The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope

by Jonathan Alter

This is the story of a political miracle--the perfect match of man and moment.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office in March of 1933 as America touched bottom. Banks were closing everywhere. Millions of people lost everything. The Great Depression had caused a national breakdown. With the craft of a master storyteller, Jonathan Alter brings us closer than ever before to the Roosevelt magic. Facing the gravest crisis since the Civil War, FDR used his cagey political instincts and ebullient temperament in the storied first Hundred Days of his presidency to pull off an astonishing conjuring act that lifted the country and saved both democracy and capitalism.

Who was this man? To revive the nation when it felt so hopeless took an extraordinary display of optimism and self-confidence. Alter shows us how a snobbish and apparently lightweight young aristocrat was forged into an incandescent leader by his domineering mother; his independent wife; his eccentric top adviser, Louis Howe; and his ally-turned-bitter-rival, Al Smith, the Tammany Hall street fighter FDR had to vanquish to complete his preparation for the presidency.

"Old Doc Roosevelt" had learned at Warm Springs, Georgia, how to lift others who suffered from polio, even if he could not cure their paralysis, or his own. He brought the same talents to a larger stage. Derided as weak and unprincipled by pundits, Governor Roosevelt was barely nominated for president in 1932. As president-elect, he escaped assassination in Miami by inches, then stiffed President Herbert Hoover's efforts to pull him into cooperating with him to deal with a terrifying crisis. In the most tumultuous and dramatic presidential transition in history, the entire banking structure came tumbling down just hours before FDR's legendary "only thing we have to fear is fear itself" Inaugural Address.

In a major historical find, Alter unearths the draft of a radio speech in which Roosevelt considered enlisting a private army of American Legion veterans on his first day in office. He did not. Instead of circumventing Congress and becoming the dictator so many thought they needed, FDR used his stunning debut to experiment. He rescued banks, put men to work immediately, and revolutionized mass communications with pioneering press conferences and the first Fireside Chat. As he moved both right and left, Roosevelt's insistence on "action now" did little to cure the Depression, but he began to rewrite the nation's social contract and lay the groundwork for his most ambitious achievements, including Social Security.

From one of America's most respected journalists, rich in insights and with fresh documentation and colorful detail, this thrilling story of presidential leadership--of what government is for--resonates through the events of today. It deepens our understanding of how Franklin Delano Roosevelt restored hope and transformed America.

The Defining Moment will take its place among our most compelling works of political history.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Politics, American History, Presidents, Audiobook

414 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2006

About the author

Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, political analyst, documentary filmmaker, columnist, television producer and radio host. His new book, published in 2020, is "His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life." He is the author of three New York Times bestsellers: “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies”(2013), “The Promise: President Obama, Year One” (2010) and “The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope”(2006), also one of the Times’ “Notable Books” of the year. Since 1996, Alter has been a contributing correspondent and political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. In 2019, he co-produced and co-directed the HBO documentary, “Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists.”
After 28 years as a columnist and senior editor at Newsweek, where he wrote more than 50 cover stories, Alter is now a columnist for the Daily Beast and the co-host, with his wife, Emily Lazar, and their three children, Charlotte Alter, Tommy Alter, and Molly Alter, of “Alter Family Politics,” which airs Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. on RadioAndy on SiriusXM, 102. He is the winner of numerous awards, including the National Headliner Award for his coverage of 9/11, the Gerald Loeb Award, and the Book Award from the New Jersey Council of the Humanities. In 2019, he was one of the inaugural inductees into the New Jersey Journalism Hall of Fame.

A Chicago native, Harvard graduate and resident of Montclair, New Jersey, Alter has also written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Washington Monthly, Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The New Republic, Esquire, Bloomberg View and other publications. In the 2013-2014 season, he served as an executive producer of “Alpha House,” a 21-episode half-hour political comedy available on Amazon.

Reviews

[Stephanie *Eff your feelings* · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace—business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering.

They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob.

Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me—and I welcome their hatred.”
― Franklin D. Roosevelt

Yes, never before in our history, but history tends to repeat itself when you choose to ignore it. I don't know about you, but I find that above quote a bit spooky. President Obama.....read that last line a few times over.

The only other time in history the U.S. had such a high income inequality as we have right now was 1929-ish......EEK.

In this Jonathan Alter takes a look at the life of FDR, not just the 100 days. To understand what it took for a man to have the strength to do what he did in those 100 days, background was needed.

FDR was a politician, no doubt about it. He married someone he wasn't in love with to help with his political career. He had a mistress for many years, his true love (which he couldn't get away with in today's 24hr news cycle). He used people to get ahead in his ambitions, and then discarded them. It wasn't all rainbows and ponies that fart glitter, people.

Self admittedly, he was not the smartest man in the room, but he new enough to surround himself with the smartest. As an adult he contracted polio and was paralyzed from the waist down. In those days it was a stigma to fall ill to polio, so he forced himself to "walk" with painful braces on his legs and with the aid of a strong man to hold onto him. It was by using his upper body to sling his useless legs forward, this apparently was excruciating, yet the man was always smiling and waving his hat in those moments. He would stand at a podium to make speeches. But he really wasn't standing at all, he held himself up by bracing himself up with his arms. Ouch.

