Status
Available
Publication
New York : Random House, c2008.
Description
In Franklin and Lucy, acclaimed author and historian Joseph E. Persico explores FDR's romance with Lucy Rutherfurd (which was far deeper and lasted much longer than was previously acknowledged). Persico also shows how FDR's infidelity as a husband contributed to Eleanor's eventual transformation from a repressed Victorian to perhaps the greatest American woman of her century; how the shaping hand of FDR's strong-willed mother helped to imbue him with the resolve to overcome personal and public adversity throughout his life; and how other women around FDR, including his "surrogate spouse," Missy LeHand, and his close confidante, the obscure Margaret "Daisy" Suckley, completed the world that he inhabited.--From amazon.com.
User reviews
LibraryThing member laytonwoman3rd
It has been many years since I last indulged my fascination with Franklin Roosevelt’s life and Presidency by reading a new biography. As its subtitle implies, this one concentrates on his relationships with women, their influences on him and his considerable impact on their lives. Although much
The title of this book, Franklin and Lucy, is a bit misleading. Although it was prompted by the recent discovery of letters establishing that Roosevelt and his lady-love, Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd, were in communication during a long period of time when it had previously been thought that their relationship had ended, it is not primarily about their connection. I believe I Iearned more of interest about FDR’s dependence on his mother, Eleanor’s coping mechanisms, and the Eleanor/FDR marriage, than I did about the love affair with Lucy. I found myself disliking the man, pitying his wife, and wondering about the magnetism that bound so many women to him.
It is no secret by now that throughout his presidency, Franklin Roosevelt was “involved” with women other than his wife. He was a strikingly handsome young man, and before being stricken with polio in 1921, a very athletic one as well. He was always attractive to -- and attracted by-- women, and that did not stop when he became confined to a wheelchair. He clearly had a dynamic personality that made him irresistible to certain women, even when he treated them in a cavalier manner, as he often seemed to do. It is no surprise, either, that his mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt, was a dominant influence in most all aspects of his life, with the singular exception of his decision to marry distant cousin Eleanor. Nevertheless, Persico’s treatment of these and other relationships in FDR’s life is insightful, and takes the reader a bit deeper into the territory than anyone I have read before. It also treats extensively of Eleanor's own emotional attachments to various men and women who came in and out of her life over the years.
Persico makes much of Eleanor Roosevelt’s shock and disappointment upon finding letters to her husband which eliminated any doubt about his extra-marital liaison with her former social secretary. (Earlier, suspecting too much chemistry between FDR and Lucy Mercer, Eleanor had fired Lucy under pretense of economizing, only to find her employed in Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin Roosevelt’s office in the blink of an eye.) Although Eleanor offered Franklin a divorce at that point, and he was quite inclined to accept, his mother emphatically refused to allow it. Roosevelts did not get divorced, in any case, and it would be tantamount to political suicide for Franklin at the time. Sara controlled the bank accounts; Franklin and Eleanor saw reason. It is sobering to contemplate what the second half of the 20th century might have been like if FDR had put his personal happiness ahead of his ambition in 1918 by divorcing his wife and marrying Lucy Mercer.
If you’re looking for an analysis of Roosevelt as a politician, a world leader, or a President, this book won’t give it to you. If you’d like a more personal perspective, it’s rich with material and well worth reading.
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of the information in Franklin and Lucy had a comfortably familiar feel to it, Persico’s style is very reader-friendly, and I found myself thoroughly engrossed. The title of this book, Franklin and Lucy, is a bit misleading. Although it was prompted by the recent discovery of letters establishing that Roosevelt and his lady-love, Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd, were in communication during a long period of time when it had previously been thought that their relationship had ended, it is not primarily about their connection. I believe I Iearned more of interest about FDR’s dependence on his mother, Eleanor’s coping mechanisms, and the Eleanor/FDR marriage, than I did about the love affair with Lucy. I found myself disliking the man, pitying his wife, and wondering about the magnetism that bound so many women to him.
It is no secret by now that throughout his presidency, Franklin Roosevelt was “involved” with women other than his wife. He was a strikingly handsome young man, and before being stricken with polio in 1921, a very athletic one as well. He was always attractive to -- and attracted by-- women, and that did not stop when he became confined to a wheelchair. He clearly had a dynamic personality that made him irresistible to certain women, even when he treated them in a cavalier manner, as he often seemed to do. It is no surprise, either, that his mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt, was a dominant influence in most all aspects of his life, with the singular exception of his decision to marry distant cousin Eleanor. Nevertheless, Persico’s treatment of these and other relationships in FDR’s life is insightful, and takes the reader a bit deeper into the territory than anyone I have read before. It also treats extensively of Eleanor's own emotional attachments to various men and women who came in and out of her life over the years.
Persico makes much of Eleanor Roosevelt’s shock and disappointment upon finding letters to her husband which eliminated any doubt about his extra-marital liaison with her former social secretary. (Earlier, suspecting too much chemistry between FDR and Lucy Mercer, Eleanor had fired Lucy under pretense of economizing, only to find her employed in Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin Roosevelt’s office in the blink of an eye.) Although Eleanor offered Franklin a divorce at that point, and he was quite inclined to accept, his mother emphatically refused to allow it. Roosevelts did not get divorced, in any case, and it would be tantamount to political suicide for Franklin at the time. Sara controlled the bank accounts; Franklin and Eleanor saw reason. It is sobering to contemplate what the second half of the 20th century might have been like if FDR had put his personal happiness ahead of his ambition in 1918 by divorcing his wife and marrying Lucy Mercer.
If you’re looking for an analysis of Roosevelt as a politician, a world leader, or a President, this book won’t give it to you. If you’d like a more personal perspective, it’s rich with material and well worth reading.
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LibraryThing member seoulful
With yet another book on the remarkable Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt making its appearance, it seems that research upon their lives has not been exhausted nor interest in their most unorthodox private lives been diminished.
With the private lives of current political figures laid bare in real
While many books, lacking hard evidence, tiptoe around the issue of how far Franklin and Eleanor went in their affairs, Joseph Persico poses the common-sense thesis, "If we grant that Franklin Roosevelt and Lucy Mercer (Rutherfurd) were driven by the same impulses that rule other human beings, how would two people finding themselves in their situation likely have behaved?" Or, "What do a thirty-five-year-old man who has sired six children and a twenty-six year-old woman who is madly in love with him do when, by chance or design, they find themselves alone?" He follows the same reasoning with Franklin's association with Missy LeHand, his secretary, who spent time alone with Franklin on a houseboat and was almost inseparable from him for many years.
With Eleanor, also, Persico believes her relationship with Lorena Hickok was physical. Persico quotes a particularly incriminating letter from Eleanor after the two spent a weekend together in Warm Springs, GA. "Dearest, it was a lovely weekend...Each time we have together that (underlined) way--brings us closer, doesn't it?" Lorena as well as two other close friends of Eleanor were known lesbians. But Eleanor also had strange, strong relationships with men throughout her married life, including a state trooper who was her bodyguard for a time.
Persico documents all of these relationships on both sides with thorough research--diaries, letters, records, other biographies and discussions with descendants of the Roosevelt and Rutherfurd families. He uses Eleanor's dinner guest list, the daily log kept of Roosevelt's guests at the White House and his telephone callers as well as new letters found in 2005 which were sent by the President to Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd during the period of her marriage to Rutherfurd.
Persico takes a very forgiving view of the principle characters in this drama. However, following the great divide in Eleanor and Franklin's marriage, precipitated early on by Eleanor's discovery of some of Lucy's love letters to Franklin, we watch the sad battering of lives that results. Eleanor is devastated and takes refuge in her obsessive attachments. Missy, Lucy and Roosevelt's other loves find grief in having only partial or intermittent pieces of his affections. The defense raised by some that Roosevelt was an important man in a difficult job and needed to be entertained and indulged by uncritical, idolizing women in order to accomplish a pivotal task in history, does not balance the emotional ruin and pain he so carelessly inflicted on those who loved him best.
Nevertheless, Franklin and Lucy is a well-written and entertaining book. The well-documented research gives credibility to his thesis on the nature of the relationships of Franklin and Eleanor and gives further insight into their extraordinary lives.
