No Ordinary Time

No Ordinary Time by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Publisher: Hardcover (October 1, 1994)
759 pages
ASIN: B004S7Y3X6

Amazon.com Review

A compelling chronicle of a nation and its leaders during the period when modern America was created. With an uncanny feel for detail and a novelist's grasp of drama and depth, Doris Kearns Goodwin brilliantly narrates the interrelationship between the inner workings of the Roosevelt White House and the destiny of the United States. Goodwin paints a comprehensive, intimate portrait that fills in a historical gap in the story of our nation under the Roosevelt's.

Here I am, once again, reading about Eleanor and Franklin during the war years.  I have to admit that there is so much that I either never knew, or have forgotten about that I had learned, while the Roosevelt's were in office, that I found this book better then any history book I could possible want to read.

This is a fantastic book and if you have any interest in things that happened during WWII (and behind the scenes at the White House) this is the book for you.  But the book doesn’t “just cover” WWII, it also covers “Eleanor”. (that could say everything in one word if you know much about her)  During the years in office Eleanor never slowed down.  She never stopped fighting for the “everyday person”, or for the rights of the blacks or for women in general.  It seems impossible that one woman could take on so much and actually make headway with nearly everything she tried to help.  Meanwhile, she had so much influence on her husband that I feel  it was because of her that made him even more famous then he could make himself.

I find myself grieving for Eleanor .  Her kind will most likely, never be seen again.  At least not to the huge degree that she obtained in her lifetime.

Their life as man and wife was far from conventional, however, since I have read 2 books on Eleanor and now this book, I am left with the feeling that there was such a love/ respect for each other that nothing could break their bond.

No Ordinary Time is a very well written book, chock full of things you may well not have known about the Roosevelt's, as well as the war, such as: due to Eleanor over 105,000 British children were brought to America under “visitor’s passes” to keep them safe until such a time as they could return to England. And although most know that Franklin married his cousin did you know it was his 5th cousin?  Did you know Franklin had an affair which left Eleanor and Franklin to sleep in separate rooms from that time on?  Did you know of the deep regard that Churchill had for Franklin? And did you know that Eleanor traveled extensively around the USA to learn the plights of the American working people so that she could report all the news back to Franklin?  They were an extraordinary couple, the likes of we shall never see again

As slowly as I read (especially where it concerns politics) I found that I would not give up on the book until it was completed.  I was maybe a year old when Franklin died, and to be honest the first President I truly remember is Eisenhower (who had much to do in WWII) when he ran against Adali Stevenson II. (I remember in school we had a mock voting for the President, but honestly I can’t remember who we voted in lol)

Once again, I highly recommend this book to any history buff or anyone wanting to know more about WWII or Franklin and Eleanor.  And if you read it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.