When it came right down to the nitty gritty of fixing the countries economy, he had a hard time finding people to work with him from the other side of the isle. Imagine that. So, to do what needed to be done for the American people, he became a bit of a dictator, and the people didn't mind that. He saved capitalism by mixing in a healthy dose of socialism (psst...we have socialism right now, that we quite like). He found it a crime that the elderly were dying in poverty after working hard everyday of their lives, now we have Social Security and Medicare, which has worked quite nicely.

He taxed the rich 90%. 37% doesn't sound that bad now, does it?

He (the government....OMG) created jobs with ginormous infrastructure projects, such as your cross country highway system.

Now all was going well until 1937 when he started listening to some people on the other side bitching about spending and the deficit. The recovery slowed when he responded by backing down. If he hadn't done that and been more aggressive, the recovery would have been much quicker. That, sadly, sounds familiar too.

As a result, the 50's turned out swell (if you weren't black or female, or god forbid....gay). Everything was moving right along until....Nixonland: America's Second Civil War and the Divisive Legacy of Richard Nixon, 1965-1972.

“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”
― Franklin D. Roosevelt

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit to reading this one because Obama was reading it and because so many pundits have been citing similarities between the Depression in the 30ies and Roosevelt’s first 100 days of New Deal legislation and the situation currently faced by our new president. I ended up seeing more differences than similarities between the two presidents and between the two situations—which doesn’t mean the book isn’t not only interesting but timely. By the way, I agree with the author that this time around 100 days won’t do it. And even with Roosevelt, as Alter says, his most significant legislation, Social Security, passed later in his Presidency.

While the book tends to zero in on the 100 days, the author obviously found that, writing to a general audience, he had to give considerable background on Roosevelt—which he does in a series of short chapters which I found fun to read even though I’m fairly well read on Roosevelt the person and the president and have recently read a good complete biography (Edwards, FDR). In most chapters there was an anecdote or fact that I’d not heard before so I couldn’t accuse Alter of just regurgitating what other writers have written.

Alter makes much of the comment by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes that Roosevelt’s primary asset was not his mind but his “first class temperament”—that the title of the first book I read about Roosevelt (by Geoffrey Ward). However, Alter does honor the suggestion, made by Edwards among others, that it’s not clear whether Justice Holmes was talking about FDR or about Teddy Roosevelt. But temperament is an important issue in the book and timely because so many have noted that one of Obama’s greatest assets is what most call, these days, his “unflappability”. In temperament they may not be all that similar, but for both Obama and Roosevelt, likability is an important part of the appeal and the ability to talk to “the people” (not just the politicians) in a way that clarifies complex issues and involves the listener in solutions is of critical importance.

Alter gives considerable space to Eleanor in this book too: her despair at giving up her privacy to become first lady, her discovery of a new and historically significant role for the first lady, and her function in keeping FDR in touch. Because of his paralysis, the extent of which the American people did not know, Roosevelt was more vulnerable to what we now call the “bubble” the President exists in. In the 30ies Eleanor began traveling the country and the world, going down in coal mines—and eventually into war zones—to talk to “ordinary Americans” and bringing her insights back to the President. From the first, Roosevelt recognized the danger that the President grow “out of touch”, reminding us that Obama’s fight to keep his Blackberry isn’t just his technology fix, but his recognition that Presidents can easily become bubble-dwellers.

[Dick Tatro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will give you a view of why FDR was able to save Democracy and capitalism by his progressive reforms. This book puts you at the start of the depression and what FDR did to save America. Good reading in this time of Obama. The President has read this book and many of his Idea's are from the first 100 days of FDR. Since the economy appears to be on the right track and health care has passed, I think we are seeing the earlier stages of what will be come known as a mythical Presidency. Obama and FDR faced the greatest challeges for American since the Civil War. Obama also like FDR and Lincoln followed failures as President, Hoover and Buchanan, and was faced with cleaning up the mess left him. So far in my opinion a A+. Don't worry about the the critics, FDR and Lincoln had theirs. Great book, Alter has written for Newsweek for years and is a great student of history and politics. This is one of the best books I have ever read especially in the troubled time.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2016...

Jonathan Alter’s “The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope” was published in 2006. Alter is a journalist and author and was a columnist for Newsweek magazine for nearly thirty years. His most recent book “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies” was published in 2013.

Despite its title, “The Defining Moment” is not a book focused exclusively – or even mostly – on FDR’s first one hundred days in office. Nor is it a comprehensive biography of Franklin Roosevelt. Instead, it is an enjoyable but perplexing book whose precise mission is never entirely clear.

The first two-thirds of this 337-page book covers FDR’s pre-presidency in a solid but not exceptional manner. These thirty-one chapters define Roosevelt’s personality and character and create the historical context for his election as president. Unfortunately, coverage of this period is uneven and readers already familiar with Roosevelt will grow impatient waiting for analysis of the dramatic early days of FDR’s presidency.

Once the book’s attention does turn toward Roosevelt’s first “Hundred Days” the narrative itself leaves the reader with the impression that this slice of history is not particularly deserving of special focus. This discussion lasts fewer than fifty pages and, like the rest of the book, contains no new significant insights. The book’s final chapter is reserved for a review of Social Security (signed into law two years later) and an Epilogue whisks the reader through the remaining eleven years of Roosevelt’s presidency.

