Traitor to His Class

The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt

By: H. W. Brands

Narrated by: Mark Deakins

Length: 37 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

A sweeping, magisterial biography of the man generally considered the greatest president of the 20th century, admired by Democrats and Republicans alike.

Traitor to His Class sheds new light on FDR's formative years; his remarkable willingness to champion the concerns of the poor and disenfranchised; and his combination of political genius, firm leadership, and matchless diplomacy in saving democracy in America during the Great Depression and the American cause of freedom in World War II.

Drawing on archival materials, public speeches, personal correspondence, and accounts by family and close associates, acclaimed best-selling historian and biographer H. W. Brands offers a compelling and intimate portrait of Roosevelt's life and career.

Brands explores the powerful influence of FDR's dominating mother and the often tense and always unusual partnership between FDR and his wife, Eleanor, and her indispensable contributions to his presidency.

Most of all, the book traces in breathtaking detail FDR's revolutionary efforts with his New Deal legislation to transform the American political economy in order to save it, his forceful and cagey leadership before and during World War II, and his lasting legacy in creating the foundations of the postwar international order.

Traitor to His Class brilliantly captures the qualities that have made FDR a beloved figure to millions of Americans.

©2008 H. W. Brands (P)2008 Books on Tape

A man who changed America

Seventy six years ago one of America’s most important presidents died, but in his wake you see how he truly changed this country for the better. Programs that we take for granted today such as social security and the GI Bill were radical for the time. This man changed how America is today and this book explores his life and everything that made him the man he was.

Well-researched, excellent performance

Brand covers history and politics, along with the story of an interesting man and his interesting family. One of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to.

Heavy Dose of History

If you could sum up Traitor to His Class in three words, what would they be?

Not Brands' best.

What other book might you compare Traitor to His Class to and why?

Any of many history books. This is not my favorite HW Brands biography; I read his works on Andrew Jackson and Ben Franklin and found both much more compelling. This could be my affinity for older America, or the difference between reading and listening to a heavily detailed piece of history, but nevertheless I was never as excited for the next page of FDR as I was for the other two. It seems to me more of the predjudices and judgements of the modern man figure into Brands' analysis of the New Deal president, and figure in more favorably than they might another hundred years down the line.

Have you listened to any of Mark Deakins’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but this was good narration.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I'd say this should be free to anyone that could.

Any additional comments?

Listening to mammoth recordings of detailed history is not for the faint if heart, or ear. How much did I retain?

A Magnificent Biography

Writing a one-volume biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt is a daunting task because of the length of his tenure in office and the circumstances he confronted in the United States and the world. This biography is about as close to a perfect one-volume biography as you will find. The author does an excellent job in presenting Roosevelt's decisions within the context of his times while at the same time not excusing their shortcomings- for example, his decision to intern Japanese-Americans during World War II is presented in a balanced and fair way.

If I had a complaint it would be around two-thirds of the way through the book, the author in one short sentence abruptly dismisses the New Deal as a failure so he can move on to discussing the war. I think he owed the readers more of an explanation as to how and why the New Deal was a failure. That oversight in assessing the New Deal and its failure to bring full economic recovery is unfortunate given that so many political leaders since Roosevelt have tried to resurrect or expand parts of the New Deal and reap the same unintended consequences that it has brought to our economy. At the same time, I still admire Roosevelt for doing something to re-instill lost hope to those who suffered during the Depression.

A great book about a great man

I'm no historian, I don't know the whole story. But I left after listening to this feeling that I know some of who this man was, this Franklin, Delano Roosevelt. A fine man. A good American.

I recommend listening to this or anyone, interested in our history. For that matter, just to learn about a spectacular man.

Excellent insight into FDR

Mr. Brands delves deeply into FDR’s life to show us a human going through life and developing. We see his strengths and weaknesses, his mistakes and triumphs.

The narration by Mr. Deakins is perfect.

Wonderfully Thorough, Well Narrated

I was originally curious about Roosevelt because he’s one of Obama’s favorite presidents. Now I can say, give or take a couple of issues, he’s one of mine. At first I had to get used to the narrator’s measured dryness, but then I grew to appreciate it. It was so consistent it didn’t distract from the information.

Worth every minute.

I felt as if I was listening to FDR's own voice through the author's pen and the narrator's performance. The scenes were painted with such two tail and the narrator made them come alive. It was a treat to learn so much more about FDR then I ever could have imagined. I recommend the unabridged version - it may seem daunting to listen to, but I found myself hanging on every word.

Amazing book - awesome narration

I just finished the audible version of this book. Very comprehensive and well narrated. I’m no fan of FDR, but H. W. Brands goes into great detail describing the challenges and situations FDR had to go through in order to restore hope to Americans impoverished by a depression, and to a world facing subjugation by tyrants. The detail Brands provides, combined with Mark Deakins’ narration helps you understand the circumstances behind FDR’s decisions and his state of mind, and makes the reader/listener feel like s/he was present and by FDR’s side. Highly recommended!

A great book about the BEST U.S. President

This was a phenomenal listen from the beginning. It made me love Roosevelt even more.