With the private lives of current political figures laid bare in real
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time, it is hard to imagine a time when word of the titillating extra-marital affairs of two such prominent individuals would not be openly acknowledged in print for some years. In the case of the President, many individuals would be involved in facilitating his clandestine meetings with the charming Lucy Rutherfurd, and yet all involved protected the two.While many books, lacking hard evidence, tiptoe around the issue of how far Franklin and Eleanor went in their affairs, Joseph Persico poses the common-sense thesis, "If we grant that Franklin Roosevelt and Lucy Mercer (Rutherfurd) were driven by the same impulses that rule other human beings, how would two people finding themselves in their situation likely have behaved?" Or, "What do a thirty-five-year-old man who has sired six children and a twenty-six year-old woman who is madly in love with him do when, by chance or design, they find themselves alone?" He follows the same reasoning with Franklin's association with Missy LeHand, his secretary, who spent time alone with Franklin on a houseboat and was almost inseparable from him for many years.
With Eleanor, also, Persico believes her relationship with Lorena Hickok was physical. Persico quotes a particularly incriminating letter from Eleanor after the two spent a weekend together in Warm Springs, GA. "Dearest, it was a lovely weekend...Each time we have together that (underlined) way--brings us closer, doesn't it?" Lorena as well as two other close friends of Eleanor were known lesbians. But Eleanor also had strange, strong relationships with men throughout her married life, including a state trooper who was her bodyguard for a time.
Persico documents all of these relationships on both sides with thorough research--diaries, letters, records, other biographies and discussions with descendants of the Roosevelt and Rutherfurd families. He uses Eleanor's dinner guest list, the daily log kept of Roosevelt's guests at the White House and his telephone callers as well as new letters found in 2005 which were sent by the President to Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd during the period of her marriage to Rutherfurd.
Persico takes a very forgiving view of the principle characters in this drama. However, following the great divide in Eleanor and Franklin's marriage, precipitated early on by Eleanor's discovery of some of Lucy's love letters to Franklin, we watch the sad battering of lives that results. Eleanor is devastated and takes refuge in her obsessive attachments. Missy, Lucy and Roosevelt's other loves find grief in having only partial or intermittent pieces of his affections. The defense raised by some that Roosevelt was an important man in a difficult job and needed to be entertained and indulged by uncritical, idolizing women in order to accomplish a pivotal task in history, does not balance the emotional ruin and pain he so carelessly inflicted on those who loved him best.
Nevertheless, Franklin and Lucy is a well-written and entertaining book. The well-documented research gives credibility to his thesis on the nature of the relationships of Franklin and Eleanor and gives further insight into their extraordinary lives.
Show Less
LibraryThing member lyzadanger
Franklin Delano Roosevelt is the stuff of American myth, an untouchable, shining character whose presidency consistency rates as one of the most successful in the country’s history. His remarkable policies still echo in today’s landscape, his fireside chats and chin-up optimism the fodder of
But FDR’s golden aura obfuscates the complexity of his real life, his missteps and confusions, his deceits and his pains. We see something larger than life in FDR, a giant of a soul unyielding against significant physical disability and guiding a country at a violent crossroads. But what Joseph Persico gives us in “Frankin and Lucy” is not a formal story of the presidency. It’s a messier, sometimes tragic and maddening, look at the man, and the women who shaped him.
But before bringing in the ladies, Persico must chip away at the happy lore of FDR as magnanimous hero. In his early life, see, Roosevelt is jarringly unlikeable. Persico labels him a “Little Lord Fauntleroy” type, infantile and shapeless under the weight of his overbearing mother, Sara Delano. With his English-sounding accent and exclusive private school background, his golden mane and his conflict-free childhood, FDR at first seems effete and blank.
If his early life is meaningless, FDR as Harvard brat is a more deplorable character. Seemingly unburdened by any real personality, Roosevelt spent his college years joining social clubs and tippling with chums. Flirty, shallow, dandified, brutishly unaffected by anything suggesting emotion--and prone to fabrication.
FDR lied, indeed. He lied about scooping a big story at the Harvard Crimson, which led to glory for him and the newspaper. He lied about affairs. Later, he lied about his involvement in an anti-homosexual sting operation in 1920. For pleasure he requisitioned Navy ships and sailed them to his summer getaway, mistress and entire crew in tow.
By the time Persico introduces the women who will have vast influence on the rest of FDR’s life, it’s easy to feel ambivalent about the guy. Persico is impeccably aware of this. Initially he brushes off some of FDR’s shortcomings, like his tall tales, calling them “... quintessential Roosevelt, not quite dishonest, but an improvement on the truth that he persuaded himself was fact.”
But Persico is not negligent. He knows that the questions of morality are stuck in the craw of the book for its entire length, and will eventually circle back elegantly and readdress the ethical conundrums.
Persico shows us Eleanor Roosevelt: a sad, orphaned, homely, noble, pathetic, ultimately-triumphant (but always misunderstood) character who veers in and out of FDR’s inner world. We meet Lucy (though FDR doesn’t until page 83, despite her serving as the book’s namesake), and Persico can say nothing bad about her, though his descriptions of her character initially lack much dimension.
She’s good, we hear. She’s lovely and charming and keeps Roosevelt in stitches (unlike stodgy, diffident wife Eleanor). Their affair (a foregone thing from the beginning of the book) is portrayed as desperate and passion-driven, hopeless but honorable.
For readers steeped our this particular modern American culture, with monogamy and fidelity apotheosized above most any virtue, FDR’s waywardness in romance is almost painful to read. And, though it would seem that the era in which this all occurred would be the one to suck in its breath, prudishly, with shock at his dalliances, it’s the modern context in which we shake our heads sadly.
The web expands. Other women: Missy LeHand, Dorothy Schiff, Daisy Stuckley. Some stand-in secretary-wives, others touchstones of stability.
And then, after faith in his inherent decency has been wearied: we see the president pummeled on all levels by polio, storming back at it with ferocity. Here is where FDR is truly born, where the women in his life integrate influences into a bolder character for him to bring into his greatest times of public service. Suddenly, he’s someone intriguing.
The women support, type, mull over, encourage and prod the crippled Roosevelt. They love and are ignored, often. The polio gave him something abstract to beat against. A needed hurdle. Adversity and the support of those close to him gave him the personal depth to be the president we know.
Through unflinching looks at the Roosevelts’ most intimate moments, their miseries and their betrayals, Persico will make you re-evaluate the relative import of personal foibles in the face of civic duty. We are asked to separate our personal moral convictions from those relevant to the American community--a conflict that has resurfaced, repeatedly, in recent history.
What Persico does with grace is to confuse us, charging us to reconsider. No longer is it clear who is right and wrong in FDR’s inner sanctum. Adultery, love, missed connections, lost letters, loneliness. The metamorphosis of a peevish youth of questionable depth and minimal personality into the transcendent, multi-layered man of history. Aching sacrifices of truth and love. Persico gives us this complex personal journey, with redemption, in a well-crafted story of love, longing, women and the FDR we thought we knew.
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memorials and nostalgic World War II veterans.But FDR’s golden aura obfuscates the complexity of his real life, his missteps and confusions, his deceits and his pains. We see something larger than life in FDR, a giant of a soul unyielding against significant physical disability and guiding a country at a violent crossroads. But what Joseph Persico gives us in “Frankin and Lucy” is not a formal story of the presidency. It’s a messier, sometimes tragic and maddening, look at the man, and the women who shaped him.
But before bringing in the ladies, Persico must chip away at the happy lore of FDR as magnanimous hero. In his early life, see, Roosevelt is jarringly unlikeable. Persico labels him a “Little Lord Fauntleroy” type, infantile and shapeless under the weight of his overbearing mother, Sara Delano. With his English-sounding accent and exclusive private school background, his golden mane and his conflict-free childhood, FDR at first seems effete and blank.
If his early life is meaningless, FDR as Harvard brat is a more deplorable character. Seemingly unburdened by any real personality, Roosevelt spent his college years joining social clubs and tippling with chums. Flirty, shallow, dandified, brutishly unaffected by anything suggesting emotion--and prone to fabrication.
FDR lied, indeed. He lied about scooping a big story at the Harvard Crimson, which led to glory for him and the newspaper. He lied about affairs. Later, he lied about his involvement in an anti-homosexual sting operation in 1920. For pleasure he requisitioned Navy ships and sailed them to his summer getaway, mistress and entire crew in tow.