In spite of its structural flaws, this is an easy and generally entertaining read. The book’s tone also reveals its author as a journalist and not a historian or academic. It is written in “plain English” so it can be enjoyed by readers not normally drawn to history texts or biographies. And many of the author’s observations are strikingly cogent and convincing.

The narrative occasionally borders on breezy, but nearly as often it dives into a topic with more rigor and substance than expected. As just one example, Alter’s description of preparations for FDR’s 1933 inauguration (including the drafting of his inaugural speech) is far more detailed and much more fascinating than anything I’ve read elsewhere of those events. And yet his four years as governor of New York seem an unimportant after-thought.

Overall, Jonathan Alter’s “The Defining Moment” will prove refreshing to some readers and frustrating to many others. General readers seeking a bit more than a cursory review of Roosevelt’s pre-presidency will likely be pleased. But anyone expecting to find a “Defining Moment” or who hope to encounter decisive, penetrating coverage of FDR’s first hundred days will almost certainly be disappointed.

Overall Rating: 3½ stars

[Shawn Deal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book but the title. The title should be different as it does not accurately describe this book, at least not in my opinion. Only the last section of this book describes FDR’s first hundred days in office. The rest describe the man himself and how he became the man he became. This is great and I loved it, getting quite a bit out of it. Well written and well researched plus easy to read. I recommend it highly. Just know what you are getting.

[Clif Hostetler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those of us alive now have a difficult time understanding the degree of fear and uncertainty felt by people in 1933 when the banks were closing and they had no idea what the future held. One had to live through the time to know how it felt. Even then, some people soon forgot and started complaining about FDR’s efforts to fight the depression. They forgot that before FDR's inauguration may leading thinkers (including the respected columnist Walter Lippman) were encouraging him to assume dictatorial powers in order to save the nation. Conditions were so bad that some people speculated that the last time the world had a similar crisis it was followed by 400 years of "dark ages." And with the wrong people in leadership it could have turned into a dark age. Instead Franklin Roosevelt was able to lift the confidence of the nation.

I can remember my father telling me about Roosevelt closing all the banks in the United States on his first day of being president. He felt FDR had saved the nation. Roosevelt was able to instill the needed confidence in the banks by promising that the banks that were allowed to open again would be safe. The bank’s conditions were reviewed and only the solvent bank’s were allowed to open. Then within weeks, people who had waited in line to get their money out of the bank were now waiting in line to put their money back in. There was no deposit insurance at the time, so the fear of banks failing was real.

Ironically FDR was opposed to deposit insurance at the time. In hindsight it’s apparent that FDR, and most other people at the time, did not understand very much about economics. He sort of took action by intuition. The early New Deal program was actually operated by left over staff from the Hoover administration. Nevertheless, it is obvious that there is no way Herbert Hoover could have instilled the confidence in the banks the way the FDR did. The difference between recovery and disaster was psychological, but nevertheless it was a real difference.

It’s interesting to note that on paper Hoover was much more qualified to be president than FDR. Which indicates that the most important trait needed to be president is charisma. Experience and administrative skill are not all that important for the top person; Others can do that stuff.

The conclusion of this book is that FDR deserves credit for saving democracy, but not ending the depression. The depression was ended by World War II.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

(2009 At Least A Book A Week) Week 1

So, I am starting off 2009 trying to at least read a book a week. It isn't a lofty goal, but something I could perhaps pull off.

"The Defining Moment" was week 1. I figure it fits right in there with the whole new Presidency thing going on right now. It was an easy read. And quite interesting. For the one thing... did you FDR basically saved democracy? At the time of his inauguration a good majority of newspapers were telling him that he should become a dictator. William Hearst produced a movie called "Gabriel over the White House" about a president becoming a benevolent dictator as a way of softening the public up to the idea. Also, did you know that Huey Long (a senator from Louisiana) was calling for all wealth over 5 million dollars contained in one family should be handed over to the people? Where are the senators like that now? Did you know that FDR was almost assassinated in Miami a few weeks before he took office!?

Yes. All the juicy 100 days details are contained within this very readable history. Plenty of "alphabet soup" programs to dip your brain spoon in and try to figure out what it all meant. It meant that someone took charge who decided America was worth saving, but in order to save us he needed to try everything under the sun to get it to work. And he also needed to teach us that government could look out for all of us and not be a dictatorship.

[Eric Atkisson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, light read with a pretty balanced assessment of FDR's strengths and weaknesses, triumphs and failures. The title is somewhat misleading because only the final third or quarter of the book is really about the first 100 days of his presidency. The rest is biographical and sets up the Depression as well as the period between his election in 1932 and assumption of office in March 1933, when the banking and financial crisis hit rock bottom. I would recommend this book to fans and critics of FDR alike. There is plenty of material for both, but Alter's larger assessment is I think correct: The stakes were very high in 1933, with the fate of American democracy and capitalism hanging in the balance--and plenty of public support for abandoning them--and whatever the shortcomings of the New Deal and FDR himself, he was unquestionably the right man for the job and helped save the country from a far worse alternative.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's strange to read a book about one of the most well-known figures of the last 100 years and realize you know virtually nothing about them. I really enjoyed this book, which focused much more on who FDR was as a person and how that shaped his life, than on the details of his Presidency.

