READ SPARINGLY

In today's information age, we are bombarded with an overwhelming amount of reading material. From books and newspapers to online articles and social media posts, there seems to be an endless supply of words vying for our attention. However, it is important to read sparingly.

Reading too much can lead to information overload, making it difficult to process and retain the important details. It can also cause mental fatigue and stress. By reading sparingly, we can focus on the quality of the content rather than the quantity.

We should choose our reading material carefully, selecting only those that are relevant and valuable to us. This will not only save us time but also help us to gain more from our reading experience.

In addition, reading sparingly allows us to have more time for other activities such as thinking, reflecting, and engaging in meaningful conversations. It gives us the opportunity to apply what we have learned and to develop our own ideas and perspectives.

So, the next time you are faced with a mountain of reading material, remember to read sparingly. Quality over quantity is the key to a more fulfilling and productive reading experience.

I am the proud owner of the Brand, Burns, Morgan, and Lash biographies of FDR. These biographies offer unique perspectives and insights into the life and times of one of America's most influential presidents.

Among them, I have a particular fondness for Geoffey Ward's two volumes. Ward's writing is engaging and detailed, bringing FDR to life in a vivid and compelling way.

Goodwin's No Ordinary Time is another all-time favorite of mine. It provides a fascinating look at the Roosevelt White House during World War II, highlighting the challenges and triumphs of that era.

Recently, I picked up Black's massive bio with relatively low expectations. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the writing style and narrative pace. Black does an excellent job of presenting a comprehensive and well-researched account of FDR's life and presidency.

In conclusion, these biographies have deepened my understanding and appreciation of FDR, and I would highly recommend them to anyone interested in American history or the life of this remarkable leader.

It took me a year and a half to complete this task.

Still, it is a truly monumental book that delves into the life of an astonishing man. This man led a depressed and isolated nation and transformed it into a singular world power.

The author is clear-eyed about Roosevelt's faults and machinations. However, it is evident that Roosevelt had strategic vision and the remarkable ability to articulate a moral core for the country.

This book offers an excellent walk through essential US and world history. It provides valuable insights into the events and decisions that shaped the nation and had a profound impact on the global stage.

Reading this book is like taking a journey through time, learning about the challenges and triumphs that defined an era. It is a must-read for anyone interested in history, politics, or the life of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Overall, this book is a remarkable achievement that offers a comprehensive and engaging look at a crucial period in US and world history.

The book by Conrad Black is long and rather windy, but I have to say that it manages to give a really good flavour of what Roosevelt was actually like.

As you read through the pages, you can almost picture Roosevelt in all his glory, with his charisma and determination.

The details provided about his life, his policies, and his interactions with others are truly fascinating.

Black's writing style, although perhaps a bit verbose at times, does justice to the subject matter.

He delves deep into Roosevelt's character, exploring both his strengths and his weaknesses.

Overall, despite its length and windiness, this book offers a valuable and engaging look at one of the most important figures in American history.

It's a must-read for anyone interested in learning more about Roosevelt and his impact on the nation.

Convicted felon, Conrad Black is perhaps the greatest historian Canada has ever seen. His intellectual rigor and analytical skills seem to far exceed his ethical standards.

One significant advantage of this book about a great left-of-center American president is that it is written by a right-of-center businessman with connections and known affinities for the Republicans. Black is not a partisan hack. He is a true historian eager to showcase the greatness of a figure whose politics differ from his.

We all recall seeing pictures of Roosevelt enjoying a beer on the day he ended the ban on liquor sales in the US and jauntily waving a cigarette in his holder. In reality, Roosevelt led an ascetic life. He disliked partying and dedicated almost all his leisure time to physical training to compensate for the polio he contracted in the 1920s, which left him a cripple.

In domestic politics, Roosevelt pursued a brilliant policy of state interventionism that restored prosperity to America, gave hope to the common man, and did not harm America's remarkable capitalist economy.

In the realm of foreign policy, Roosevelt was even more outstanding. The disastrous First World War made America extremely hostile to the idea of participating in a second war in Europe. Roosevelt very early on recognized that America needed to participate. So, he carefully cultivated this idea among Americans and was eventually able to join the Allied War effort with the strong support of the entire American populace.

He admired the British and was in awe of Churchill for his intelligence and courage. Nevertheless, he understood that the imperialistic world system created by the British could not be allowed to continue once the war was over. A new era of national sovereignty would have to be initiated, with multilateral alliances filling the void left by the disappearance of the colonial empires.

This is a wonderful book about a truly wonderful man.

A truly monumental work! Black masterfully takes on an enormous subject and skillfully captures the elusive character of FDR. He accurately sums up the grandeur of FDR's remarkable accomplishments. However, he too often attributes an omniscience to the president that he perhaps didn't fully possess. One significant oversight is that there isn't a single mention of the Bretton Woods conference. This conference was of great importance in shaping the post-war economic order. Its omission leaves a gap in the overall narrative. Despite this flaw, the work still offers many valuable insights into FDR and his presidency. It provides a detailed and engaging account of a crucial period in American history. The author's writing style is engaging and keeps the reader hooked from start to finish. Overall, it is a work that is well worth reading for anyone interested in FDR or American history.

A very detailed and long book awaits the eager reader. It truly takes a great deal of commitment to embark on the journey of reading this particular volume. However, the rewards are substantial. Once you have painstakingly made your way through the final page, you will find that you possess a comprehensive understanding of FDR, Churchill, and all the events and details surrounding them. The book delves deep into their lives, their leadership styles, and the historical context in which they operated. It is a treasure trove of information for anyone interested in this fascinating era of history. So, if you are willing to invest the time and effort, this book will surely provide you with a wealth of knowledge and a deeper appreciation for these iconic figures.