By the time Persico introduces the women who will have vast influence on the rest of FDR’s life, it’s easy to feel ambivalent about the guy. Persico is impeccably aware of this. Initially he brushes off some of FDR’s shortcomings, like his tall tales, calling them “... quintessential Roosevelt, not quite dishonest, but an improvement on the truth that he persuaded himself was fact.”
But Persico is not negligent. He knows that the questions of morality are stuck in the craw of the book for its entire length, and will eventually circle back elegantly and readdress the ethical conundrums.
Persico shows us Eleanor Roosevelt: a sad, orphaned, homely, noble, pathetic, ultimately-triumphant (but always misunderstood) character who veers in and out of FDR’s inner world. We meet Lucy (though FDR doesn’t until page 83, despite her serving as the book’s namesake), and Persico can say nothing bad about her, though his descriptions of her character initially lack much dimension.
She’s good, we hear. She’s lovely and charming and keeps Roosevelt in stitches (unlike stodgy, diffident wife Eleanor). Their affair (a foregone thing from the beginning of the book) is portrayed as desperate and passion-driven, hopeless but honorable.
For readers steeped our this particular modern American culture, with monogamy and fidelity apotheosized above most any virtue, FDR’s waywardness in romance is almost painful to read. And, though it would seem that the era in which this all occurred would be the one to suck in its breath, prudishly, with shock at his dalliances, it’s the modern context in which we shake our heads sadly.
The web expands. Other women: Missy LeHand, Dorothy Schiff, Daisy Stuckley. Some stand-in secretary-wives, others touchstones of stability.
And then, after faith in his inherent decency has been wearied: we see the president pummeled on all levels by polio, storming back at it with ferocity. Here is where FDR is truly born, where the women in his life integrate influences into a bolder character for him to bring into his greatest times of public service. Suddenly, he’s someone intriguing.
The women support, type, mull over, encourage and prod the crippled Roosevelt. They love and are ignored, often. The polio gave him something abstract to beat against. A needed hurdle. Adversity and the support of those close to him gave him the personal depth to be the president we know.
Through unflinching looks at the Roosevelts’ most intimate moments, their miseries and their betrayals, Persico will make you re-evaluate the relative import of personal foibles in the face of civic duty. We are asked to separate our personal moral convictions from those relevant to the American community--a conflict that has resurfaced, repeatedly, in recent history.
What Persico does with grace is to confuse us, charging us to reconsider. No longer is it clear who is right and wrong in FDR’s inner sanctum. Adultery, love, missed connections, lost letters, loneliness. The metamorphosis of a peevish youth of questionable depth and minimal personality into the transcendent, multi-layered man of history. Aching sacrifices of truth and love. Persico gives us this complex personal journey, with redemption, in a well-crafted story of love, longing, women and the FDR we thought we knew.
Show Less
LibraryThing member candyschultz
Other bibliophiles may recognize this situation: there comes a point in some books when you just have to accept the fact that you are not going to bed until you finish. I can count on my fingers the number of times that has happened to me. Obviously different books for different people but FDR,
I have read several other books by Joseph Persico, most notably Roosevelt's Secret War. The content of Franklin and Lucy was almost entirely new to me. I came away with a totally different, much more intimate, portrait of Franklin and Eleanor. I have to admit I have not read much biographical information on either of them. I now await several biographies of both Roosevelts.
Franklin and Lucy studies the women in his life, from his mother Sara to Eleanor, Lucy Rutherford, Missy LeHand and various other cousins and admirers. The most in-depth background information is on Eleanor, Sara and Lucy - the three women who had the most profound effect on FDR. Both Sara and Eleanor were products of the Victorian era. Sara, being older, was never able to rise above the Victorian mores of her time and social set. As both Sara and Franklin almost perished during his birth, she never had another child and Franklin was doted on as a companion, one she loathed to relinquish, and treated as her obedient son even when he occupied the White House. It seems apparent that this early pattern gave Franklin the need he always seemed to have for feminine approval and admiration.
At the turn of the century the "400" more or less ruled society, industry and government. Their standards for acceptance were shallow, including good looks, inherited wealth, correct breeding etc. It was frowned upon in this group to work hard for grades in school which somewhat explains FDR's rather poor showing as a "C" student.
Sara had inherited wealth as well as the standards of her time and, as FDR was an only child, she spoiled him badly. Her wealth provided him with residences beginning with a 'Gold Coast' apartment at Harvard, decorated by her, to side by side townhouses after his marriage to Eleanor. Sara appears to have been not particularly intelligent or imaginative. When she purchased the side by side housing arrangement she had doors cut between the two residences, allowing her to 'pop in' at will. Thus the stage was set for a battle of wills that Eleanor was ill-equipped to win. Apparently Sara was never able to see the wrongness of her control over both Eleanor and Franklin. She was also a bad third court of appeal when the children began to grow up. Their parents might decide one thing but they could turn to Granny who would immediately favor them with a happier outcome. Thus she undermined the parenting of both Eleanor and Franklin.
Eleanor was also a product of Victorian mores albeit in a far more draconian way than Sara. She, however, was a more intelligent and curious woman than her mother-in-law. Eleanor was orphaned at an early age and sent with her brother to live with her grandmother. Her childhood was Dickensian to say the least. Eleanor was not blessed with beauty and, in a family known for attractive women, she was cruelly reminded of her uselessness by everyone from her mother to cousin Alice. I have never seen the use of these sort of people but the deliberate cruelty to one of their own family is despicable. Young women of Eleanor's generation learned nothing of sex or sexuality and to quote one of her cousins "The 'purebred' New England woman, when she finally married, knew her duty, lay on her bed, and murmured to herself, as the husband approached, 'for God, for country and for Yale.'" Such was the likely state of Eleanor's knowledge as she approached the marriage bed. Everyone knows how Eleanor subsequently turned out. Knowing the deprivations of her childhood and her lack of self esteem it is easy to understand why she became a champion of so many underdogs. Eleanor as she matured was able to step away from the prejudices of her time - be they religious, racial, gender or class. What is not commonly known is the immediate impetus for her maturity. This lies in the story of Lucy Rutherford and Franklin's affair which she discovered accidentally in 1918.
Lucy was another Victorian era child whose monetary fortune did not fare as well as Eleanor and Franklin's. Descended from wealth, Lucy's worthless parents had impoverished themselves by the time she was a young woman. Forced to do something to keep a roof over their heads, Lucy took a job as Eleanor's secretary. The rest is history and you should read the book to find out the details. I had never heard of Lucy Rutherford prior to this book and, after the affair was discovered, it was assumed she left FDR's life. Letters recently discovered by some of her descendants have shown this to be untrue and were the impetus for the book. Lucy was an essential part of FDR's life up until the moment of his death. She was at his side, rather than Eleanor, when that moment came.
Persico does an excellent job of providing the information which allows you to see how Sara's early influence on Franklin made it always necessary that he have women around to listen to and admire him; women who did not demand anything of him. Eleanor was a dynamo and unable to do this. Rather, she was always asking things of him - altruistic things - but demanding nonetheless. After he became President, Eleanor was unable to appreciate that, in order to cope with the pressures he was handling, he sometimes just needed a short time to do nothing. That was when Eleanor would descend on him with projects. All this made his time with Lucy the more precious. Lucy had the gift of gracious listening so necessary to a man leading his country into a devastating war. During those years she was more essential than ever to FDR.
Persico makes a few comments on the morality of FDR's liaisons but, like me, he is not judgmental. He quotes Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. at the end of the book (If Lucy Mercer) "in any way helped Franklin Roosevelt sustain the frightful burdens of leadership in the second world war, the nation has good reason to be grateful to her." I certainly am. I am grateful to Joseph Persico as well for writing such a compelling book. It will not be published until the end of this month (April). If you are a history fan you will want to read this one.
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along with Churchill, are stellar examples of leaders to me and I enjoy learning more about them.I have read several other books by Joseph Persico, most notably Roosevelt's Secret War. The content of Franklin and Lucy was almost entirely new to me. I came away with a totally different, much more intimate, portrait of Franklin and Eleanor. I have to admit I have not read much biographical information on either of them. I now await several biographies of both Roosevelts.