I was also fascinated to learn about Eleanore Roosevelt, particularly about her intense (and possibly intimate) relationship with female reporter Lorena Hickok. I would love to learn more about Eleanore and Lorena - Lorena helped turn Eleanore from utter despair about being first lady to one of the most active and steadfast first ladies to date.

I'm also interested in Huey Long, of Louisiana. Somehow I'd never heard of him and he seems to be quite a character (including being assassinated by a mentally ill doctor in the halls of the Louisiana state capital).

Thanks Erica!

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to FDR's efforts at responding to the Great Depression upon his entrance into the presidency. Sometimes a bit too much psychoanalyzing, but there should be no doubt that FDR was the great president of the 20th century, not necessarily for finding a domestic economic cure for the Great Depression, but for helping millions of suffering people and giving them hope. His leadership of WWII would take care of the rest, but that's for another book. Great description of FDR's pre-presidential career and his political talents, and Alter gives appropriate credit to Louis Howe for much of FDR's success.

[Jeff Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an excellent book to read during the first weeks of the Obama Presidency. On reading the book, I could tell that Obama was using the same techniques as FDR to manage the banking crisis. Of course, on reading the book, the crisis FDR faced was far more dire than the current one.

Overall, the book showed FDR as more human and politically driven than any type of savior. He did things to make himself look good and manipulated the press for his own interest. His burdens were heavier, dealing with those who would ditch democacy and capitalism for socialism and fascism. Our faith in those systems are stronger now.

[Khan · Rating 3 out of 5]

FDR created a slew of government policies that are so popular that even to this day it would be considered political suicide to replace. Billionaire's fantasize and salivate over cutting FDR's policies. Ironically many billionaire's talk about cutting entitlement programs such as Social Security as a move that would improve the standing of the American people while ensuring tax cuts, subsidies and bailouts for themselves when the economy falters but no safety net for me and you.

FDR's monumental achievement will forever be changing the relationship between the government and the citizens, showing the American people that the government can deliver essential services to its citizens. Today, through decades of lobbying and bipartisan corruption in Washington, trust in the government is at 15%. The repeal of the government's powers by the donor class to transfer power from the government to corporate sector which is unaccountable which has lead to the robbery and pillaging of the American people for essential services such as healthcare. The move to repeal entitlements and all social safety nets forces the American people to be more exploited by the donor class. I remember during the pandemic many elites were in dismay over millions of minimum wage jobs being vacant. Saying the American people were "lazy" not that these wages are unlivable, you can't afford rent, healthcare, groceries etc.

That is FDR's legacy, according to pundits his agenda is radical but if you look at the data, there is a bipartisan consensus of approval till this day on his agenda from the American people. However, through culture war topics and billions poured into elections, the American people can be easily divided and conquered when pitted against one another. As we have seen now through multiple elections. FDR was so popular that they had to invent term limits for future presidents.

Overall, I thought this book was so so. The author lacks political sophistication and depth of analysis and I felt this book was poorly written. However, the topic of FDR is so interesting to me that I bumped it from 2.5 - 3 stars

[Steven Kaminski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book that takes us back in time right before FDR took office and a lot of the strategy that FDR used to bring the country together and to calm the country down. I mean I know I talked to my grandparents who were alive then but this book creates and describes vividly the absolute terror that people in America were experiencing. Before FDR took office...30% of ALL the banks in the country collapsed or were failing. Most businesses that were small business went right behind them and right after that the jobs of the people in those cities. So many of these towns small towns with one bank...the family that owned the bank got wiped out, the bank was run on, everyone who got their money stuffed it in a mattress and those who didn't get their money lost everything. Everyone was holding their breath because they literally were convinced society was falling apart in front of their very eyes.
Alter points to a few big things at the time that helped Roosevelt emerge as a leader that the country needed, restored confidence and got the country back up and rolling. The first truly beneficial thing Roosevelt had going for him was he was replacing a man who although he was seen as intelligent...was absolutely clueless in Herbert Hoover.
Hoover approached the financial crisis of 1929 very much like a deer in the headlights. And compounding the problem was he didn't want to take responsibility for any decision. He didn't know what to do and was paralyzed by the crisis. He also wanted Roosevelt to sign on to every decision he was going to make to combat the crisis. Roosevelt refused. Roosevelt argued very persuasively that there only one President at a time. He would look favorably on decisions Hoover made but left those choices to Hoover. Hoover dithered and did nothing. Even his most ardent supporters who were bankers were ripping their hair out screaming for him to do something. The inaction by the federal government put forward an idea that the government had no control over what was going on and was a helpless bystander. It cemented the correct perception that Hoover was not in command. It also gave FDR the ability to show a clean break when he came into office.
Second, FDR realized that half of the country's problem with the Federal government and Hoover was about the perception government wasn't involved and wasn't doing anything. So this led to the first 100 days. Every day of activity was frenzied. It was about rolling out possible solutions. It was about the willingness to be able to try anything to help the common man. FDR got everyone involved in projects often assigning the same project to multiple people just to see who could come up with the better solution. It got the buy in of the America people. It gave them confidence that government was trying to work to make their lives better.
The third and I think most crucial thing that happened was FDR developed and created the 'fireside chat'. He knew that he needed to speak directly to the American people in a way that was soothing, calming, confident and gave them real updates on what his administration was trying to do. FDR worked for hours on each address. He emphasized sayings like 'my friends' to make it feel like he was with those people in those small towns. That decision was fundamental in restoring confidence to the American people but also to them having confidence in the institutions that were so dangerously close to falling apart.
After the crash 80% of all Americans had pulled all their money from banks in fear that they would collapse...A month after he was elected FDR went on the radio, reassured them that solutions were coming and that everything was going to stabilize and be all right. Americans put 40% of the money back in a banks a week after that happened. He became their champion. And even though the great depression was underway his voice was in many ways a connection to them in their homes that they felt was tangible. The words he spoke reassured them, gave them the confidence to get through and gave him time to put the programs in place to life the country up again.
Really interesting stuff...

