FDR and His Enemies

By Albert Fried

Book Overview

Not since the Civil War was America so riven by conflict as it was during Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. His bold initiatives and his willingness to break historic precedent in handling the Great... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312221193
• ISBN13: 9780312221195
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: St Martins Pr
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 1.0" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

A very readable look at FDR and the 1930s

"FDR and His Enemies" takes a very interesting approach to the history of the 1930s. It provides a very readable look at FDR and some of his most prominent "enemies" -- Al Smith, Father Coughlin, John L. Lewis, Huey Long, and Charles Lindbergh. Some of these men were also for a time FDR allies. But "FDR and His Enemies" is most illuminating in its clever way of viewing the politics, domestic upheaval and conflict, and wars that defined the 1930s. The author uses his cast of main characters to delineate important aspects of the Great Depression and of the start of World War II. For example, looking at the history of the American labor movement during the 1930s through the prism of John L. Lewis's activities and his relationship with FDR provides a unique perspective. I highly recommend this book for its up-close look at this cast of characters who helped make the 1930s one of the most tumultuous eras in American history.

A man of first-rate enemies

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt proved his mettle in how he dealt with his domestic enemies almost as much as in the way he fought Hitler, Tojo, and Mussolini. As Professor Albert Fried demonstrates in FDR and His Enemies, the homegrown foes were at times the tougher adversaries.Fried places on FDR's list a formidable cross-section of American enemies: Father Charles Coughlin, the bombastic radio priest; aviator Charles Lindbergh, who morphed from international hero into Nazi dupe; John Lewis, the labor leader who used people as callously as ashtrays; Al Smith, the first Catholic to run for president who became an ardent opponent of the New Deal; and Louisiana hurricane Huey Long, perhaps the most dangerous and brilliant of the five. How FDR responds to each is based on that individual's strengths and weaknesses. Thus, Lindbergh and Coughlin are marginalized by their own words, Smith and Lewis by their own vanity, and the dynamo Long is co-opted as much as he is battled. FDR's deft approach to each proves impressive.Unfortunately, the book at times is an apologia for FDR's many excesses and shortcomings. As an example, spurious excuses are offered for horrific civil liberty violations such as the president's indiscriminate use of the FBI wiretaps on domestic foes. In this and many other instances Fried betrays the prejudices of academicians of his era. To such men FDR did no wrong, the facts be damned. Also, in keeping with the style of professors of his background, Fried can't resist showing off his impressive vocabulary. Keep a dictionary handy.Nonetheless, the book remains eminently readable and brings a unique perspective to an earlier president whose superb political skills often exceeded his discretion and intellectual capacity. Fried is at his acidic best when he directly quotes outrages from Lindbergh and Coughlin, and the book shines when the professor chronicles the seemingly benign but always powerful theatrics of Long and Lewis. One of the better descriptions of FDR was "a man of first-rate temperament". As Fried proves, FDR had first-rate enemies as well.

An excellent book although I never felt FDR was hindered in

any way.FDR, like Lincoln, was loved or hated intensely. There were few people indifferent to them.With the exception of Lindberg, all of them: Father Coughlin, Huey Long, Al Smith & John Lewis had a love/hate relationship with the president.In the case of Coughlin, Smith & Lewis, FDR gave them a light touch. They eventually self destructed. They were flawed little demagoges. Long could have really caused some political trouble but was killed early in FDR's presidency.FDR really seemed intent on bringing Lindberg, already an American icon, down. It was his isolationist views, so persuasive, rather than his Nazi sympathies that concerned the president. When war finally came & Lindberg volunteered, FDR personally intervened & thwarted him.Some biographers have given Lindberg a pass. They have treaded lightly on his isolationism, his Nazi support & anti semitism. This book is not so kind.I might never read a biograhy on Coughlin, Smith or Lewis so the information on these three historic figures was valuable to me.That FDR manipulated The United States into World War II, as the isolationist even today contend, is probably true & the subject of more than a few books. However history exonerates him.In this case the means truly justifies the ends.

An interesting concept and an equally interesting read.

It has been said that we can tell a great deal about a man's character by the enemies He makes, And Franklin Delano Roosevelt had more than His share of enemies.Albert Fried attempts to illustrate FDR's character, political skills and His place in history by evaluating His relationships with five of His most implaccable political enemies, An interesting concept that falls short in some areas. Al Smith was one of Roosevelt's earliest political mentors, FDR probably would never have become president had Smith not virtually blackmailed Him into running for Governor of New York in 1928.After the election Smith felt He was due some deference which He never got. But to blame their alienation envy and resentment on Smith's part is I believe wrong. By 1932 Smith had moved to the right in His ideology as many do as they get older. I believe that He genuinely believed FDR was moving America towards Marxism.Huey Long was said to be the only politician that FDR genuinely feared.Against all logic the author believes the Kingfish would not have run for Presidentin 1936. I believe that Long would almost certainly have run and thatHe might have thrown the election to the Republicans. As William Manchester once wrote; ''Huey Long is one of the few men of whom it can truly be said that had He lived history would have been different''.The least impressive of the enemies is Father Charles Coughlin, a windbag in a clerical collar. John L. Lewis was a Labor leader with dictatorial ambitions who clearly underestimated Roosevelt's popularity with the workers. Charles Lindbergh was the only one of the five who was not originally a Roosevelt ally.Lindbergh was enormously naive, I don''t think He was a Nazi.Fried says that all of these men were living in the past and could not understand that Roosevelt's policies were the wave of the future. I don''t think that could truly be said of either Long or Lewis. And it begs the question of wheather the ideas of the future are always superior to the ideas of the past. Nevertheless a good book.

A fast fascinating survey

This is a compellingly readable look at FDR and the way he sized up and snookered four demogogues and an envious former friend, all of whom fatally underestimated his intelligence and will. I wish the informational footnotes had been included on the same pages as the text proper, so that you dont have to go back and forth; some of them are so good, they should have been worked into the text--which at times is too concise for it's own good. You may want to have a copy of Ward's brilliant FDR bio, A First-Class Temperament, and William's definitive bio of Huey Long on hand to get more details, but for a riveting overview of a cast of characters as intriguing as any in Dickens, this volume will keep you reading late into the night.