Franklin and Lucy studies the women in his life, from his mother Sara to Eleanor, Lucy Rutherford, Missy LeHand and various other cousins and admirers. The most in-depth background information is on Eleanor, Sara and Lucy - the three women who had the most profound effect on FDR. Both Sara and Eleanor were products of the Victorian era. Sara, being older, was never able to rise above the Victorian mores of her time and social set. As both Sara and Franklin almost perished during his birth, she never had another child and Franklin was doted on as a companion, one she loathed to relinquish, and treated as her obedient son even when he occupied the White House. It seems apparent that this early pattern gave Franklin the need he always seemed to have for feminine approval and admiration.
At the turn of the century the "400" more or less ruled society, industry and government. Their standards for acceptance were shallow, including good looks, inherited wealth, correct breeding etc. It was frowned upon in this group to work hard for grades in school which somewhat explains FDR's rather poor showing as a "C" student.
Sara had inherited wealth as well as the standards of her time and, as FDR was an only child, she spoiled him badly. Her wealth provided him with residences beginning with a 'Gold Coast' apartment at Harvard, decorated by her, to side by side townhouses after his marriage to Eleanor. Sara appears to have been not particularly intelligent or imaginative. When she purchased the side by side housing arrangement she had doors cut between the two residences, allowing her to 'pop in' at will. Thus the stage was set for a battle of wills that Eleanor was ill-equipped to win. Apparently Sara was never able to see the wrongness of her control over both Eleanor and Franklin. She was also a bad third court of appeal when the children began to grow up. Their parents might decide one thing but they could turn to Granny who would immediately favor them with a happier outcome. Thus she undermined the parenting of both Eleanor and Franklin.
Eleanor was also a product of Victorian mores albeit in a far more draconian way than Sara. She, however, was a more intelligent and curious woman than her mother-in-law. Eleanor was orphaned at an early age and sent with her brother to live with her grandmother. Her childhood was Dickensian to say the least. Eleanor was not blessed with beauty and, in a family known for attractive women, she was cruelly reminded of her uselessness by everyone from her mother to cousin Alice. I have never seen the use of these sort of people but the deliberate cruelty to one of their own family is despicable. Young women of Eleanor's generation learned nothing of sex or sexuality and to quote one of her cousins "The 'purebred' New England woman, when she finally married, knew her duty, lay on her bed, and murmured to herself, as the husband approached, 'for God, for country and for Yale.'" Such was the likely state of Eleanor's knowledge as she approached the marriage bed. Everyone knows how Eleanor subsequently turned out. Knowing the deprivations of her childhood and her lack of self esteem it is easy to understand why she became a champion of so many underdogs. Eleanor as she matured was able to step away from the prejudices of her time - be they religious, racial, gender or class. What is not commonly known is the immediate impetus for her maturity. This lies in the story of Lucy Rutherford and Franklin's affair which she discovered accidentally in 1918.
Lucy was another Victorian era child whose monetary fortune did not fare as well as Eleanor and Franklin's. Descended from wealth, Lucy's worthless parents had impoverished themselves by the time she was a young woman. Forced to do something to keep a roof over their heads, Lucy took a job as Eleanor's secretary. The rest is history and you should read the book to find out the details. I had never heard of Lucy Rutherford prior to this book and, after the affair was discovered, it was assumed she left FDR's life. Letters recently discovered by some of her descendants have shown this to be untrue and were the impetus for the book. Lucy was an essential part of FDR's life up until the moment of his death. She was at his side, rather than Eleanor, when that moment came.
Persico does an excellent job of providing the information which allows you to see how Sara's early influence on Franklin made it always necessary that he have women around to listen to and admire him; women who did not demand anything of him. Eleanor was a dynamo and unable to do this. Rather, she was always asking things of him - altruistic things - but demanding nonetheless. After he became President, Eleanor was unable to appreciate that, in order to cope with the pressures he was handling, he sometimes just needed a short time to do nothing. That was when Eleanor would descend on him with projects. All this made his time with Lucy the more precious. Lucy had the gift of gracious listening so necessary to a man leading his country into a devastating war. During those years she was more essential than ever to FDR.
Persico makes a few comments on the morality of FDR's liaisons but, like me, he is not judgmental. He quotes Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. at the end of the book (If Lucy Mercer) "in any way helped Franklin Roosevelt sustain the frightful burdens of leadership in the second world war, the nation has good reason to be grateful to her." I certainly am. I am grateful to Joseph Persico as well for writing such a compelling book. It will not be published until the end of this month (April). If you are a history fan you will want to read this one.
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LibraryThing member normanbr
"Franklin and Lucy" is one of those books you do not want to end.
Joseph E. Persico's gentle and compassionate telling of the secrets and intimate details of President and Mrs. Roosevelt's and Lucy Mercer Rutherford's private lives cannot fail to rivet the reader to the very palm of his hand.
Persico
The contents of the entire book are brilliantly constructed. The loyalty of those around each of these bigger-than-life persons, both family, friends and staff, is astonishing. The closing chapters are filled with the emotion which each person must have actually felt at the time it was occurring, leaving us teary-eyed and wanting to know more about these remarkable people.
"Franklin and Lucy" cries out to be immortalized unedited on the silver screen with the credits running on a split screen at the end, with the speakers in the last two chapters adding their reverential comments for a country who was privileged to have glimpsed the inside lives of three of our most courageous citizens.
Joseph E. Persico's gentle and compassionate telling of the secrets and intimate details of President and Mrs. Roosevelt's and Lucy Mercer Rutherford's private lives cannot fail to rivet the reader to the very palm of his hand.
Persico
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leaves nothing to the imagination, yet does so in a fair and unobtrusive manner leaving his readers with tremendous respect for the President, Eleanor and Lucy.The contents of the entire book are brilliantly constructed. The loyalty of those around each of these bigger-than-life persons, both family, friends and staff, is astonishing. The closing chapters are filled with the emotion which each person must have actually felt at the time it was occurring, leaving us teary-eyed and wanting to know more about these remarkable people.
"Franklin and Lucy" cries out to be immortalized unedited on the silver screen with the credits running on a split screen at the end, with the speakers in the last two chapters adding their reverential comments for a country who was privileged to have glimpsed the inside lives of three of our most courageous citizens.
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LibraryThing member nbmars
Franklin D. Roosevelt loved secrets, as Joseph Persico demonstrated in a prior book, "Roosevelt's Secret War." His real personality has always been difficult to discern for historians. Thanks to some revealing letters he wrote to Lucy Mercer that were made available by her grandchildren only in
Nor was Lucy Mercer the only important woman in his life. Obviously, there was Eleanor, an extraordinary woman who, we learn, did not much enjoy sex with men (at least not with Franklin) and who did not satisfy his sexual desires. Missy LeHand, his devoted and longtime secretary, apparently served needs and desires other than shorthand and typing. Toss in a Norwegian princess and perhaps a few other dalliances, and we have a pretty complete list of his sexual experiences.
Persico properly points out that the woman who may have influenced Roosevelt most was Sara, his doting mother, who provided him an extremely privileged upbringing which gave him the extraordinary self confidence that was his hallmark. His mother's domineering probably interfered with his relationship with Eleanor significantly, driving the married couple apart. However, once Eleanor discovered Franklin's affair with Lucy, Sara argued strongly against a divorce--after all, it would have ruined FDR's political career.
Persico raises, but is unable to answer, the frustrating question of what drove handsome, charming, and rich Franklin to pursue homely, awkward, (but quite rich) Eleanor in the first place. In any event, the fact that they were not happily married may have given both of them extra incentive to find satisfaction in other milieus. It seems only natural that they would have found some romance in other relationships.
Although the book is entitled "Franklin and Lucy," it is almost as much about Eleanor as it is about Franklin. We find that she had at least one long term lesbian relationship and possibly a fling with a young, virile policeman when she was in her 50's.
Persico vividly describes the times in which the protagonists lived and the extraordinary wealth and privilege of their families. Impressively, both Franklin and Eleanor pursued remarkably active careers rather than simply enjoying the easy life of country squires. Persico speculates convincingly that their characters were annealed by the physical and emotional hardships they overcame.
The Roosevelts lived in a time when secrets could be kept from the general public. In fact, FDR successfully kept his debilitated physical condition from most voters. Imagine how today's voracious media and Republican party would play up a president's affair or a first lady's same sex relationship.
