brings us the story for all that it was: suspenseful, intriguing, entertaining, deceitful, inspiring, outrageous, revolutionary. The well-known characters are made familiar, the historical milestones relatable. Read this to remind, to learn, to nod, gasp, and feel.

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Edward Hahn , October 19, 2010 (view all comments by Edward Hahn)
A truly memorable book. Doris Kearns Goodwin is a fine writer who manages to transform seemingly insignificant snippets of data into compelling reading. This volume covers the period from May, 1939 to April, 1945 and focuses on what was going on in the U.S. through the actions and writings of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and others close to them. It truly deserves its Pulitzer Prize and the four or more other awards and accolades it garnered. I consider myself reasonably knowledgeable about the period the book covers but I discovered a ton of new information. Goodwin, also, not only relates the facts, she is not afraid to state what she sees as the implications of what has happened. A prime example is the beginning of the integration of Negroes into the work force at all skill levels. There are many others. Her deft handling of the complicated relationship that Eleanor and FDR had allows the reader to see its many layers without being hit over the head with "juicy" tidbits. Goodwin never loses focus, throughout, while still managing to keep the reader chronologically oriented to events outside the President and his wife's immediate concerns. I was appreciative of how well Goodwin tied up loose ends in the last chapter, "A New Country Is Being Born" and the short "Afterword". It really gives the reader a sense of closure while hinting at what will follow after FDR's death. This book comes as close as possible to the ideal of a factual history being as interesting to read as a novel.

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Wendy Sagen-moran , January 31, 2010
Take two extraordinary people, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, add Winston Churchill, World War II, The New Deal and you have another great read by Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. It gives you insight into Franklin and Eleanor's political and private lives. The book definitely deserved the Pulitzer Price for History.

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Product Details

ISBN:
9780684804484
Binding:
Trade Paperback
Publication date:
10/01/1995
Publisher:
SIMON & SCHUSTER TRADE
Pages:
768
Height:
1.33IN
Width:
6.08IN
Thickness:
1.50
Number of Units:
1
Illustration:
Yes
Copyright Year:
1994
Series Volume:
96-12
UPC Code:
2800684804486
Author:
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Subject:
World war, 1939-1945
Subject:
Roosevelt, Eleanor
Subject:
Biography-Historical
Subject:
Roosevelt, Franklin D
Subject:
History
Subject:
United states
Subject:
World War, 19
Subject:
Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
Subject:
Presidents' spouses

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