Having finished Conrad Black's "Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom"

A huge book, with a text that extends over 1,100 pages, I read it slowly and with great intensity (just pages each night) starting in the early fall and ending this morning at 2:50 am. I am very sad to finish it; it was like having this great friend come and visit me every night just before falling asleep. It pains me to think of Black in prison for his white-collar crimes, because he wrote a fabulous book: very detailed and diary-like in its day-to-day coverage of the man's life and yet full of well-thought-out and well-argued logic regarding the big issues of his career and his place in history (where Black's arguments rang best with my mind). You read this book and you almost feel ashamed Time picked Albert Einstein as its man of the century at the end of 1999. Clearly, as a force of history and sheer good in this world, nobody compares to FDR--except the U.S. military in aggregate.

Suffering health-wise through the past few months (indeed, I purposefully started this huge book as a way to deal with the great insomnia caused by my chronic sinus infections), and stricken as I am now with a modest case of sinusitis (from an ear infection I developed after picking up a virus from my youngest), I found myself immensely drawn to Black's detailed descriptions of FDR's many and profound health problems (beyond the obvious polio) that afflicted him his entire adult life. Roosevelt led a stunningly inspirational life from that perspective, and it's one I will never forget or lose track of as I move through life--thanks to this book. Experiencing, as I am, somewhat of a midlife crisis thanks to the months and months of "bad brain," I feel very fortunate to have picked up the book and read it with such connection over these many nights.

It makes me want to stay strong in my life and to attempt to live it to the fullest and best extent possible. I now understand how FDR had that sort of impact on people's lives, those who lived alongside him and through him the tumultuous times of the Great Depression and World War II. I also feel--despite my many years of education and study on the subject--finally a full appreciation of FDR's vision for the world and America's place in it.

I don't regret not reading this book prior to writing my own history of these United States and its role in shaping our current world (Vonne, of course, picked this out for me to read, like most books I end up enjoying this much). I was glad to come to all these same conclusions on my own, meaning with the profound help of many fine historians (especially Elizabeth Borgwardt's "New Deal for the World"). Reading Black's book on the heels of my own effort was thus a fundamentally reinforcing affair, a communion of thought I don't believe I could have made without having previously researched and written Chapter Three of Great Powers,

In that sense, Black's book strikes me as a huge gift, like bumping into Ayn Rand during Emily's cancer struggle all those years ago.

I still have a great bio of U.S. Grant that I'm working, plus a bio of Jimmy Stewart, but I will be scanning my personal library for the next great one to follow. Also, armed as I am with $50 in Amazon gift certificates from my spouse, I am open to suggestions.

What an amazing day for me to have celebrated Christmas with Vonne and our four kids, ending it all with me and my four children all hanging out in our master bedroom, watching an entire season of a particular animated TV series that we love (a minor show that's an acquired taste), and then finishing this glorious book so deep in the morning.

I feel very fortunate to have built this home, this marriage, and this family.

Comments

[Terry Cole]

Have you read Jeff Shara's (and his father, Michael Shara, "Killer Angels") series of historical novels on American Military History? I just received his latest, "No Less Than Victory" for Christmas. They are a fun read but heavily researched.

Thanks for all of your great work. Best wishes for the new year.

[michal shapiro]

My suggestions are fiction (I assume you sometimes read that?)1. significant literature: "Snow" Orhan Pamuk's Kafakaesque journey to a remote snowbound town that is a microcosm of Turkish society.2. a ripping yarn: "Shantaram" not great literature (especially when the author thinks he's writing it) but a semi-autobiographical romp and a half. Or wait for the film with Johnny Dep ;-)3. a horror story: "We Need to Talk About Kevin" Author Lionel Shriver is part Joyce Carol Oates, part Steven King in this one.

[Ben]

Check out the other giant in this short, smart & extremely well written Churchill- biography.

http://www.amazon.com/Churchill-Life-Times/dp/1904341071/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261837316&sr=8-1

[Greg R. Lawson]

You should consider Conrad Black's Nixon bio. A good background to what I think is an underrated President.

Also, definitely should read the Hawk and the Dove by Nicholas Thompson on Paul Nitze and George Kennan.

[Jane de Vos]

Thanks so much for this suggestion. My senior thesis was on FDR and our entry into WWII. Can't wait to pick this book up.

On another note, am grateful to you for sharing your work and yourself through this blog. It's intellectually fascinating but also heartening and encouraging to read.

Hope 2010 is the best year yet for each of the Barnetts.

[Elmer Humes]

Have always enjoyed your reading recommendations as well as your personal life sagas. This week I watched Charlie Rose interview Neil Sheehan on his new book "A Fiery Piece in a Cold War" on Bernard Schriever's heroric role during this critical time you frequently refer to. I also recommend Ken Auletta's "Googled" as it not only tells the most explosive IT/media growth story in history well, but also provides excellent early insight on possible changes continuing to unfold in this giant worldwide industry. Charlie Rose interviewed Auletta three weeks ago when this book came out and again this week when he added further insight regarding possible limitations to the concept of "Free" pioneered by the internet & Google.

[Patrick O'Connor]

2nd the motion on the Shara series.

[Steven J.]

Tom,If you have not seen this one yet, John W. Hall is an Assistant Professor of Military History at your Alma mater UW-Madison and has written a book called 'Uncommon Defense'. It is an intensely researched account of the history of the Black Hawk War. The author goes back to the mid 1600's to explain why the Menomiee, Dakota, Potawatomi and Ho Chunk tribes of the Wisconsin Territory willingly allied themselves with the United States government against their fellow Native Americans during the Black Hawk War of 1832 for the purpose of defending their own self interests at that time.

It is a fascinating read which speaks to issues that relate to today's conflicts, their frenemys (simultaneous friends and enemys) and the future consequence of those actions.

[historyguy99]

Four recommendations.

The Genius of the Beast by Howard Bloom

D-Day The Battle for Normandy by Antony Beevor

Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815, by Gordon S. Wood

And a little book that several of your blog friends have read.

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

[Lexington Green]

OK. That Black FDR bio just moved up the stack. Jean Edward Smith's Grant bio is excellent -- I hope that is the one you are going to be reading. When you decide to look at FDR again, I highly recommend Eric Larrabee, Commander in Chief: Franklin Roosevelt, His Lieutenants and Their War. A very solid book on the American war effort and FDR's role in it. An older one that is excellent is Kent Roberts Greenfield, American Strategy in World War II: A Reconsideration (1963). Greenfield was the lead writer in the official Army history of the war, and these lectures are his distilled wisdom; especially good is the 30 page essay "Franklin Roosevelt: Commander in Chief."

[David Emery]

What's the Grant biography?

[Joe Zinghini]

Found Feynman's "Surely You're Joking" and "What Do You Care What Other People Think" extremely enjoyable. He was as interesting a real-life character as he was a brilliant physicist (his recorded lectures are worth a listen as well even if not all understood).

Putting the FDR book on my list, but don't know how long it will take me to knock out 1100 pages.

[Tom Barnett]

Hmm, Black on Nixon. I am intrigued.

Just got Morris's "Dutch", the controversial bio of Reagan (controversial for his inserting a fake character), and am looking forward to that one.

Also awaiting the great Clinton bio. Wife read the autobio and said it was good, but I don't like autobios that much, certainly not ones done that quickly after.