This book is very well written and thoroughly researched. I gave it only 4 stars instead of 5 because of its limited scope. Although interesting for its insights into the psychology that drove the Roosevelts, this perspective (interpersonal and romantic interaction) doesn't interest me as much (or seem as important as) the political, military, or economic issues of the day.
(JAB)
Objection from JAF (wife of JAB) to paragraph 4: why would Franklin marry "homely, awkward" Eleanor? Maybe she had more depth and intellectual acuity than women more fixated on their appearances. Maybe she could be a spiritual companion to Franklin even if he were too shallow to eschew liaisons with attractive women who flattered his ego. Eleanor was one of the most humane and courageous figures of the 20th century. Maybe Franklin married her because he got lucky!!!
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2005, Persico is able to fill in details of how the great man was affected by his complicated love life.Nor was Lucy Mercer the only important woman in his life. Obviously, there was Eleanor, an extraordinary woman who, we learn, did not much enjoy sex with men (at least not with Franklin) and who did not satisfy his sexual desires. Missy LeHand, his devoted and longtime secretary, apparently served needs and desires other than shorthand and typing. Toss in a Norwegian princess and perhaps a few other dalliances, and we have a pretty complete list of his sexual experiences.
Persico properly points out that the woman who may have influenced Roosevelt most was Sara, his doting mother, who provided him an extremely privileged upbringing which gave him the extraordinary self confidence that was his hallmark. His mother's domineering probably interfered with his relationship with Eleanor significantly, driving the married couple apart. However, once Eleanor discovered Franklin's affair with Lucy, Sara argued strongly against a divorce--after all, it would have ruined FDR's political career.
Persico raises, but is unable to answer, the frustrating question of what drove handsome, charming, and rich Franklin to pursue homely, awkward, (but quite rich) Eleanor in the first place. In any event, the fact that they were not happily married may have given both of them extra incentive to find satisfaction in other milieus. It seems only natural that they would have found some romance in other relationships.
Although the book is entitled "Franklin and Lucy," it is almost as much about Eleanor as it is about Franklin. We find that she had at least one long term lesbian relationship and possibly a fling with a young, virile policeman when she was in her 50's.
Persico vividly describes the times in which the protagonists lived and the extraordinary wealth and privilege of their families. Impressively, both Franklin and Eleanor pursued remarkably active careers rather than simply enjoying the easy life of country squires. Persico speculates convincingly that their characters were annealed by the physical and emotional hardships they overcame.
The Roosevelts lived in a time when secrets could be kept from the general public. In fact, FDR successfully kept his debilitated physical condition from most voters. Imagine how today's voracious media and Republican party would play up a president's affair or a first lady's same sex relationship.
This book is very well written and thoroughly researched. I gave it only 4 stars instead of 5 because of its limited scope. Although interesting for its insights into the psychology that drove the Roosevelts, this perspective (interpersonal and romantic interaction) doesn't interest me as much (or seem as important as) the political, military, or economic issues of the day.
(JAB)
Objection from JAF (wife of JAB) to paragraph 4: why would Franklin marry "homely, awkward" Eleanor? Maybe she had more depth and intellectual acuity than women more fixated on their appearances. Maybe she could be a spiritual companion to Franklin even if he were too shallow to eschew liaisons with attractive women who flattered his ego. Eleanor was one of the most humane and courageous figures of the 20th century. Maybe Franklin married her because he got lucky!!!
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LibraryThing member soubrette
This book is enjoyable enough, but I never felt that the author really proved his thesis: "the women who figured prominently in Roosevelt's life, was prompted by my conviction that their influence was decisive. They formed and reveal him." By the end of the book, I had learned that Roosevelt
An exception to this is the formidable Eleanor. She is by far the most interesting character in the book. I was amused, however, by the author's constant insistence that ER could never, never have been physically intimate with any of the men or women in her life. After a while, it became almost a running joke - FDR remains vigorous until his dying day, while Eleanor becomes more and more frosty.
Overall, this book is a nice introduction to FDR and ER. It's a fairly easy and quick read. I just didn't find it particularly memorable, and I think the author protests a bit much about ER's personal life.
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certainly had an interesting personal life, but the women remained .... underdeveloped. Because they are reduced to satellites of FDR, they never really come into their own as individuals; their influence is hard to see because they never really come into focus.An exception to this is the formidable Eleanor. She is by far the most interesting character in the book. I was amused, however, by the author's constant insistence that ER could never, never have been physically intimate with any of the men or women in her life. After a while, it became almost a running joke - FDR remains vigorous until his dying day, while Eleanor becomes more and more frosty.
Overall, this book is a nice introduction to FDR and ER. It's a fairly easy and quick read. I just didn't find it particularly memorable, and I think the author protests a bit much about ER's personal life.
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LibraryThing member spacecommuter
I feel guilty reading books like this. I firmly believe that we've gone overboard scruitinizing the personal lives of politicians - there have been adulterers for as long as there has been a republic but SUDDENLY we think it affects matters of state? Our politicians are getting meaner and duller
That being said, it is a fun book to read. It's great as a social history of an era, an amazing study of character and personal choices, particularly the depth of detail the author goes into with FDR's paralysis after his polio attack. The book chronicles many affairs he allegedly had over the decades, and the damage they did to Eleanor's psyche. Lucy always remains a bit of a mystery, especially because none of her letters survived so her voice can't be heard, and the author uses her elusiveness to stand in for her allure.
The author probably never intended anyone to say this about his book, and wouldn't even know what I was talking about anyway, but this book is a lot like the HBO series Entourage. Both, in addition to being titillating, are really good instructions for women on how to behave around powerful men. Both teach women to never be demanding, except by asking their big strong lovers for help in ego-boosting ways, and to always listen, to always greet their men like gods, to never bore their men or wear them down with stories about themselves, to find their men handsome and charming, hilarious and intimidating, and to service their every need and vanity. And most importantly - to go away when they are not convenient and pick up exactly where they left off when men want to reach back in time and embrace the lovers of their youth to feel young again themselves, like Lucy did for Franklin. Ick!
According to the author, Eleanor always wanted Franklin to show some interest in her pet causes, always disturbed him with talk of work at breakfast and cocktail hour, and often browbeat him into working on something the moment she mentioned it instead of later. He casts her as a villain for putting the country's affairs before her husband's and trying to get him to do things instead of just serving him. It's pretty disgusting to read, actually, so I clearly don't have what it takes to be a presidential mistress myself, but it's fascinating to know what Not To Do in a marriage to a self-important man.
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with every passing election now that we've made probity a prerequisite for office. And that's why I held my nose when I opened this book. I just don't think FDR's monkey business is any of my business.That being said, it is a fun book to read. It's great as a social history of an era, an amazing study of character and personal choices, particularly the depth of detail the author goes into with FDR's paralysis after his polio attack. The book chronicles many affairs he allegedly had over the decades, and the damage they did to Eleanor's psyche. Lucy always remains a bit of a mystery, especially because none of her letters survived so her voice can't be heard, and the author uses her elusiveness to stand in for her allure.
The author probably never intended anyone to say this about his book, and wouldn't even know what I was talking about anyway, but this book is a lot like the HBO series Entourage. Both, in addition to being titillating, are really good instructions for women on how to behave around powerful men. Both teach women to never be demanding, except by asking their big strong lovers for help in ego-boosting ways, and to always listen, to always greet their men like gods, to never bore their men or wear them down with stories about themselves, to find their men handsome and charming, hilarious and intimidating, and to service their every need and vanity. And most importantly - to go away when they are not convenient and pick up exactly where they left off when men want to reach back in time and embrace the lovers of their youth to feel young again themselves, like Lucy did for Franklin. Ick!
According to the author, Eleanor always wanted Franklin to show some interest in her pet causes, always disturbed him with talk of work at breakfast and cocktail hour, and often browbeat him into working on something the moment she mentioned it instead of later. He casts her as a villain for putting the country's affairs before her husband's and trying to get him to do things instead of just serving him. It's pretty disgusting to read, actually, so I clearly don't have what it takes to be a presidential mistress myself, but it's fascinating to know what Not To Do in a marriage to a self-important man.
