Eleanor Roosevelt, Vol 1: 1884-1933

By: Blanche Wiesen Cook

Narrated by: Blanche Wiesen Cook

Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Eleanor Roosevelt is the most important woman in American political history, and in this definitive biography, Blanche Wiesen Cook recreates her in all of her roles -- as a visionary, an activist, a political wife, and a woman far more independent than we knew.

No other First Lady has had a greater influence in the course of democracy in this century, and no other book about Eleanor Roosevelt captures the complexity of her character - her wit, her passion, her boldness, and her commitment to greater dignity and security for all women and men.

©2000 Blanche Wiesen Cook (P)2009 Phoenix

Critic reviews

"This highly readable, well-researched work of feminist scholarship erases the image of the young Eleanor Roosevelt as a long-suffering, repressed wife and presents her as a strong, ever-evolving individual." ( Publishers Weekly)

Good for a quick intro but...

Interesting but a little too abridged. I try to avoid abridgments. No full-length audio version is available. It's wonderful to hear the author's voice but she reads very quickly and without much inflection. Can't wait to read it for myself -- I've ordered the print version!

excellent book and author

wow! what a lady, Eleanor Roosevelt! Super well written, superb story, and well-read. I couldn't believe when it was over! I'll have to get the next book!!

Can't rate content, can't listen to this voice

As interested as I am in this biography of Eleanor R, I can't listen to this recording. The voice of the author is very irritating to me - to other Audible friends as well. We had to let go of this one. Very disappointing to have paid for a book only to have to put it aside because of the poor presentation.

The publishers review should have included this flaw!!!

Much better to have a professional reader than an author's voice that's not trained for the job.

It's read too fast and it's a confusing abridgment

It's the rare author who is even a passable reader of his or her own work and even those who do a good job (like Barbara Kingsolver ) fall short of a professional reader. Cook reads way too fast—it's too fast when I crank it down to half time—and her voIce is grating.

I have read thie 2 volumes of this book and liked it so much I suggested it for a bookgroup (vol I only) so I'm listening to this abridged version to refresh my memory. But I think the abridgment is poor too. The time sequence isn't clear ( she missed when FDR ran for VP) and really important parts of ER's life are given short shrift (eg. Allenwood and Madame Souvestre who was so influential, the details of Franklin's initial illness, the roles of the aunts in her life). These are critical to understanding ER, more critical than all the detail of her political life. I haven't quite finished it, but she left out Louie Howe coaching her to speak in public too.

I heartily recommend this book, but not this recording and not this abridgment.

To audible editors: surely you realize that "story" is an inappropriate term in nonfiction.