I'm originally from Iowa, and of Norwegian ancestry to boot, so I took a chance and ordered this book. I'm very glad I did. The book seems to start out slow ... it goes through a pedigree of the Tjernagel family. But when I got to the dog stories, I was glad for the background. The book is thoroughly charming and it put me in mind of stories my grandfather used to tell. Peder Gustav's fine character and humor shine through the narrative and when the book is finished, you wish you lived next door to his ancestors. I believe that even the Danes and Swedes would like this book. O' jah, you betcha

I was particularly impressed by Tourgee's use of dialogue. By constantly hearing both sides of each design and every brainchild, the reader is allowed to come to his or her own conclusions. Whether A Fool's Errand would be considered a historical account or a novel is ambiguous, but then maybe such a combination of fact and fiction is what allows literature to survive the passage of time as this work has. I was enamored as well by the way Tourgee, sitting as judge to all, openly and maliciously attacked both the plaintiff and the defendant for their contribution to the melee we know as "reconstruction". This is the only truly nonbiased approach, and it was marvelously implemented here. I feel too many works are skewed to facilitate the author's motives, especially those written about this era. Like a refreshing breeze from far away, this work brings clarity and insight to a misinterpreted time in our nation's past.

Jefferey Smith's " Franklin and Bache " is a great book. Starting with the life of Benjamin Franklin and his intellectual development to the his grandson's formation of the Philadelphia Aurora and battle for liberty in the 1790's this book holds your attention. Smith shows how Franklin developed an elightened philosophy of liberty, equality, and classical republicanism and instilled it into his grandson. Young Benjamin Bache became the epitomie of Franklinian ethics: hard working, educated in the classics, sincerely devoted to republican government,and with a streak of revulsion to injustice.

In the 1790's as the Federalists began develpoment of their centralizing theories,and their Hamiltonian ideals of "energetic" government, government by a plutocratic elite, and commercial develpoment, Benjamin Bache was aroused. A firm republican, his Aurora preached the values of agriculture, liberty and sovereignty of the people, support for the French Revolution, and support for democratic as opposed to aristocratic government. Bache was an avid supporter of Thomas Jefferson and his ideals of liberty and republicanism.

Persecuted by the Federalist under the tyrannical Alien and Sedition Laws Bache stood steadfast in support of freedom of the press and the First Amendment. His untimely death due to yellow fever deprived the Federalists of their victim, but brought attention to the cause of liberty. Inspired by the ideals of Franklin and Jefferson for a liberal and enlightened society Bache proposed reform of the US Constitution, opposed slavery, supported penal reform, and care of the poor. If you want a good overview of the ideals of Franklin and Jefferson in the early republic this is a great buy.

A true gem! This book will inspire little ones to help others. It teaches them to be superheros in everyday life by lending a helping hand and that giving can sometimes be more special than receiving. What could be more rewarding! I believe it is the greatest book in the Franklin series and we've read them all!

I am currently working my way through various juvenile biographies of the Presidents in alphabetical order and the Profiles of the Presidents series has carved out a niche as the best volumes for young readers to be introduced to the occupants of the White House. This look at Franklin D. Roosevelt by Michael Burgan provides a solid introduction to the wheelchair-bound president who optimistically led the United States through more than a decade of economic, social, and political problems. After establishing FDR as "A President with Hope," Burgan provides the standard biography of Roosevelt's rich childhood, his early involvement in politics, and the polio that paralyzed his legs. From that point on the book is organized more by national events: the Great Depression, the New Deal, and World War II. Burgan does a nice job of explaining how FDR responded to each of these challenges and underscores that it was this President who changed the role of the president and the role of the government in people's lives.

The Profiles of the Presidents series goes from George Washington to George W. Bush and each book features a glossary, fast facts about the president, a parallel timeline of world and presidential events, an index, and other resourcs intended to help young students better understand the life and times of each president. The books are lavishly illustrated and even the black & white photographs sometimes have golden frames around them to keep the look of the book up to date, which it proves with the final photo of the statues of FDR and his dog, Fala, that are part of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C. The result is another solid effort in a fine series. Young students can get more information about FDR from other books later in their education, but this would be the ideal choice for their first book about the man who was elected President of the United States four times.

