# Recommend a FDR Biography Please **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 22, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-fdr-biography-please/743918 "2016-01-22T22:58:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-fdr-biography-please/743918/1 "2016-01-22T22:58:26Z")
Is there a definitive bio of FDR? Or a few very good ones? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-fdr-biography-please/743918/2 "2016-01-23T17:32:57Z")
Bump ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-fdr-biography-please/743918/3 "2016-01-23T17:41:20Z")
[This one](http://www.amazon.com/FDR-Jean-Edward-Smith-ebook/dp/B000QFBXD2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453570889&sr=1-1&keywords=franklin+roosevelt+biography) seems to have good reviews, but I admit I haven’t read it. The book _Franklin and Eleanor_ delves somewhat into their upbringings and family relationships and is a good book on both of them. ---
**Author:** ![Henga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Henga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henga)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-fdr-biography-please/743918/4 "2016-01-23T19:17:30Z")
Try FDR by Jean Edward Smith. I had the audio version a few years ago, but apparently it was abridged and concentrated on FDR’s political career. The printed book has more about his personal life. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-fdr-biography-please/743918/5 "2016-01-23T19:24:56Z")
_No Ordinary Time_ by Doris Kearns Goodwin got great reviews but I haven’t read it. It’s sort of a joint biography of the President and First Lady, focusing on their years in the White House during the Great Depression and WWII. Goodwin won the Pulitzer Prize for it. > **[Amazon.com: No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in...](https://www.amazon.com/No-Ordinary-Time-Franklin-Roosevelt/dp/0684804484)** > > Amazon.com: No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II: 9780684804484: Goodwin, Doris Kearns: Books ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-fdr-biography-please/743918/6 "2016-01-23T20:22:28Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > _No Ordinary Time_ by Doris Kearns Goodwin got great reviews but I haven’t read it. It’s sort of a joint biography of the President and First Lady, focusing on their years in the White House during the Great Depression and WWII. Goodwin won the Pulitzer Prize for it. > > [http://www.amazon.com/No-Ordinary-Time-Franklin-Roosevelt/dp/0684804484/ref=sr\_1\_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453577177&sr=1-1&keywords=no+ordinary+time](http://www.amazon.com/No-Ordinary-Time-Franklin-Roosevelt/dp/0684804484/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453577177&sr=1-1&keywords=no+ordinary+time) Good one. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-fdr-biography-please/743918/7 "2016-01-23T20:43:23Z")
Great, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-fdr-biography-please/743918/8 "2016-01-23T20:48:09Z")
> [@Henga](#): > > Try FDR by Jean Edward Smith. I had the audio version a few years ago, but apparently it was abridged and concentrated on FDR’s political career. The printed book has more about his personal life. This is in my nightstand bookcase, staged for reading as soon as I have read the umpteen books ahead of it (or the new ones that catch my eye).