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LibraryThing member yourotherleft
Going through school, I always found Franklin D. Roosevelt to be one of the most interesting presidents. Given that, I jumped at the chance to read and review this book. I was confident that when I started it I would find it very interesting. Unfortunately, though, despite its obvious attention to
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scholarship and its interesting subject matter, even after several tries, I couldn't get into it. Perhaps the tone reminded me too much of a book that I would have been assigned for a college history class, which is no criticism at all considering I read a good many of my favorite history books for my college classes, but picking up something like this for leisure reading so soon after graduating was probably unwise on my part. Show Less
LibraryThing member adamps
Joseph Persico’s second work detailing the life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt is a thoughtful and well researched look into the private lives of FDR, Eleanor Roosevelt, and many of their intimate companions. Persico dramatically frames the book through the opening scene detailing Eleanor’s
The author’s commitment to objectivity first falters when he allows his desire to psychoanalyze these characters’ motivations to take over this work. Too often there is mention of Eleanor’s low self image and her need for love caused by the loss of her parents at a young age. Similarly, FDR’s dominating mother is often woven into the narrative as an excuse or an explanation for his actions. This need to rationalize all actions with anecdotes from childhood detracts from the text, albeit only slightly. The only other repeated debasement is the constant need to discuss the recurring question of whether or not any of the affairs outlined were ever consummated. By sinking to philosophizing on the physical tabloid gossip, Persico obscures the story of love in all its forms that he otherwise illuminates with great sophistication in the lives of these historical heroes.
But the true injustice lies in the title of this book. This is not just the story of "Franklin and Lucy" but a compilation of the many loves of Franklin, Eleanor, and Lucy. Perhaps a more fitting title would have been "The Roosevelts: the Women They Loved, and the Women Who Loved Them." It is through the interconnectedness of all the relationships featured in the book that one begins to feel they have entered the private world of these great public figures. Ultimately this text humanizes the Roosevelts, but it does so in a way that allows the humanity of these heroes to increase their stature.
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discovery of Franklin’s affair with Lucy Mercer while he served as Assistant Secretary to the Navy. This lens immediately engages the reader and provides stamina for a series of denser chapters that follow FDR, Eleanor, and Lucy from birth up to adulthood. The details are vivid, and Persico contextualizes the affair through his intertwining of events and scandals from the era. The reader is left with a clear picture of a string of complex and intermingled liaisons between the Roosevelts and an extensive list of friends. The author’s commitment to objectivity first falters when he allows his desire to psychoanalyze these characters’ motivations to take over this work. Too often there is mention of Eleanor’s low self image and her need for love caused by the loss of her parents at a young age. Similarly, FDR’s dominating mother is often woven into the narrative as an excuse or an explanation for his actions. This need to rationalize all actions with anecdotes from childhood detracts from the text, albeit only slightly. The only other repeated debasement is the constant need to discuss the recurring question of whether or not any of the affairs outlined were ever consummated. By sinking to philosophizing on the physical tabloid gossip, Persico obscures the story of love in all its forms that he otherwise illuminates with great sophistication in the lives of these historical heroes.
But the true injustice lies in the title of this book. This is not just the story of "Franklin and Lucy" but a compilation of the many loves of Franklin, Eleanor, and Lucy. Perhaps a more fitting title would have been "The Roosevelts: the Women They Loved, and the Women Who Loved Them." It is through the interconnectedness of all the relationships featured in the book that one begins to feel they have entered the private world of these great public figures. Ultimately this text humanizes the Roosevelts, but it does so in a way that allows the humanity of these heroes to increase their stature.
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LibraryThing member maggie1944
Persico has written numerous popular histories and I can see why he has had success. His Franklin and Lucy is a delightful read, a warm and appreciative study of his subjects and their contemporaries, and a well documented history. He treats the delicate subject of the President's "infidelities"
Mr. Persico begins with accounts of both Franklin Roosevelt's and Eleanor Roosevelt's early years, up-bringings, and family backgrounds. These facts are vital to the understanding of the resulting marriage which becomes a powerful political partnership but does not become a love affair of the century. He continues to explain President Roosevelt's handicaps fully without appealing to purient interests. The central point of his book is to say that President Roosevelt had to be surrounded by women who adored him and provided him relaxation, companionship, and love when he was able to take breaks from his hugely demanding public role. Mr. Persico provides enough detail so that each of the women involved, and particularly Lucy Rutherfurd, can be understood and appreciated.
I think it is needless for me to state that I very much enjoyed reading the book and come away with affection and appreciation for all the people involved. Perhaps not every reader will have this reaction due to previous judgments about the era and this president however I recommend any one interesting even slightly should at a minimum take a good look at the book before deciding not to read it. I hope most of you will read it and enjoy it as much as I did.
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without disrespecting any of the principal actors in the play.Mr. Persico begins with accounts of both Franklin Roosevelt's and Eleanor Roosevelt's early years, up-bringings, and family backgrounds. These facts are vital to the understanding of the resulting marriage which becomes a powerful political partnership but does not become a love affair of the century. He continues to explain President Roosevelt's handicaps fully without appealing to purient interests. The central point of his book is to say that President Roosevelt had to be surrounded by women who adored him and provided him relaxation, companionship, and love when he was able to take breaks from his hugely demanding public role. Mr. Persico provides enough detail so that each of the women involved, and particularly Lucy Rutherfurd, can be understood and appreciated.
I think it is needless for me to state that I very much enjoyed reading the book and come away with affection and appreciation for all the people involved. Perhaps not every reader will have this reaction due to previous judgments about the era and this president however I recommend any one interesting even slightly should at a minimum take a good look at the book before deciding not to read it. I hope most of you will read it and enjoy it as much as I did.
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LibraryThing member hereandthere
Sure Jean Edward Smith's FDR is a more serious political biography, but this is a lot more interesting. It would be too dismissive to call this the National Enquirer version of Roosevelt, as if it merely addressed our curiosity about who really had sex with whom, when and why. While Persico's
October 5 2009
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telling reveals FDR as a shallow cad, it also shows him grow and change and reveals and explores his famed exuberant resilience. Then, also, FDR did have a unique position - do ordinary human expectations apply? Does self-absorbtion and a desire to be adored and served by many women while maintaining his emotional distance constitute a character defect for one in his position or is that kind of polygamy merely an inevitable component of the personality and desire of any emperor? I would modestly suggest that if the names Missy LeHand and Lucy Rutherford don't immediately spring to mind when you think of FDR, then, like me, you may have until now missed certain deep truths about the 1920s to 1940s in FDR's America. This is a book that can and should shape one's understanding of the play of power, sex and personality. It is revealing. Through it all, there is Eleanor, always the odd woman out, working through her own place and agenda in the prison that was the Roosevelt marriage and White House, and ultimately finding her own freedom. Watching the cavortings and machinations of powerful upper class families in the early 20th century, tracing the interplay of sex, money and power in their lives, is like watching a train wreck - interesting, horrifying, painful, and entertaining. In the end, the humanity of the Roosevelts and their friends and allies shines through in Persico's narrative. I found myself unable to dislike these self-important people to nearly the extent that my class biases predispose me. Of the two recent studies of Roosevelt that I've read, this one certainly seems to get closer to the heart of the man, situating him at the center of his own gravitational force field, a Sun King, around whom men, women and an entire era ultimately revolved.October 5 2009
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LibraryThing member kristincedar
At first glace, “Franklin and Lucy : President Roosevelt, Mrs. Rutherfurd, and the Other Remarkable Women in His Life” by Joseph E. Persico is an intimidating book. At over 400 pages the even the seasoned reader could easily be overwhelmed by the vast topics Persico covered. However, once the
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reader begins the journey into the life and times of FDR, Persico’s easy writing style allows for the reader to be swayed into sticking with the book. Never once did I doubt Persico’s dedication to the project, or his use of reliable sources. I’m happy to have said that I read “Franklin and Lucy” and only hope others have the opportunity, as well! Show Less
LibraryThing member kathythebookee
Absolutely love reading about Franklin, Eleanor, Lucy and everyone else connected with them. The family backgrounds were fascinating.
LibraryThing member memasmb
Absolutely an interesting book about the life of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He never would have been able to get away with his behavior today. The press would have been all over him.
Is it just our presidents that engaged in this life style?
A fascinating read that explained the history of his illness.
Is it just our presidents that engaged in this life style?
A fascinating read that explained the history of his illness.