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading about Roosevelt has me feeling Absolutely Dee-lighted!
Man, what a crafty politician. Never one to get pinned down on a firm position, willing to try anything to get the country moving again. He knew it was his executive responsibility to instill confidence in the people. Jonathan Alter weaves the narrative of FDR's life, from a pampered childhood, to his days as student editor of the Harvard Crimson, to his entry into NY state politics, onset of Polio, and his triumphant return to politics as NY governor, then onto the Presidency. Alter make good use of letters between Franklin and his mother Sara and Franklin and Eleanor to reveal the importance these strong women had on his life. Additionally, telegrams, speech drafts and White House memos illustrate the process of FDR and his Brain Trust during the First Hundred Days. Alter includes newspaper stories from prominent national columnists as well as small town papers to tell what was happening in Appalachia and LeMars, Iowa. Alter discusses the importance of the Bonus Army that led to Herbert Hoover's declining popularity, and FDR's adoption of the radio and his Fireside Chats to calm the public and later instill confidence while attempting to repair the fragile economy.

This book offers a lesson in executive leadership - if only Trump would learn to read and open a book.
To quote Alter in the Epilogue:
Our template for crisis leadership in the media age comes from Roosevelt. The idea of strong presidential authority extended from Washington through Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Wilson. They established that effective presidents dominate the public debate, with the help of what TR called the 'bully pulpit.' But FDR was the first to understand how that notion could be harnessed to technology and magnified in ways that transformed the office. The refinement of presidential stagecraft comes from him, with its mixed legacy of image-making and media manipulation.
For all of his transformative influence, FDR was, at bottom, a vessel president -- a carrier of all the qualities, admirable and less so, that presidents need to chart a course in choppy waters. The vessel hold not just personality but the essential elements of the American character: our faith in ourselves, our spirit of experimentation, and our hope for the future.

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting history of FDR that details his pre-presidential life and career and the 100 Days once he was elected (and significant treatment of Eleanor too). Much of the focus is on his style and personality. He is alternately portrayed as a bit of a flip-flopper, to use a modern term, manipulative, a bit less than fully forthright, not necessarily an intellectual yet wide open to new ideas, a natural politician with the right instincts, a leader, and probably a few more. It's no fawning endorsement, that's for sure. The author's thesis appears to be given away in part of the title: the triumph of hope, not necessarily of FDR's policies or master plan, during one of the worst times in U.S. history. I tend to like books that give a window into an era with which I'm not familiar, and this book does just that. One of the more interesting themes was how close America was to giving up on democracy--calls for dictatorial powers from mainstream newspapers, contemporary admiration of Mussolini--and capitalism. Not something I got a real sense of in my high school history class. A particularly touching passage for me was a short chapter on the first Fireside Chat and the immediate effect it had on thousands of Americans lining up the next day to re-deposit their cash into still-shaky banks. Alter is oppressive in his writing from time to time (we get it - FDR > George W. Bush) and drops a few too many footnotes of marginal interest (FDR, Douglas MacArthur, and Adlai Stevenson's mothers all accompanied them to college and they all wound up successful men - who knew). The book was best when he simply narrated what happened and described the programs devised, because it was certainly more than I knew going in. In sum, a well written and accessible history with a light sprinkling of unsubtle liberal propaganda. What's not to like?

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

When will Jonathan Alter write a second book? The Defining Moment is a great non-comprehensive biography of how FDR became the FDR responsible for his historic first hundred days, the measure to which all presidents are now held.

The majority of the book is a narrative of the essential events and encounters in FDR's life prior to his election. Alter spends so much time leading up to the book's main subject because he rightfully believes that FDR's life was crucial to the decisions he made as president. Alter does a masterful job of showing the connections between each event he recounts and how it would later influence FDR the president.

One issue that might bother a future (or current) reader is the contemporary comparisons to the then-current occupant of the White House, George W. Bush. Alter makes these comparisons mostly to show just how similar FDR and Bush were in temperament and governance but not in motive. I suspect Alter couldn't help resisting taking a few potshots at Bush as well, but it's his book and his prerogative. I'm sure he knows the comparisons could alienate a part of his audience. I would note, however, that these references don't overpower the book in the slightest either way.

Finally, it's been said that Obama's team used The Defining Moment as a reference when setting up his administration. "Reference," nothing--they used it as a playbook. When I observed some similarities between what Obama was doing and what I had read in Alter's book, I went back and realized that they lifted most of their ideas (e.g., limiting relationships with lobbyists and cutting executive pay)--in sequence--from what he had written. So, if Alter's book is good enough for Obama, is it good enough for you?

