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Title details for No Ordinary Time by Doris Kearns Goodwin - Available

No Ordinary Time

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, the Home Front in World War II

by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Edward Herrmann
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
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2 of 2 copies available
Doris Kearns Goodwin's Pulitzer Prize–winning classic about the relationship between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt, and how it shaped the nation while steering it through the Great Depression and the outset of World War II.
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.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Awards

  • Release date

    September 1, 1995

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780743519908
      • File size: 179278 KB
      • Duration: 06:13:29

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Various members of the inner circle at the White House provide an intimate look at Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt beginning in the spring of 1940--at that point in their marriage leading quite separate lives but bound by family, the presidency, country and war. Edward Herrmann subtly captures the assured and patrician voice of Franklin. As Eleanor, Herrmann conveys her humility and self-doubt, as well as her conviction and graciousness. Perhaps because of the abridgment, the book's subplot, "the home front during WWII," plays second fiddle to the Roosevelts. Despite this shortfall, Herrmann's reading sweeps us along in a riveting narrative. J.H.L. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from August 29, 1994
      No previous biography of a president has given so complete a picture of how private lives and political questions intersect uniquely for the residents of the White House. Nor has any history of WWII so fully documented the domestic life of the nation during the international crisis. Narrating the events of the war from the vantage point of the White House, Goodwin (Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream) reveals a political drama fought in Congress, within the cabinet, in the press and in the living quarters of the executive mansion. As Goodwin makes richly evident, Eleanor was a homefront counterpart to Winston Churchill, a partner and provocateur whose relationship with FDR was rarely smooth and often frankly confrontational. Previous works on the Roosevelts have suggested that, as an adviser, Eleanor was her husband's political and social conscience; Goodwin shows in stunning detail that even more, she was his astute political partner, lobbyist and goad. The author's portrait offers a fresh perspective on WWII and, more than coincidentally during the debate over the proper role of Hillary Rodham Clinton, depicts how a savvy, relentlessly involved First Lady incalculably enriched and shaped the political and social agendas of the nation. Photos. History Book Club split main selection; BOMC alternate; author tour.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Both were born rich. She had buckteeth and a weak chin. Before being crippled by polio, he damaged the marriage by bedding her personal secretary. This imperfect man, FDR, and his imperfect wife, Eleanor, strove mightily for a more perfect state, leading us out of the Great Depression. Prescient about the Nazi threat, FDR prepared the nation for war. He and his wife took us most of the way to victory. Starting slowly, the book accumulates telling detail, casting a powerful spell. Nelson Runger goes up the scales, rendering the deep voice of the omniscient narrator, the mirthful garrulity of FDR, and the willfully na•ve falsetto of his first lady: "But Franklin, that would be wrong." A sterling performance; an inspiring tale. B.H.C. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      A fascinating dual biography of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt provides intimate details of their personal and professional relationships during the War years. This unabridged version is recommended with reservations. An intelligent, well-paced reading is marred by technical problems--frequent variations in volume bothered several listeners (particularly car listeners) who tested it. Goodwin's voice tends to drop to a whisper at the ends of phrases. She also tries to suggest the various voices of the principal figures (many of whom are familiar to listeners) with varying degrees of success. Her vocalizations of Eleanor, Franklin, and Churchill come off well, but why use stagy German accents for Goebbels and Hitler? S.P. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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