I was not ready for this.

It came upon me suddenly, like a storm out of nowhere. I had been going about my daily life, thinking I had a handle on things. But then, this unexpected event occurred, and it threw me completely off balance.

I found myself scrambling to make sense of it all, trying to figure out what to do next. My mind was racing with thoughts and questions, but I had no clear answers.

I felt a sense of confusion and uncertainty wash over me. I didn't know if I could handle this challenge or if I was up to the task.

But as I took a deep breath and looked around, I realized that I had to find a way. I couldn't just give up. So, I gathered my courage and decided to face this head-on.

Even though I was not ready for this, I knew that I had to try. And with each step forward, I hoped that I would become more prepared and better able to deal with whatever came my way.

Possibly the best presidential bio I have read is an absolute gem. It takes the reader on a captivating journey through the life and times of the president. The author has done an outstanding job of presenting a detailed and engaging account of the president's early years, his rise to power, and his significant achievements and challenges. The bio is not only informative but also highly entertaining, with vivid descriptions and interesting anecdotes that bring the president to life. It provides a unique perspective on the man behind the office, allowing the reader to understand his character, values, and leadership style. Whether you are a history buff or simply interested in learning more about the presidency, this bio is a must-read. It is a testament to the power of great storytelling and a valuable addition to any library.

In the most tumultuous of times, he was stability.

From the moment he contracted polio, his life became a struggle, and within that struggle, he carried the weight of the world.

It is truly difficult to read a book about FDR and not walk away wondering how vastly different, and likely worse, the world and America would have been if almost anyone else (perhaps with the exception of Lincoln) had been president during the Depression and World War Two.

The appealing and unappealing aspects of his personal character are repeatedly shown, but there is no doubt which carried more significance.

I was aware that his relationship with Eleanor was less than ideal, but the extent of their differences came as a surprise to me.

I found the pre-war years more challenging to understand due to my lack of knowledge about the key (and sometimes not so key, as it is a quite exhaustive study) personalities of that era.

The war years mainly focused on the relations and negotiations between FDR and Churchill, with Stalin joining in later.

I would have anticipated more coverage of George Marshall and some of the generals, but while they were mentioned, the president's relationship with them was never a central point.

Black wasn't afraid to point out the mistakes and flaws in Roosevelt's presidency, which is essential for any biography.

No matter how much we might wish to believe that great historical figures are infallible, they never truly are.

The overall view is that FDR deserves a place beside Washington and Lincoln as one of the greatest presidents in American history. Considering the personal and political obstacles he faced and the magnitude of his accomplishments compared to his mistakes, I would have to concur.

"Leave no stone unturned" must have been the motto for this book. It is minute in detail (and perhaps a bit taxing on the wrists), but Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom certainly lives up to the title of an "exhaustive study."

Only a multi-volume set can rival the detail included in this book. It is well worth the time for anyone looking to learn more about FDR. Since this is the only FDR biography I've read, I can't really determine if it adds to the scholarly debate.

Side note: Have a dictionary handy.

I was curious to read Conrad Black’s enormous biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt for quite some time.

Clocking in at 1,300 pages, this has often been regarded as one of the best single-volume biographies of the 32nd president.

Unfortunately, as I waded my way through this text slowly (this taking me over three months to read), I found that while it does cover most everything one could hope to learn about Roosevelt, one’s enjoyment and engagement with the text may suffer considerably with each passing chapter.

While Roosevelt’s life is detailed extensively, it is, frankly, painfully dry. In many ways, Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom reads like the longest section from an encyclopedia.

Conrad Black is an interesting figure, which is part of why I wanted to read this. A conservative, Canadian media mogul who would go on to write glowing biographies of Richard Nixon and Donald Trump, and who would be convicted of fraud in 2019 (and subsequently be pardoned by Trump), I wanted to know what drew him to write such a singular work on Roosevelt?

The research is here, the praise is here, but the voice or the general interest in the subject matter feels surprisingly thin. Roosevelt helped guide the United States and western allies, like Canada, through the Great Depression and World War II.

Yes…and? In its totality, Champion of Freedom offers a great resource text on Roosevelt, but as a book to enjoy and feel captivated by, perhaps look elsewhere. Black is no Ron Chernow, Robert Caro, or David McCullough.

The sheer length of Black's biography, which runs to a whopping 1134 pages, is truly a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, Black's writing style is engaging and lively. He delves into great detail when analyzing events, especially those related to politics and the War. He makes extensive use of quotes and summaries from relevant documents, which enriches the narrative. Although the biography is somewhat hagiographic, it leaves the reader with no doubt about what made FDR arguably the greatest president in American history and one of the great world leaders of the 20th century.

On the other hand, Black spends an inordinate amount of time on events that have little to do with FDR's life. For instance, he dedicates several pages to Churchill's visit to Moscow to meet with Stalin and the battle of Leyte Gulf in the Pacific, neither of which FDR was directly involved in. Even more problematically, he spends a great deal of ink psychoanalyzing not only FDR but also his political cronies, as well as Churchill, Stalin, DeGaulle, and others. What's worse, he is highly repetitive in this analysis, going over the same points again and again.

With some significant editing, this book could easily have been half as long and still just as comprehensive about the actual subject matter. In the end, I found reading this biography to be a bit of a slog, but despite that, I'm glad I did it. Roosevelt was indeed an extraordinary leader, and Black does a good job of showing why.