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very easy and fascinating read recommended to me by both my mother and my aunt. It takes a unique look at FDR by focusing on his rise to the presidency, what life events helped develop his winning personality, and how he handled his first 100 days in office. The writing style is much like a magazine article - probably because that's the author's background. All of the chapters are very short (one is only 1 page long!) - and each is focused on a particular topic. This, unfortunately, means that you jump back and forth in the timeline a lot and some assertations are made in the exact same way several times throughout the book - a sort of repetitive reinforcement, I guess.
The number of stunning comparisons to the rise of President Obama, the recent financial and economic crises, and the current attempts to pass a health care bill are what I found most amazing. You read about how the first bill passed under FDR's presidency was voted on without being read by Congress! Sound familiar? FDR also instituted a lot of campaign and presidential firsts that we assume today to just be the norm - but they were not normal before his time. Overall, a very worthwhile read.

[Louis Picone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched & very engaging. Atler mixes an accurate, unvarnished history of FDR & the first 100 days interspersing personal & policy and the broad story with fascinating details I had not known before (for instance - the black arm band FDR wore when he gave his "day of infamy" Pearl Harbor address was to honor his deceased mother, not the soldiers who perished). The author does seem to have a predilection for Reagan that pops up occasionally, but is more a curiosity than a distraction. I read this for research - which can sometimes get laborious if I am reading something because I have to & not necessarily because I want to - but this book was pure enjoyment start to finish. Highly recommend if looking for a brief review of FDR's pre-presidency life and an in-depth understanding of his historic break-neck first 100 days

[Ken Elser · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at FDR's rise and his personality, as it pertained to his performance during his first 100 days. Certainly not comprehensive in its scope of policy, but enlightening in terms of the mood of the country in at the start of FDR's term and the ways in which his mere presence and attitude helped lay the groundwork for a recovery from the Depression. Parallels abound with present politics and economics and, although they shouldn't be taken to an illogical extreme, it's interesting to read FDR's first innaugural address as if it were January 2009...

[Meredith Ball · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author gets psychoanalytical at places & maybe would’ve done better staying more in his lane, but this is a good overview of what made FDR distinct & arguably a great leader. The book is ostensibly about FDR’s first 100 days, although that analysis makes up only the last quarter of the book. What it really does is argue that FDR was able to leave an enormous stamp on history not so much for his intellect or many policies, but his ability to project & instill confidence. This is a good study in how soft skills matter.

[Michael VanZandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alter does an exceptional job of capturing FDR's temperament and character. He spends sufficient on Roosevelt as the snob and the invalid, that we gain a greater appreciation for him as the man who raised America out of its depression, if not the Great Depression. It took a couple of decades, but at last there is an adequate historical account of FDR assuming the presidency amidst the economic crisis. The perfect read for our contemporary political-economic situation.

[Nicholas Najjar · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is an undeniable fact that Franklin Delano Roosevelt, universally known as “FDR”, was one of the most important men of the 20th century. I could make a case that not only was he the most important United States President of that century but possibly the most important man in the world. He revolutionized the way the United States government works. Some despise him for it, others criticize him, and many respect and and acknowledge his accomplishments. Those who dismiss and condemn his politics have the luxury to do so because the country did not collapse into utter ruin during the Great Depression—thanks to FDR and his New Deal. It was FDR, not Hoover (definitely not Hoover), who delivered when it counted.


Every American has benefited because of this man. This is another undeniable truth.

FDR was an active man, he loved gathering as many different ideas and proposals from as many different people and groups as he could. He would listen and harvest ideas from anyone. FDR would try anything, he would not sit around like most Presidents do and strategize for weeks and months only to end up compromising and floundering. He was a man of action. Try something, it fails, let’s do something else. He worked and worked and worked some more. FDR never let his polio stop him. He never let it define his legacy.

The book itself was really good. Structured well and the author tells a nice story laden with facts and quotes that enrich what could otherwise be a “boring” political book.

I learned that FDR held almost 1,000 press conferences in the 10+ years he was president. An astonishing feat considering how most modern Presidents either chose to never do them or are incapable of even holding a press conference.

Here are a list of New Deal programs and laws that FDR passed during the first months of his Presidency and practically saved the nation:


⁃ Emergency Banking Act (Most important):
- Stabilized the banking system by allowing banks to reopen under stricter federal oversight and provided funds to support struggling institutions.

⁃ Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) (My favorite):
- Provided jobs for young men in environmental conservation projects, such as reforestation, park maintenance, and erosion control.

⁃ Public Works Administration (PWA)
- Funded large-scale public works projects to provide jobs and stimulate the economy through infrastructure development.

⁃ Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)
- Aimed to boost agricultural prices by reducing surpluses through paying farmers to cut production of certain crops.

⁃ Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
- Developed the Tennessee Valley region through flood control, electricity generation, and economic development.

⁃ National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA)
- Promoted industrial growth and recovery by establishing codes of fair competition and providing for the regulation of industry.

⁃ Glass-Steagall Banking Act
- Created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to insure bank deposits and restore public confidence in the banking system.

⁃ Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC):
- Established by the Banking Act of 1933 (Glass-Steagall Act) to insure bank deposits, restore public confidence in the banking system, and reduce the risk of bank failures.

