No Ordinary Time

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II

By: Doris Kearns Goodwin

Narrated by: Nelson Runger

Length: 39 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize Winner, History, 1995

No Ordinary Time describes how the isolationist and divided United States of 1940 was unified under the extraordinary leadership of Franklin Roosevelt to become the preeminent economic and military power in the world.

Using diaries, interviews, and White House records of the president's and first lady's comings and goings, Goodwin paints an intimate portrait of the daily conduct of the presidency during wartime and the Roosevelts' extraordinary constellation of friends, advisers, and family.

Bringing to bear the tools of both history and biography, No Ordinary Time relates the unique story of how Franklin Roosevelt led the nation to victory against seemingly insurmountable odds and, with Eleanor's essential help, forever changed the fabric of American society.

©1995 Doris Kearns Goodwin, All Rights Reserved. (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Brilliant, reads like a novel

What does Nelson Runger bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His reading is lively, engergetic and engaging. He reads history like a novel. Very entertaining as are all his books.

Any additional comments?

Goodwin (as always) is an entertaining, yet fully informed historian. This book is as close to "un-put-downable" as a biography/history book is likely to get. Her abilty to grasp the interesting coupled with the important is equaled by few.

"No Ordinary Time" is Extraordinary Story

This story of the Roosevelts personal and political contributions to American history is extremely powerful and inspiring. I was mesmerized.

Outstanding

One of the best bio's written, comprehensive, filled with little unknown facts. a super read that maintains interest!

Phenomenal

A must read for anyone interested in how our past as a country, has determined our today!!

Doris is my history teacher

The history class I took in high school was pathetic. The school year was almost over when we rushed through the Civil War, WWI and WWII. I read Team of Rivals and was mesmerized. I'm certainly not an expert on the Civil War now, but I feel like I have a much better understanding of it. I was hoping No Ordinary Time would do the same, and it did not disappoint. I learned so much about WWII and what was going on at home. I felt like I got to know Franklin and Eleanor. The research that went into this is exceptional, and it is presented in a way that is so compelling I didn't want to stop listening. Thanks, Doris, for being the most interesting history teacher I've ever had!

Eleanor, I Hardly Knew Ye!

This wonderful book discusses WWII from a much more personal perspective than any I've read. While FDR was the politician and brain of the country at this time, Eleanor was the heart and conscience. She discovered her husband's affair when she was in her mid-thirties and thereafter pretty much went her own way, to the great advantage of social causes in the United States. She was a Civil Rights, Women's Rights, and Labor Rights activist throughout these years and prompted profound advances by pressuring her husband about these causes in the White House. I had no idea.

Nelson Runger's narration was excellent. He does a credible imitation of FDR and Churchill, and his delivery for Eleanor was subtly singsong and high pitched.

Excellent story and reading.

I almost did not order this book because of negative reviews I read about the reader. I found those reviews completely incorrect! The readers performance was exceptional.

Wonderful! An excellent story!

Fantastic narrative about an unusual time. Very enjoyable behind the scenes story that was entertaining from beginning to end.

Excellent

Superbly written & researched book on the amazing power couple of President FDR and Eleanor, detailing an incredible point in time.

Great book, not so great narration

A thorough and exhaustive account- excellent for expanding one’s knowledge base and ascertaining deeper understanding into FDR’s presidential legacy. Unfortunately, the auditory experience was less than desirable, as you can hear the narrator breathing and swallowing, taking exceptionally long pauses, etc…I could almost anticipate him licking his fingertips to turn the page 😖. Quite distracting, but otherwise an interesting and informative read/listen.