This revealing and intimate biography explores how Franklin D. Roosevelt's struggle with polio transformed him, leading him to become one of the greatest leaders in American history.
In popular memory, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the quintessential political "natural." Born in 1882 to a wealthy, influential family and blessed with charisma, he seemed destined for high office from birth. Yet for all his gifts, the young Roosevelt nonetheless lacked depth, empathy, and strategic ability. Those qualities, so essential to his success as president, were skills he acquired during his eight-year struggle through illness and recovery.
Becoming FDR traces the riveting story of the crucible that forged Roosevelt's political ascent. Soon after contracting polio in 1921, the former vice-presidential candidate was left paralyzed from the waist down at the age of thirty-nine. He spent nearly a decade trying to heal and rehabilitate his body and adapt to the stark new reality of his life. By the time he reemerged on the national stage, his character and his abilities had been transformed. He had become shrewd by necessity, tailoring his speeches to a new medium - radio - that allowed him to reach listeners far beyond his physical presence. Suffering had also taught Roosevelt compassion, cementing his bond with those he once famously called "the forgotten man." Most crucially, he had discovered how to find hope in a seemingly hopeless situation-a genius for inspiration he employed to motivate Americans through the Great Depression and World War II. The polio years were transformative too for Eleanor Roosevelt, who’s at-first reluctant appearances as her husband's surrogate sparked a drive to become a force in her own right.
Tracing the physical, political, and personal transformation of the iconic president, Becoming FDR is the story of a man who found his strong, true self in the depths of a crushing challenge-and re-emerged with wisdom he would use to inspire the world. Jonathan Darman is the author of Landslide: LBJ and Ronald Reagan at the Dawn of a New America. He is a former correspondent for Newsweek, where he covered national politics, including John Kerry's and Hillary Clinton's presidential campaigns.