⁃ Social Security Act of 1935:
- Established a system of old-age benefits, unemployment insurance, and aid to families with dependent children and the disabled, creating a safety net for Americans in need and reducing poverty among the elderly.


It cannot be emphasized enough how important FDR’s work with the banks in the first few weeks of his Presidency were. He and his Brain Trust saved the economy and the country. Possibly even the sacred democracy we hear Democrats talk about so much these days. He began shifting us off the gold standard so that a few select foreign interest groups/families could no longer hold our nation hostage with their gold. The Emergency Banking Act was a monumental accomplishment and so was Glass-Steagall Act.

Imagine what life would be like without the FDIC? A simple idea that we take for granted every single day. A revolutionary reform for our banks and country. Wow!

His CCC forests are still alive and thriving today. They helped reduce erosion and put folks back to work at the same time! Awesome stuff. I have seen one of these forests in Clare County, Michigan.

I will be reading more about him. FDR and Teddy are both awesome even though they are political opposites. Fantastic characters to read about and both changed how the federal government operates.

[Noah Goats · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jonathan Alter reminds us that although he looms large and immutable in the history of the United States today, FDR's election to the presidency was far from a foregone conclusion. Before his election people in his own party were irritated by his duplicity, and many Americans considered him to be something of an empty suit. But he did become president, and in the view of Alter he used his power to steer the United States away from the temptation of dictatorship and towards a future of hope and renewed democracy.

The Defining Moment covers the early events in FDR's life (growing up with an overbearing but loving mother, marriage to Eleanor, polio and paralysis, and the early political career) leading up to the heart of the book, his campaign for the presidency in 1932 through the 100 days. These were eventful times that included the continued downward spiral of the country's financial institutions and an assassination attempt. The 100 days have become the stuff of historic legend as FDR successfully championed the passage of more legislation than any president ever had before in such a short time. In the administration's spirit of bold experimentation he created a number of government agencies that still loom large in the historic imagination today (even if some no longer exist). The CCC, NRA, FDIC, and TVA were all born in those dizzy days and although some of these experiments weren't successful, (lookin' at you NRA) the fact that they had a president who was actually trying to help them cheered Americans and helped overcome the defeatist spirit that had arisen under the Hoover administration.

I enjoyed this interesting account of those turbulent times.

[Sean O · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very readable, but not revelatory, history about FDR and the start of the new deal.

It turns out I learned a couple of things:

Hoover’s hatred of FDR ruined any chance of coordination. Once Hoover left, FDR implemented many of Hoover’s ideas (directed by Hoover appointees) once Hoover left the scene.

This story about the lifeguard who saved a rich man with a fancy expensive top hat. The lifeguard saves the rich man’s life, but six months later the rich man comes back and complains “but what about my hat?” That’s how the rich banking class acted about the new deal: we avoided dictatorships and communism, fine fine. But what about my yacht??

I also realized that my both of my parents were from true blue FDR families. I literally grew up with this guy as “the president that all others are compared to, and found wanting.”

I would have liked less early bio and more details about the policies. I really enjoyed the chapter about the Civilian Conservation Corps. Unfortunately it came at the last 10% of the book.

[Barb Ruess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up from the library because in an interview it was mentioned that people in President Biden’s cabinet are reading it.

I’m not a Roosevelt historian by any means but I really enjoyed this glimpse into how he became president and the impact he had in his first 100 days. And there are some very interesting parallels to our current state and politicians.

[Dennis McCrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 2 favorite US presidents are Lincoln and FDR. I’ve read many books on different facets of FDR. This was the latest. Simply put, this is a book about the background about how FDR got so much legislation into law in his first 100 days in office that started the implementation of the New Deal.

[Doug Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s funny how time works. Ask almost anyone to name the best U.S. presidents, and you will get a predictable list. Along with the ubiquitous Washington and Lincoln, you will more than likely get a lot of responses that include Franklin Delano Roosevelt. And why not? Roosevelt was elected a record four times, is widely credited for getting America out of the Great Depression, and helped defeat Nazi Germany. Pretty good stuff.

The thing is, and what we forget over time, is that FDR almost didn’t become president in the first place. About this time of year in 1932, the Democratic nomination for president was up for grabs. Most Americans believed the next president would most likely be a Democrat given the many problems the incumbent Republican, Herbert Hoover, was having with the economy, but Democrats were divided as their convention neared.

Sound familiar?

“The Defining Moment” is the story of Roosevelt’s somewhat unexpected

rise to the presidency and his amazingly difficult first 100 days. In my view, it is a must-read for anyone interested in politics. The book’s author, Jonathan Alter, does a magnificent job of making the book eminently readable without dumbing it down. This may sound a bit silly, especially when you are confronted with a kind of goofy-looking book jacket, but “The Defining Moment” is quite a page turner.

In its pages, we are reminded that the legend who has become three initials known by every American older than the age of six – FDR – began as a young, well-heeled politician who many of his contemporaries thought was not ready for prime time. Time has erased many of those doubts, but in “The Defining Moment”, we are reminded that the making of history is often a matter of timing, the right person being in the right place at the right time.

Sound familiar?