LibraryThing member LeHack
I liked FDR a lot better before I read this book. I read Blanche Weisen Cook's biography of Eleanor, which covered some of the same material, but focused more on Eleanor. Both Franklin and Eleanor were products of their childhoods, upbringing and mothers. The author asked what would have happened
Whatever your feelings are about Franklin's personal life, he was good for this country at a time when a leader with solutions to problems was needed. I asked my mother if she remembered Roosevelt and she said yes, that he was a strong, good looking man. I reminded her that he had polio and was in a wheelchair most of his adult life. She said that you didn't think of it when you saw him or heard him speak.
Eleanor was made of strong stuff, indeed, to survive life with Franklin's mother. How did she ever put up with such a meddlesome woman?
I was surprised at how quickly I was able to finish the book, given its length. The book was difficult to put down and I was up several nights later than I should have been.
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if they had made different choices in marriage. Eleanor obviously pushed him in many ways that his mother would not, especially towards her "pet projects". Eleanor's unhappiness threw her into doing good work for others. Franklin's unhappiness seems to have caused him to throw himself into women's arms. I wondered what happened to the conversations that drew them to each other in the beginning. Whatever your feelings are about Franklin's personal life, he was good for this country at a time when a leader with solutions to problems was needed. I asked my mother if she remembered Roosevelt and she said yes, that he was a strong, good looking man. I reminded her that he had polio and was in a wheelchair most of his adult life. She said that you didn't think of it when you saw him or heard him speak.
Eleanor was made of strong stuff, indeed, to survive life with Franklin's mother. How did she ever put up with such a meddlesome woman?
I was surprised at how quickly I was able to finish the book, given its length. The book was difficult to put down and I was up several nights later than I should have been.
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LibraryThing member smithwil
This book should have been titled Franklin and the Many Women in his Life or something like that. It has much more depth than just Franklin and Lucy suggests. The book read well; Persico writes with a style of narrative that feels like fiction rather then non-fiction.
I have only read a couple of
I have only read a couple of
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other books on Franklin Roosevelt but this gave me a good feel for the many challenges he faced and how he handled them. Show Less
LibraryThing member ExVivre
Franklin & Lucy is one of the more interesting biographies of FDR. Rather than focusing on his policies and the wars, Persico approaches Franklin Roosevelt's life through his relationships with women. The resulting portrait is not particularly endearing, but it's substantially more human than the
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standard, greatest-president-ever fare. In these days of 24-hour media saturation, it's hard to imagine how so much secrecy was maintained, even within the White House. Show Less
LibraryThing member karenweyant
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Although the Roosevelts have always fascinated me (ever since the day my mother dismissed Bill Clinton as another FDR -- girlfriend wise, not public policy wise), I found the length of this book, at first glance, to be a little daunting. But the writing is
Joseph Persico, the author of this book, does a great job using narrative and sources to tell the stories of FDR, Eleanor and the women in their lives, including the infamous Lucy Rutherford. This book could have easily fallen into the category of Tabloid Nonfiction, but instead, Persico uses letters and other accounts to piece together the various stories -- he does not dive into the rumors of history. Furthermore, he also avoids falling into the scheme of soap opera fiction -- the historical characters are real and at least in my eyes, sympathetic.
The only weakness I found was the title -- the book was simply about more than Franklin and Lucy. Other family members, including Eleanor, often took center stage leaving both Franklin and Lucy as mere supporting players.
All in all, this is one book I would recommend -- especially to those who enjoy biographies and American history.
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strong and the stories intriguing. From page one, I was hooked. Joseph Persico, the author of this book, does a great job using narrative and sources to tell the stories of FDR, Eleanor and the women in their lives, including the infamous Lucy Rutherford. This book could have easily fallen into the category of Tabloid Nonfiction, but instead, Persico uses letters and other accounts to piece together the various stories -- he does not dive into the rumors of history. Furthermore, he also avoids falling into the scheme of soap opera fiction -- the historical characters are real and at least in my eyes, sympathetic.
The only weakness I found was the title -- the book was simply about more than Franklin and Lucy. Other family members, including Eleanor, often took center stage leaving both Franklin and Lucy as mere supporting players.
All in all, this is one book I would recommend -- especially to those who enjoy biographies and American history.
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LibraryThing member jocraddock
Joseph E. Persico's "Franklin and Lucy" is as readable and interesting a book as to be expected from the author of "Roosevelt's Secret War." He chronicles a fascinating story of Franklin Roosevelt and those important in his life, without the minutia of in depth biographies, but enough to realize
Persico paints an interesting story of FDR's affairs of the head, heart and ego. Dominated by his mother throughout his youth and financially beholden for years beyond, he would turn again and again to strong, intelligent and attractive women for one sort of companionship or another. The author documents these relationships and broaches levels of physical intimacy (or not) based on detailed notes from research but without ribald descriptions.
We learn it was not only Eleanor, who seemingly emotionally needed him more than he needed her, who would suffer emotional distress at Franklin's hand. Somehow even through the hurt, those important to him would remain loyal, perhaps even dangerously so, to him.
Or, could FDR have functioned as he did without this constant stream of female companions -- in a time when even privileged women were, for the most part, further behind the scenes? Was it, as might appear superficially, a boon to his ego to continue to surround himself with such admirers, or was it a need well hidden behind his gregarious personality?
As we struggle today with the foibles of political leaders, both brilliant and mundane, do we risk damage to our collective society expecting our heroes to also be saints? His compartmentalization and lack of expressed emotional attachment to others is not to be desired or praised in a friend or lover, but would we even be reading about his issues of character had he not displayed the leadership qualities this support system allowed? The ultimate effect of these women is where the result of that question resides. Persico has done a fine job of telling this story.
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and sustain his premise -- that Franklin enjoyed, desired, and even needed supportive women in his life. Persico paints an interesting story of FDR's affairs of the head, heart and ego. Dominated by his mother throughout his youth and financially beholden for years beyond, he would turn again and again to strong, intelligent and attractive women for one sort of companionship or another. The author documents these relationships and broaches levels of physical intimacy (or not) based on detailed notes from research but without ribald descriptions.
We learn it was not only Eleanor, who seemingly emotionally needed him more than he needed her, who would suffer emotional distress at Franklin's hand. Somehow even through the hurt, those important to him would remain loyal, perhaps even dangerously so, to him.
Or, could FDR have functioned as he did without this constant stream of female companions -- in a time when even privileged women were, for the most part, further behind the scenes? Was it, as might appear superficially, a boon to his ego to continue to surround himself with such admirers, or was it a need well hidden behind his gregarious personality?
As we struggle today with the foibles of political leaders, both brilliant and mundane, do we risk damage to our collective society expecting our heroes to also be saints? His compartmentalization and lack of expressed emotional attachment to others is not to be desired or praised in a friend or lover, but would we even be reading about his issues of character had he not displayed the leadership qualities this support system allowed? The ultimate effect of these women is where the result of that question resides. Persico has done a fine job of telling this story.
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LibraryThing member eduscapes
I've read other books about the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt along with books such as Closest Companion: The Unknown Story of the Intimate Relationship Between Franklin Roosevelt and Margaret Suckley, so I was excited when I saw Franklin and Lucy: Roosevelt, Mrs. Rutherfurd, and the Other
With so many books available on this topic, I wondered what new information Joseph Persico would provide. I was happily surprised by the result. The book is filled with interesting stories that have been overlooked by other authors focusing on FDR's life.
Let's explore three elements that make this book particularly effective.
First, the conversational approach made the book read more like a novel than a word of nonfiction. Persico's writing style made the book easy and enjoyable reading.
Second, the broader focus on the women in Franklin's life provided different perspectives than is often found in books about FDR. I'd recommend changing the title to Franklin and his Remarkable Women because Lucy is only one of many women in Franklin's life.
Third, Persico did an outstanding job making the players in Franklin's life feel multidimensional. Rather than whitewashing unpleasant aspects their lives or promoting the scandalous elements, the author finds the humanity in each character.
Franklin and Lucy is an excellent addition to the many wonderful works related to FDR and the women around him.
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Remarkable Women in His Life by Joseph Perisco on the LibraryThing Early Reviewer list.With so many books available on this topic, I wondered what new information Joseph Persico would provide. I was happily surprised by the result. The book is filled with interesting stories that have been overlooked by other authors focusing on FDR's life.
Let's explore three elements that make this book particularly effective.