In one volume, Robert Dallek has attempted to counter the vast amount of printed material covering Franklin D. Roosevelt's domestic policies during the 1930's and 1940's. The result is a mammoth effort that sheds light on the enormous pressures Roosevelt faced both at home and abroad during the turbulent decades when the world struggled to emerge from the shambles of a Great Depression, and prepare itself for a global conflict. Dallek argues that most historians do not fully understand the nature of Roosevelt's foreign policy. Dallek also claims that researchers tend to focus on FDR's shortcomings without emphasizing the constraints with which he was forced to work. Dallek's main purpose is to highlight the continual dilemmas Roosevelt faced in an effort to always strive for balance and compromise between public opinion and foreign affairs. FDR realized the need to break the country away from isolationism and place it in the global arena, both economically and politically, while at the same time facing the growing threat from the Axis powers. Though Dallek is noted as a gifted narrator, it is Roosevelt's leadership style,criticized as somewhat unorthodox,and the many quandaries in which he prevailed that provides the strength of Dallek's book. Dallek chose a ridged chronological format, which he maintained throughout the book. The chronological methodology in essential to enable the reader to understand the patterns that emerged within Roosevelt's style of leadership. For instance, rather than try to sway public opinion as to why the United States should supply aid to its allies or begin preparing for war, Roosevelt instead would allow the events then taking shape in Europe and Asia to speak for themselves to convince the American public. FDR's early foreign policy (1932-1935) was primarily centered on economic recovery. Roosevelt clearly understood that the Great Depression was a global problem. Roosevelt strove to reduce tariffs, improve trade and stabilize the dollar with foreign currencies. He has been widely criticized for going off the gold standard and blamed for the failure of the London Economic Conference. Dallek states, however, that Roosevelt clearly achieved two very important underlying objectives: First, domestic economic recovery must take priority over foreign affairs This belief was evident in the many Hundred Days policies that FDR implemented. Second, Dallek argues that Roosevelt's main goal was at best to "restore a measure of faith in international cooperation." Roosevelt was always aware of his limitations. Dallek believes that the years 1935-1939 was the most important period in Roosevelt's foreign policy. During this time, Roosevelt faced many obstacles. Dubbed an "Idealist" for his efforts towards disarmament and United States participation in the World Court, FDR was also criticized as being naïve in his reactions to the aggressive actions of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. Dallek diligently describes how FDR's hands were tied by the very nature of the Neutrality Acts, pressure from Isolationists, student peace activists, and religious groups, particularly Catholics at home. The events of World War II exposed yet more criticisms upon Roosevelt's handling of foreign affairs. In a new Afterword (1995), Dallek explains some of the legitimate critiques as well as some of the ludicrous claims concerning FDR's handling of the war. Dallek disregards the revisionist view that Roosevelt knew of, or allowed the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor as an excuse to draw the United States into the war. Some revisionists even propose the existence of a British conspiracy to lure the United States into the war. Dallek points out there are even those that claim British pilots flying planes with Japanese markings took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Dallek praises Roosevelt as a visionary, accurately predicting a world view he never lived to see. Dallek disagrees with the "naïveté" Roosevelt exhibited at Yalta, claiming FDR did not sell out Eastern Europe to Stalin. Dallek dismisses this as a myth, claiming Roosevelt clearly understood the price for 20 million Russian killed during World War II would be Eastern Europe. Dallek also defends Roosevelt's decision to back the doomed Chiang Kai-shek regime in China. Dallek believes FDR knew that someday China would be a dominant world power and although he felt that democracy in both China and the Soviet Union were unlikely, he hoped for eventual global cooperation between the superpowers. Dallek harshest criticism of Roosevelt's tenure is the interment of Japanese-Americans. This book offers the reader valuable insight into the complex problems facing Roosevelt's decision-making processes on the eve of World War II. For this reason, Dallek's work holds a valued place in political and historical literature.

Given the format of the Our Presidents series author Melissa Maupin was going to face a challenge telling the story of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Usually these books devote a chapter to each term of office served by a president and since Roosevelt was elected to the White House four times this was going to present a problem. But Maupin goes with the best approach and divides the Roosevelt presidency into two halves, the first dominated by the Great Depression and the second by World War II. The opening chapter looks at Roosevelt's early life ending with his marriage to his fifth cousin, Eleanor Roosevelt, while the second looks at his political career, his paralysis from polio, and his election as governor of New York. Then Maupin focuses on the New Deal as FDR's response to the Great Depression and World War II as the Fight for a Free World. From the former young readers will get an appreciation for the ways in which Roosevelt changed the relationship between the government and the people, while from the latter they will understand how he was ahead of the nation in terms of being prepared for America to enter the war.