I like to think I know a thing or two about political history, but the depth wi

th which Alter digs into the challenges of FDR’s first 100 days in office is truly enlightening. The decisions that were required of the president-elect even before he took office and that led to sleepless nights for both him and outgoing President Hoover, right up until inauguration day, were truly remarkable.

We get a front-row seat for that critical part of American history. Wall Street was edgy. Public confidence in financial institutions was at a low point. A new president was on the horizon.

Sound familiar?

My only complaint about the book, a minor one at that, is that Alter spends a bit too much time detailing FDR’s relationship with the women in his life. Perhaps this information is important to a fuller understanding of him, but this is a book not about the fullness of the man or his career, but about the early days of his presidency.
In my view, Alter belongs in a select category of political non-fiction writers who are able to br

ing their subject alive with energetic prose and fast-moving chapters. In so doing, he lets us consider more than just the book itself. He lets us think about the extraordinary nature of the election year of 1932, and he made me wonder whether we may, right now, be involved in another such election.

The one thing you can’t help be struck by after reading “The Defining Moment” is that, in 1932, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was not ready for history – but history was ready for him.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The night before Franklin Delanor Rosevelt’s inaugural address on 4 March 1933, American society was at near total collapse.

Unemployment was at 25%, reaching 80% in some particular regions. Many people couldn’t buy petrol, milk or bread. Thousands of cars were abandoned on the side of the road having simply run out of petrol. Billions in cash had been withdrawn from the banks and hidden under people’s mattresses, prompting banks in 34 of 48 states to be closed indefinitely. Foreclosure lawyers were murdered. Civil unrest was edging closer to exploding into anarchy.

The Defining Moment seeks to explain the first hundred days of FDR’s presidency and delve into how FDR began the process of turning American society around. I read this because I wanted to understand precedents of what effective progressive political leadership is like in a national crisis. It’s not an understatement to say we are currently experiencing a similarly sized crisis and facing many of the same economic problems.

The book was entertaining. Atler is a journalist and brought a level of vitality to the prose that makes it very readable.

The greatest thing I learnt from the work was the role of providing hope to people. So much of our economy is driven by expectation about what will happen in the future. If political leadership can bring hope to a troubled populace and make them think things will be better, that is already the first step to bringing about improvement. In many respects, FDR’s approach adopts William James’ pragmatism in Will to Believe (i.e. whether something is true depends on you willing it to believe without any initial evidence, a la, if you think the economy is getting better, then it will get better).

However, his portrayal of FDR was painted in very broad brushstrokes and I didn’t get a deep sense of his psychology and motivation for action during those 100 days. Alter’s explanations about FDR’s political decisions fell back on platitudes, i.e. “he was a good listener”, “he didn’t trust experts”. For me, the gold standard of political biographers is Robert Caro. Caro’s description of LBJ’s first 100 days in power after Kennedy’s assasination in the Passage of Power is the exemplar. Alter didn’t reach those dizzying heights. Knowing the way that Caro works, I think that’s probably too much to ask for any other human alive.

It was an interesting and entertaining read, but definitely not featuring on a list of my favourite biographies.

[Richard Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an OK biography of FDR. It purports to focus on his first 100 days as president, but it doesn't really do that. The first 100 days felt like less than a fourth of the book, and I didn't feel that Alter made a strong case for a defining moment, not even a moment that last for 100 days. In fact, I thought that he made a better case for the opposite - that the thing that defined Roosevelt's presidency was that it was elusive, inconsistent and improvised. No moment defined it because each day was different from the day before. In the end that was part of what made him a great president and the right person for the time because it allowed him to keep trying different things when a flexible approach was needed for strategies to get out of the unprecedented Depression and to be hard for his opponents to pin down.

Before reading this book, I was aware of some of FDR's well known failings - his duplicity, his unfaithfulness, his lack of any sort of plan or consistent ideology. The interesting question to me has always been whether these core negative qualities were part of what made him a great president or things that he had to overcome to succeed. I think that the answer is that in different ways both are true.

The main new thing that I learned from this book was how FDR was generally considered to be a lightweight who was lacking in strength of character before he got to the White House. It wasn't just his perceived physical weakness from polio. It was embedded in his persona from his high voice to his lighthearted joking manner and apparent eagerness to please to his lack of consistent substantive policies. Hoover looked like a stronger presidential candidate, even in the face of his abject failure to deal with the Depression. It was amazing how FDR managed to rise to the task and become one of our greatest presidents, leading us through Depression and war and changing the our society from the old laissez faire capitalism to one in which the government takes at least some measure of responsibility for the welfare of the people.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when President Obama let it out that he was reading this book right before taking office.

And it is a fantastic book. The author brings alive FDR as if we were living in the 1930s. From his personal history to his strenghts and weaknesses, and I really feel like I got to know President Roosevelt through Alter's writing.

I basked in the background info there is here about The New Deal, and the history and circumstances of Social Security, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the CCC, etc. The book really only deals with the Roosevelt up until his 100th day as President. WWWII and all of FDR's later career are just brushed over in the epilogue. This book deals with the time when people begged Roosevelt to become a dictator and he was refusing, as opposed to a decade later when everyone was screaming at him for having become a dictator, and he had not.

I come away from this book both realizing that I don't like FDR all that much personally, at the same time as I am feeling new appreciation of him as one of our greatest Presidents. A debt of gratitude to the deep research and sound writing by the author for that.