First, the conversational approach made the book read more like a novel than a word of nonfiction. Persico's writing style made the book easy and enjoyable reading.
Second, the broader focus on the women in Franklin's life provided different perspectives than is often found in books about FDR. I'd recommend changing the title to Franklin and his Remarkable Women because Lucy is only one of many women in Franklin's life.
Third, Persico did an outstanding job making the players in Franklin's life feel multidimensional. Rather than whitewashing unpleasant aspects their lives or promoting the scandalous elements, the author finds the humanity in each character.
Franklin and Lucy is an excellent addition to the many wonderful works related to FDR and the women around him.
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LibraryThing member WillowOne
I agree with reviewer "inkstained". I guess I just don't know enough about FDR to really get into this book. I have picked it up and put it down on more than one occasion. I really feel that to read an autobiography you have to already know a little about the person and be interested to know more.
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I thought that FDR's marriage was good, at least that is what we were shown. I am struggling to get through this book and may just end of giving up all together. My agreement with "inkstained" is that it is through no fault of the author. Show Less
LibraryThing member RoseCityReader
Franklin and Lucy is an intimate look into the personal life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the women close to him. Joseph Persico examines the roles played by Roosevelt’s mother, wife, dearest lover, closest companion, daughter, and a cadre of others. While Persico occasionally makes
The title is somewhat misleading in suggesting that the book focuses primarily on Lucy Mercer Rutherford, who became Franklin’s lover while working as Eleanor’s personal secretary during World War I, but then played only a peripheral role in his life until late in his third term as President. Persico’s point seems to be that Lucy was Franklin’s true love. However, the same point could have been made about Missy LeHand, Franklin’s long-time secretary and best friend, who lived with him for decades. Although the timing is fuzzy, a case could be made that, had Franklin not discarded Missy when she suffered a series of mental and physical breakdowns, she, not Lucy, would have deserved top billing in the book’s title.
Just to describe this minor flaw in the book is to demonstrate its absorbing appeal. Persico keeps the tone personal rather than prurient, but the intimate details are thoroughly discussed. He shows Franklin’s domineering mother Sara using the family purse strings to direct Franklin’s life. He explores Eleanor’s complex relationship as simultaneous inspiration and aggravation, as well as describing her own personal intrigues as she led her parallel life as an international do-gooder. He considers Franklin’s lifelong appeal to women and his delight in their company, despite being crippled by polio.
Although designed to fit a niche in collection of FDR biographies, Franklin and Lucy provides enough context to provide a good introduction to the man’s life. The book is entertaining, thorough, and readable.
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assumptions based on no more than reasonable speculation, most of his conclusions are well-supported and persuasive. The title is somewhat misleading in suggesting that the book focuses primarily on Lucy Mercer Rutherford, who became Franklin’s lover while working as Eleanor’s personal secretary during World War I, but then played only a peripheral role in his life until late in his third term as President. Persico’s point seems to be that Lucy was Franklin’s true love. However, the same point could have been made about Missy LeHand, Franklin’s long-time secretary and best friend, who lived with him for decades. Although the timing is fuzzy, a case could be made that, had Franklin not discarded Missy when she suffered a series of mental and physical breakdowns, she, not Lucy, would have deserved top billing in the book’s title.
Just to describe this minor flaw in the book is to demonstrate its absorbing appeal. Persico keeps the tone personal rather than prurient, but the intimate details are thoroughly discussed. He shows Franklin’s domineering mother Sara using the family purse strings to direct Franklin’s life. He explores Eleanor’s complex relationship as simultaneous inspiration and aggravation, as well as describing her own personal intrigues as she led her parallel life as an international do-gooder. He considers Franklin’s lifelong appeal to women and his delight in their company, despite being crippled by polio.
Although designed to fit a niche in collection of FDR biographies, Franklin and Lucy provides enough context to provide a good introduction to the man’s life. The book is entertaining, thorough, and readable.
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LibraryThing member walkonmyearth
Franklin Roosevelt's legacy was larger than life; and Eleanor Roosevelt was the matriarch of the U.S. In my mind Eleanor Roosevelt connected our country to all of Europe - that was my impression as I grew up in my post WWII years.
Reading Joseph Persico's 'Franklin and Lucy' invited me into a
Perhaps Eleanor gave the best description of herself and of her husband when she wrote, "You build a facade for everyone to see and you live separately inside the facade." Because a person doesn't emotionally react to rumors, vile comments, or a philandering husband, doesn't ignore the depth of pain on the inside. Yet Eleanor chose to live behind the facade and stay her path.
Franklin Roosevelt, born with gifts of wealth, status, and apparently an undeniable magnetism and charm, used all his 'inheritance' to fulfill his political plans and sexual needs - but all on his terms.
With all the false names, paramours, back roads, secrets, and clandestine meetings, Persico avoids a seamy web and straight-forwardly presents a well documented and very human portrait of the Roosevelt relationship.
On a side note, as a library worker, I appreciate that in his acknowledgements, Mr. Persico specifically thanks the many libraries and staff. I also appreciated the keyed notes to primary and secondary references. sage Feb. 28, 2009
Reading Joseph Persico's 'Franklin and Lucy' invited me into a
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circle of the Roosevelts' acquaintances, friends, family, and hangers-on. I felt as if I were visiting each character, attentively listening as he or she related the role played, the relationship imagined or manifested, and observations of other players in the lives of these two great people. In these many visits and conversations, certain facts were repeated once or twice, as experienced by different people. At first I found this a bit annoying, but chose to see the repetition as an emphasis of specific information, reflecting on the character of subject.Perhaps Eleanor gave the best description of herself and of her husband when she wrote, "You build a facade for everyone to see and you live separately inside the facade." Because a person doesn't emotionally react to rumors, vile comments, or a philandering husband, doesn't ignore the depth of pain on the inside. Yet Eleanor chose to live behind the facade and stay her path.
Franklin Roosevelt, born with gifts of wealth, status, and apparently an undeniable magnetism and charm, used all his 'inheritance' to fulfill his political plans and sexual needs - but all on his terms.
With all the false names, paramours, back roads, secrets, and clandestine meetings, Persico avoids a seamy web and straight-forwardly presents a well documented and very human portrait of the Roosevelt relationship.
On a side note, as a library worker, I appreciate that in his acknowledgements, Mr. Persico specifically thanks the many libraries and staff. I also appreciated the keyed notes to primary and secondary references. sage Feb. 28, 2009
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LibraryThing member benjclark
Review of the Advance Readers' Edition
Writing on a president's "other" women, an author can fall into several tempting mistakes. One is presenting hear-say and innuendo as fact. Typically, these have no place in serious historical writing, but given the subject matter, it is appropriately included.
If you are interested in the influences women had on FDR, or interested in the complexities of the FDR-Eleanor Roosevelt marriage, this is an excellent exploration. Persico is concise but does not shy from detail, intimate but not gossipy or lurid. Top-notch historical writing.
Writing on a president's "other" women, an author can fall into several tempting mistakes. One is presenting hear-say and innuendo as fact. Typically, these have no place in serious historical writing, but given the subject matter, it is appropriately included.
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Persico does a fine job presenting these rumors, feelings and notions exactly as they are: inconclusive, but persistent. He is also careful to include his sources, a refreshing practice lately. My understanding of FDR and his relationships with the women around him is fuller after finishing this book. The title, which may not be Persico's choice, is misleading. Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd occupies little of the text, but remains a compelling figure throughout, providing a common link outside of Eleanor to the different phases of FDR's life. The second common mistake historians make writing these types of books is allowing the text to run in the gutter. A recent example being Ellis' American Sphinx which took opportunities to discuss not only sexual relationships, but in what way they could be conducted. I did have one pet-peeve with the book: the persistent description of FDR's body as virile, lithe, etc. Persico can be partially forgiven, as many readers think of FDR as the old man at Yalta, not the active sailor and golfer he was before polio paralyzed his body. Another thing I would have liked included are photos of the highly influential yet publicly unknown people mentioned, like Louis Howe and Lorena Hickock. Perhaps this will be remedied in the trade edition. If you are interested in the influences women had on FDR, or interested in the complexities of the FDR-Eleanor Roosevelt marriage, this is an excellent exploration. Persico is concise but does not shy from detail, intimate but not gossipy or lurid. Top-notch historical writing.
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