FDR

The First Hundred Days

By: Anthony J. Badger

Narrated by: William Hughes

Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Roosevelt entered the White House in 1933 confronting 25 percent unemployment, bank closings, and a nationwide crisis in confidence.

With reforms ranging from the legalization of alcohol to mortgage relief for millions of Americans, Roosevelt launched the New Deal that conservatives have been working to roll back ever since.

Badger emphasizes Roosevelt's political gifts while humanizing Roosevelt and suggesting a far more useful yardstick for future presidents: the politics of the possible under the guidance of principle.

©2008 Anthony J. Badger (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"With insight, great judiciousness, and extremely well ordered pacing, Badger, an expert in American history at Cambridge University, reviews the pieces of legislation and analyzes their effectiveness. An important book in contributing to a complete picture of 20-century U.S. history that is clear and accessible." ( Booklist)

Great overview

Gets into more detail than many books /documents about this time in history. Solid listen overall

I don't know

this book was very informative. but the author makes a lot of leaps without the foundation to confidently go where he wants to go. he makes a lot of interpretations about people's motivations and why they did that or how people interpreted each other's actions. he gives a tongue and cheek retort to right-wing revisionism but he doesn't adequately overcome the criticisms of the right against FDR and his policy. the influence of brandeis, Warburg and Frankfurter it was something that this author does go into some detail on that deserves further investigation

Good Balanced Overview of FDR 1st 100 Days

I found this audio book captivating, informative, and balanced in looking at the pluses and minuses of what occurred during FDR’s first 100 days in office. The reader was excellent: clear and understandable at all times. Although I don’t agree with many of FDR’s policy decisions, I thought the author present a fair assessment of FDR’s administration. Do recommend this audio book.

Good read

I learned a lot about the depression in a different view seeing how things were done to assist the economy at the presidential level

A varying narrative

While I appreciate a different viewpoint of the proceedings on FDR and the New Deal for the people, I could not follow the story on where or perhaps why the characters proceeded. It wasn’t a reactionary’s revisionist take I have read heard before however it also didn’t give a solid reaffirmation the administration and its director did what the people needed beginning in the fall of 1932 through the summer of 1933. I do appreciate the more in depth machinations of the programs such as the AAA and NiRA… it closed some of those technical questions I had.