2024 the best president in the world 2023 review
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(as of Dec 14, 2024 06:44:07 UTC - Details)
A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF 2023
“Belongs in the library alongside the histories and biographies of Martin Gilbert, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., and David McCullough.” —Doug Stanton, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Horse Soldiers
In this epic and definitive history of the American home front during World War II, New York Times bestselling historian Craig Nelson reveals how FDR won the support of a nation antagonistic to war in Europe and pushed both government and industry to build “the arsenal of democracy”—the secret weapon that won the war.
In 1938, the United States was so politically isolationist and pacifist that its defense forces were smaller than Portugal’s. That same year, Franklin Delano Roosevelt ordered the federal government to spark a dramatic expansion in domestic airplane production, and this minor effort—three years before the attack on Pearl Harbor—would in time become what Roosevelt called “the arsenal of democracy,” the full-throttle unleashing of American enterprise and ingenuity that was the secret weapon for victory in World War II. Signaled by Roosevelt’s public fight with Lindbergh—known as the Great Debate—victory at land, sea, and air across the globe began at home.
In this “richly detailed, highly readable account of presidential leadership in perilous times” (New York Journal of Books), Craig Nelson traces how under FDR, the United States rose from poverty and solitude to defeat the greatest evils of the 20th century. By transforming what Americans thought they could achieve, FDR’s efforts ended the Great Depression; conquered the fascists of Germany, Italy, and Japan; birthed America’s middle-class affluence and consumer society; led to jet engines, computers, radar, the military-industrial complex, Big Science, and nuclear weapons; triggered a global economic boom; and turned the U.S. military into a worldwide titan—with America the undisputed leader of world affairs. While the arsenal of democracy has come to mean this miracle of American industry, when Roosevelt said it, he meant the miracle of the American people.
Revealing an era when Detroit was Silicon Valley; Ford was Apple; and Sears, Roebuck was Amazon, while filled with reflections on our own time, V Is for Victory draws on five years of research to create a powerful and essential narrative largely overlooked in conventional histories of the war but which, in Nelson’s skilled, authoritative hands, becomes an illuminating and important work destined to become an American history classic.
From the Publisher
Publisher : Scribner; First Edition First Printing (May 23, 2023)
Language : English
Hardcover : 448 pages
ISBN-10 : 1982122919
ISBN-13 : 978-1982122911
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 6 x 1.3 x 9 inches
Reviewer: Heyward Preacher
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Details We Didn't Learn In School
Review: There is so much more to understand about the US run-up to World War II than I learned in High School history. This very readable history helps to identify the critical and brilliant "brain trust" that FDR built in the 1930's. It also highlights the role played by Lindbergh; he comes off as being an internal enemy of the United States.The book is NOT a chronological rendition of "first this, then that." Instead, it develops themes of people interactions and how that relates to specific topics, such as "Cash and Carry". Consequently, it will cover a topic, then backtrack in time to develop the next topic. The author never glosses over the personal conflicts that naturally happen in such a complex administration. It would help to have a "Time Line Foldout" as so much happened in parallel.The text is heavily footnoted and indexed. As such, this book would be suitable source material to many high school or college term papers (that are not just expository prose). Highly recommended for anyone interested in history.
Reviewer: Christy Martin
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A Must Read for lovers of WWII Era History
Review: For those of us who love history, "V is for Victory" is a must-read. I am an avid reader of most things that surround World War II. This book is full of information and facts from that era. It is good documentation of a historic time in our nation when things seem to miraculously come together. It tells of many of the women and men who were behind the country's efforts to win World War Ii and the man who brought it all together thru vision and leadership. If you are looking for real information about the personal struggles of Roosevelt this is not the book. It leaves out much of the truths that surround his relationship with Eleanor and her own struggles with identity and love. It does however tell the factual story of a nation that rose to the challenge of tyranny and sacrificed and grew from its challenge. Roosevelt was definitely the key player in that success. He also grew government at an astounding rate and the nation was forever changed by the interventions that he made to improve lives. Lauded at the time it opened the door for what many now see as too much government. It also created programs that caused unprecedented growth and change in our country in the post-World War II generations. I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to those who love that era of history.
Reviewer: William Blackburn
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: FDR fully appreciated
Review: This is a well researched and engagingly written account of how government and business leaders, and indeed intellectuals, liberals and conservatives, coordinated and cooperated in an incredible mobilization of national resources, personnel and materiel, to lead the effort in defeating the Axis powers in WWII. This is not an academic exercise but will appeal to a more general audience and is well worth the reading. The author unfortunately at times is distractingly breezy and casual in some of his accounts, such as referring to falling bombs as 'eggs', and volunteering that Normandy was " a French territory named for my ancestors." A more serious criticism however: at page 14 the author claims that then Army Chief of Staff Douglas MacArthur attacked the protesting Bonus Army with "clouds of poisonous gas." This is Bonus Army march was an event well documented and reported upon then and often later by many sources. However, I have never before heard a charge of poisonous gas being used to disperse the crowd, but rather tear gas. The poison gas canard exaggeration reads like a bias against MacArthur, who was indeed arrogant and brought on the opprobrium this debacle merited. The treatment of these WWI veterans, approximately 17,000 in number, was indeed harsh and was at the time, and since, criticized for being an over reaction. On the other hand, if such measures had been implemented on January 6, 2021, it is unlikely those rioting miscreants would have succeeded in penetrating our Capitol building.
Reviewer: Ronald J. Fabian
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: top notch
Review: This is the first book Iâve read which focuses on both FDRâs foresight together with the use of the massive use of the USA economy I thought that it might be boring It wasnât
Reviewer: Gary Ferrebee
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Just an excellent addition to the history of WW2 & the man who created modern America.
Review: Not a history of battles but a recognition of how much an insightful leader can shape history. Tacking politically at the right moments to reach his objectives. Was not what I was expecting but very glad I read it. EXECELLENT.
Reviewer: Deb Kiley
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Roosevelt and WW2 innovations
Review: I love to read WW2 historical fiction and when this non-fiction book about Roosevelt was presented to me, I had to read it. The author did a meticulous job researching the numerous details that spells out how Roosevelt got the U.S. through the war and set the country up for the after. The women that played a role behind the scenes were highlighted in the book: Eleanor Roosevelt, Frances Perkins, Lorna Hickok, Marian Anderson, Dorothy Thompson, Amy Elizabeth Peck, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, WACs, WAVES, WASPs. Roosevelt had a hand in so many things to help the country win the war because he got manufacturing companies to build the planes, ships, etc. that everyone needed. The numbers in the book are staggering; that companies could pivot from consumer goods to military supplies so quickly is unbelievable. Roosevelt employed people that could get things done and he gave his all to protect the country by fighting the enemies abroad and within. I learned so much from this book, such as the concept of logistics was the reason we won the war and whole-blood transfusions and penicillin reduced the mortality rate of soldiers to about 1%, and more details about Operation Overlord (D-Day). If you love history and detailed facts, this is the book for you. I loved the background knowledge I gained about this pivotal time in U.S. history.
Reviewer: katherine a klau
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: My husband likes it very much
Review: Naturally he is an intellectual, so itâs just up his alley.