For the main part Maupin focuses on covering the biographical details of Roosevelt's life, but she also manages to provide some evaluation of the key ideas and events of the period as well. The result is a solid introduction to Franklin D. Roosevelt for young readers. This volume is illustrated with black & white photographs from FDR's personal and political life, there are informative sidebars on daily life during the Depression and Eleanor Roosevelt as a new kind of first lady, and the margins are filled with Interesting Facts (e.g., FDR graduated from Harvard in three years), As with the rest of the series the back of the volume has a Time Line that stretches from FDR's birth in 1882 to Eleanor's death in 1962, a glossary of over a dozen terms, a page of presidential facts, Internet sites and books for Further Information, and an index.

Definitely one of the better books out there about President Roosevelt for young people, although the volume is so well organized and well written that it will appeal to most general adult readers as well. The emphasis on Roosevelt's handicap is also highly informative and enlightening.

Most of us who remember the American Heritage Junior Library from our youths have fond memories of it and this volume on "Franklin Delano Roosevelt" by Wilson Sullivan shows why. Opposite the Foreword there is a page showing postage stamps commemorating FDR from Monaco, El Salvador, and the United States; Roosevelt was a dedicated philatelist from his youth. This represents the sort of details that are found through this informative volume. Just in terms of the photographs you have FDR playing Uncle Bopaddy in his senior year at Groton, about to lift himself out of a car in 1932, the edited first page of his first inaugural address, a bottle celebrating the TVA with Roosevelt's head as the cork, and FDR driving around Fala, the infamous Scotch terrier. There are also the most famous pictures of FDR's political career: standing on a street talking with a voter during the Depression and the tear stained face of Chief Petty Officer Graham Jackson playing "Going Home" after the President's death. Add to this a few choice cartoons about both Franklin (A young boy write "ROOSEVELT" on the sidewalk and his sister reports "Mother, Wilfred wrote a bad word") and Eleanor (one amazed miner deep underground tells the other, "For gosh sakes, here comes Mrs. Roosevelt).

The Editors of "American Heritage" magazine set the tone for this look at FDR by making it clear that it was not until the summer of 1921 when Roosevelt was struck down by polio that his character turned into that of a great politician (and political leader, since those are not the same thing). The key quote is Roosevelt's political philosophy that "Government has a final responsibility for the well-being of its citizenship." Within that context Sullivan tells the story of FDR's life and political career as emphasizing action rather than talk and experimentation rather that theory, both of which are exemplified as the guiding principles behind his legislative New Deal. Within these pages Sullivan tries to reconcile the scion of Hyde Park with the diplomat of Casablanca, Teheran, and Yalta. However, it must be noted that you will not find any mention of Lucy Mercer, the woman with whom FDR had an affair in 1918 and in whose presence he died in 1945. Still, it is easy to see what that sort of detail would not be deemed important in a juvenile biography published in 1970; today, such things have considerably more salience, as I am sure most young students are painfully aware.

One advantage of this volume is that it focuses primarily on Roosevelt's years in the White House. The first chapter deals with his life before being stricken with polio while FDR is elected president by the end of the second. Chapters are then devoted to the New Deal, FDR's reinvention of government, his efforts to prepare the nation for World War II, and his tenure as Commander in Chief for most of the war. Young readers will get a sense of exactly why FDR was the first 20th century President to get his visage on a coin and understand why the Republicans passed through a Constitutional Amendment limiting Presidents to two terms of office as soon as they controlled Congress. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the most significant President of the 20th century (Richard Nixon comes in second because of detente and Watergate) and this book certainly helps you appreciate that particular judgment of history.

"The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial," by Anne Phillips, tells the story behind the monument to one of the United States' most important presidents. The book combines a straightforward text with a wealth of photographs (both color photos and historic black-and-white photos). There is also a map of the memorial.

The book contains a brief biography of FDR and tells the historical story of the memorial from the early planning stage to its dedication in 1997. Philips discusses the contributions of architect Lawrence Halprin and the other creative people who helped give life to the memorial. There are many images of the statues and inscriptions at the memorial. I especially liked the statue of FDR's Scottish terrier, Fala, and the inscription of his Four Freedoms. Phillips also discusses the controversy over whether or not to depict FDR's disability in the memorial.

This book is very educational, and also inspiring. I've never seen the FDR memorial, and this book makes me want to visit it. And that's probably the best compliment I can pay to a book of this nature.