The Defining Moment

FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope

By: Jonathan Alter

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

In this dramatic and fascinating account, Newsweek columnist Jonathan Alter shows how Franklin Delano Roosevelt used his first 100 days in office to lift the country from the despair and paralysis of the Great Depression and transform the American presidency.

Instead of becoming the dictator so many wanted in those first days, FDR rescued banks, put men to work immediately, and laid the groundwork for his most ambitious achievements, including what eventually became the Social Security Administration. Alter explains how FDR's background and experiences uniquely qualified him to pull off an astonishing conjuring act that saved both democracy and capitalism.

Jonathan Alter, a Newsweek Senior Editor, has written the widely acclaimed "Between the Lines" column since 1991, examining politics, media, and society at large. For the last decade, he has also worked as an analyst and contributing correspondent for NBC Broadcasting, including Today, NBC Nightly News, and MSNBC.

Grover Gardner is one of the spoken word industry's most esteemed and versatile performers. He has recorded hundreds of books and has garnered an Audie Award, 18 Earphones Awards, and was deemed to have one of the "Best Voices of the Century" by AudioFile magazine. He was also named Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly.

©2006 Jonathan Alter, recorded by arrangement with Simon & Schuster, Inc. (P)2006 The Audio Partners Publishing Corp.

Critic reviews

"A most readable book....A reflection on the way that Roosevelt reinvented the presidency....Alter's account has a refreshing buoyancy, not unlike its protagonist." (The New York Times Book Review)
"Alter goes on to document FDR's early programs, pronouncements, and maneuvers with succinct accuracy." (Publishers Weekly)
"A book like this, revealing the power of presidential speeches, should be read, in FDR's repetition for emphasis, 'again and again and again'." (William Safire)

Balanced and Accurate

This an excellent telling of Franklin Roosevelt's impact on American and world history. It is a balanced assessment that reveals both Roosevelt's genius and his flaws. Well presented and worth a listen. The epilogue is particularly astute and worth more than one listen.

Accessible history

I think this works well as an audio book-not all history books do. The book sheds light on a fascinating historical period and on FDR and Eleanor.

The use of the 100 days to limit the scope of the book is, of course, an arbitrary tool; it allows the author to explore topics as diverse as FDR's accent to the CCC and the "end" of the gold standard. Overall it gives the book a feeling of internal cohesion at least until the coda; this long final chapter rambles.
I found the narrator's voice and style a perfect fit for the material.

I have a new favorite president

This is an excellent book to understand better the Great Depression, the germination of social security and other American institutions, and the man tasked with the presidency during during those highly influential times.

Didn’t expect to learn so much new information

Fascinating, including the parallels between politics then and now. Great read. Love to read a sequel concentrating on the WWII years of Roosevelt’s administration.

Best voice ever!

Grover can make the phone book interesting...
Everything he does is first rate. A strong rebuke to “screen actors” to stay in their lane shut up and smile pretty...

Fantastic!

Fantastic book written of in my opinion our greatest leader, fve stars across the board!

Real Leader

This what a real leader does to help the country not himself. Hail to the chief.

A great albeit flawed leader.Well worth the listen

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narrator.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The tone and cadence of the narrator were off IMO. But its still worth listening to if you can get over that.

Very Enjoyable!

The Defining Moment is up there with the top echelon of recent presidential biographies (John Adams, Team of Rivals, Truman). Jonathan Alter has crafted a book that moves quickly, is full of interesting anecdotes, and makes you feel like you really know FDR in a way that other biographies that culminate in his handling of WWII (rather than the New Deal) never do.

He also has a rather interesting aspect in his writing in that he will occasionally step out of the narrative and explain how FDR compares and/or directly influenced future presidents by name. I found it a very compelling part of the book that did not distract. Of course this book was written just a couple of years ago and the comparisons only extend to George W Bush. A subsequent edition that included comparisons to Obama in a few years would be fascinating.

Of course it is impossible not to compare certain aspects of what FDR did to deal with the Great Depression and what is going on today in Washington. There are a fair number of similarities, though the book is also a great refresher on how much, much worse the Depression was compared to the current economic environment. That being said, it was wonderful to see what the right person can do even in dire circumstances. This has not happened frequently enough in our history and the times is has happened are worth careful study.

As others have noted, the title is a bit misleading in that the book is really a fairly complete biography of FDR up to and including the first 100 days he was in office, but we actually don't get to the beginning of the 100 days until we are about 75% through the book.

Overall a great and timely "read". Grover Gardner does his usual fabulous job narrating the book. I highly recommend it.

Well Written . . . and Timely

As a review of a significant historical person and time, this work is excellent. It is well researched and written. Vignettes are used to effectively provide a well rounded perspective on a complex person and time. Parallels with our country's current situation are inescapable. You get a "twofer." Learn something about FDR and the post-depression period plus see what the future might bring. This is timely book well worth reading. At the very least, it makes you think about history and its repeating cycle.