I have kept the paperback version of this book nearby ever since it was published. It acts as an antidote to the warm and fuzzy image of 'Ike' as everyone's weekend golfing grandad, and restores a sense of the Cold War's origins and global strategies to Ike's presidency that pursued it covertly in the Western Hemisphere [Guatemala.] Wiesen Cook's scholarly treatment is anything but sensational; its long footnotes often contain the most startling revelations. Revisionists are often simply realists, and this study's realism is long overdue as a corrective of the highly PR-spun 'memorialization' of The Eisenhower Era.

In a movement that unfortunately has been defined in the public perception by one charismatic black leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the commitment and plain hard work performed by women, black and white, has long been overlooked. Schultz's fine book adds a new chapter to the emerging fuller story of this freedom movement. Her skillful weaving of personal stories with the larger social context of the movement, and her analysis of the influence of Jewish notions of morality and social justice, make this an important addition of civil rights scholarship. Moreover, because it is so smoothly written and filled with fascinating stories, it accomplishes something rare in historical scholarship--it's fun to read!

This is a very well-researched and meticulously written book. However, I never felt I got to know Eleanor Roosevelt. I found the reference to Mrs. Roosevelt throughout the book as "ER" off-putting. It put an emotional distance between the reader and the subject. While we are treated to many details of Mrs. Roosevelt's life, we are never really let in to her emotional life. BWC (the author) goes into such detail about everyone else around Mrs. Roosevelt and she tells us what happened, but she doesn't let us see things through Mrs. Roosevelt's eyes. I still have no idea what the relationship between FDR and his wife was. Nor do I really understand why she remained with Lorena Hick so long. This book really amounts to a laundry list of who, what, where. A really effective biography will let us into the personal lives of the subject and let us feel as they feel as the story of their life unfolds. I never found that emotional resonance in this account. Eleanor Roosevelt left behind copious amounts of source material. I think that the author could have done a much better job of letting us experience Mrs. Roosevelt more fully as a person and not just as a public figure with a lot on her agenda.

This is a terrific biography, but Cook stumbles a bit in not focusing on Eleanor's private life in this second volume. There is too much of a focus on ancillary topics and I missed the anecdotes and concentration on Eleanor as a human being. Still, this is well-written, though heavily biased in Eleanor's favor (which didn't bother me a bit!)

Even if you're not interested in Eleanor Roosevelt, you will be after reading this book. Cook writes history the way it *should* be written, with an emphasis on the personality, foibles and private life of her subject. She doesn't shy away from speculating on Eleanor's relationship with Lorena Hickock or Earl Miller.

She correctly points out that for years people have denied Eleanor might have had a sexual relationship with Miller simply because he was young and handsome and she was "old" and "ugly." Absurd!

My only minor concern was that Cook seems not to fully appreciate FDR as a man, politician and icon. Her marked preference for Eleanor is obvious, which really isn't a big concern. Was FDR a jerk to cheat on Eleanor with Lucy Mercer? Probably not, since Eleanor hated intimacy with him (and told her daughter "sex is an ordeal to be borne!") and never sought to re-establish a real marriage after 1918.

Most men with FDR's looks, charm and natural exuberance would not tolerate a wife who was cold as a fish in the bedroom. I don't believe Cook accepts this or attempts to understand FDR's frustration.

Eleanor Roosevelt is a truly great and grand lady, multi-faceted, highly intelligent, compassionate and gritty. Cook has done a marvelous job in exploring and explaining her early life

I am still reading and re-reading this book. I was initially disappointed because it does not have the focus on Ms. Roosevelt's private life that Volume I does. But after I got over that, I realized that I was reading a major work on the history of social justice movements in this country. Ms. Roosevelt's anti-racism work (including her own personal evolution) is documented here. The racism of her dear friend, Hick, is portrayed along with their disagreements on the issue. Most fascinating are those times that Ms. Roosevelt was reviled and condemned -- for having African American leaders in the White House, for receiving flowers from an African American girl -- perhaps we HAVE progressed in dismantling our racist past. The derision and contempt for poor people in the 30s and 40s is shocking. Ms. Roosevelt's constant, persistent and terribly courageous advocacy for the oppressed is inspirational! Viva Eleanor! Viva Blanche!

Most books that I have read on Eleanor Roosevelt stress that no matter how revolutionary she might have seemed, she lived her life within certain bounds for her time. Yet this book demonstrates that the historical character and the real woman are very different. The author portrays Eleanor as a woman who did not find herself until her mid-thirties and then was determined to live as she wanted. Her marriage to Franklin was not fulfilling and she needed more. She found this with various life long friends who shared her passion for politics and social change. The author does an excellent job staying on track, and keeping Eleanor in the forefront. This is definitely not a biography of Franklin! I found the information on the early life of Eleanor to be especially interesting, in how so many of the obstacles that she faced as a youth played a large role in how she dealt with others the rest of her life. Her childhood is hearbreaking and I can't help but think that even for all her wealth and priviledge, how sad her childhood was. She seemed to search all her life to find a home and finally decided to create her own with her friends, not her family. Even though she had five children, their lives were controlled by her mother-in-law, Sara Delano Roosevelt. Rather than become depressed at the various obstacles presented by her life, she rose above them and ultimately became a very fulfilled and happy person.

Even if you're not interested in Eleanor Roosevelt, you will be after reading this book. Cook writes history the way it *should* be written, with an emphasis on the personality, foibles and private life of her subject. She doesn't shy away from speculating on Eleanor's relationship with Lorena Hickock or Earl Miller.

She correctly points out that for years people have denied Eleanor might have had a sexual relationship with Miller simply because he was young and handsome and she was "old" and "ugly." Absurd!

My only minor concern was that Cook seems not to fully appreciate FDR as a man, politician and icon. Her marked preference for Eleanor is obvious, which really isn't a big concern. Was FDR a jerk to cheat on Eleanor with Lucy Mercer? Probably not, since Eleanor hated intimacy with him (and told her daughter "sex is an ordeal to be borne!") and never sought to re-establish a real marriage after 1918.

Most men with FDR's looks, charm and natural exuberance would tolerate a wife who was cold as a fish in the bedroom. I don't believe Cook accepts this or attempts to understand FDR's frustration.

Eleanor Roosevelt is a truly great and grand lady, multi-faceted, highly intelligent, compassionate and gritty. Cook has done a marvelous job in exploring and explaining her early life.

I read this book about five years ago and I am excited that volume two is finally out. I wanted to write a review because this book was so important to my own growth and education. Cook's biography of Eleanor Roosevelt got me interested in biographies, American History and politics. In many of the reviews people say how the book it novel like. This is true, because Eleanor's life was so story like in many ways. Also Eleanor is so inspirational to any woman or girl who has ever felt shy or inadequate, or who has been dumped on by her husband or relatives. I really recommend this book and I cannot wait until I can get ahold of the second volume. Thank you Blanche Cook for making such an inspirational book available to us readers.