Roosevelt's Second Act: The Election of 1940 and the Politics of War (Pivotal Moments in American History),

Roosevelt's Second Act: The Election of 1940 and the Politics of War (Pivotal Moments in American History), by Richard Moe

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Roosevelt's Second Act: The Election of 1940 and the Politics of War (Pivotal Moments in American History), by Richard Moe

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"In Roosevelt's Second Act Richard Moe has shown in superb fashion that what might seem to have been an inevitable decision of comparatively little interest was far from it."--David McCulloughOn August 31, 1939, nearing the end of his second and presumably final term in office, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was working in the Oval Office and contemplating construction of his presidential library and planning retirement. The next day German tanks had crossed the Polish border; Britain and France had declared war. Overnight the world had changed, and FDR found himself being forced to consider a dramatically different set of circumstances. In Roosevelt's Second Act, Richard Moe focuses on a turning point in American political history: FDR's decision to seek a third term. Often overlooked between the passage and implementation of the New Deal and the bombing of Pearl Harbor, that decision was far from inevitable. As the election loomed, he refused to comment, confiding in no one, scrambling the politics of his own party; but after the Republicans surprisingly nominated Wendell Willkie in July 1940, FDR became convinced that no other Democrat could both maintain the legitimacy of the New Deal and mobilize the nation for war. With Hitler on the verge of conquering Europe, Roosevelt, still hedging, began to maneuver his way to the center of the political stage.Moe offers a brilliant depiction of the duality that was FDR: the bold, perceptive, prescient and moral statesman who set lofty and principled goals, and the sometimes cautious, ambitious, arrogant and manipulative politician in pursuit of them. Immersive, insightful and written with an insider's understanding of the presidency, this book challenges and illuminates our understanding of FDR and this pivotal moment in American history.

Roosevelt's Second Act: The Election of 1940 and the Politics of War (Pivotal Moments in American History), by Richard Moe

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2444298 in Books
• Published on: 2015-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 5.50" h x 1.10" w x 8.20" l, .96 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 392 pages

Roosevelt's Second Act: The Election of 1940 and the Politics of War (Pivotal Moments in American History), by Richard Moe

Review "In Roosevelt's Second Act Richard Moe has shown in superb fashion that what might seem to have been an inevitable decision of comparatively little interest was far from it. But then what could possibly be predictable or uninteresting about such a famously unfathomable protagonist? And what a cast of characters! Moe's long, personal experience in Washington politics, combined with his marked skill as an historian, make this a consistently illuminating reminder that history is above all human, and seldom more so than behind the scenes at a turning point of such importance. " --David McCullough

"Roosevelt's Second Act is a spellbinding read and a deeply impressive achievement, remarkably detailed and thoroughly researched." -Bernard von Bothmer, History News Network

"Trying to understand and explain the complexities of Franklin D. Roosevelt's mind is a daunting task for any historian. Richard Moe is clearly up to the challenge in his fascinating, revelatory account of FDR's fateful decision to run for a third term in 1940, in the midst of the greatest crisis the world has ever faced. Filled with drama and excitement, Roosevelt's Second Act is particularly compelling in its depiction of how two women -- Eleanor Roosevelt and Frances Perkins -- rescued the president from a political fiasco that could have irrevocably altered history." --Lynne Olson, author of Citizens of London and Those Angry Days

"Richard Moe's excellent book reminds us of what great leadership looks like. His beautifully written account of FDR's run for a third term and America's decisive move toward involvement in World War II will stand as the definitive study of this landmark election and a turning point in the country's history." --Robert Dallek

"A carefully focused and researched analysis that adds considerably to the historical record." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Roosevelt's Second Act tells the story of a weary president's fateful decision to heed the call of duty in our nation's -- and the world's -- most perilous hour. Richard Moe's take on an epic tale is deftly-crafted, persuasive in analyzing people and power, and highly relevant to the struggles of our own era; a superb work of living history." --Madeleine Albright

"Most accounts of the Age of Franklin Delano Roosevelt halt with the erosion of the New Deal in 1938 and then lurch forward after Pearl Harbor in 1941. One moment the reader is immersed in Harry Hopkins, the next in Winston Churchill three years later. In this lively, fast-paced tale of the 1940 campaign when FDR sought to break the taboo against serving more than two terms, Richard Moe invites his readers to reflect on a seminal year when the two periods merged. That year, he shows lucidly, America crossed the divide from isolation to irrevocable international commitment, and magnified the authority of the president, then and ever more, in his new role as commander-in-chief of the most powerful empire on earth." --William E. Leuchtenburg, author of In the Shadow of FDR: From Harry Truman to Barack Obama

"[Roosevelt's Second Act] tells us as much about the American system of politics as any book I've ever read . . . [a] masterful account of why and how FDR overcame his reluctance to seek reelection." --Huffington Post

"[A] compelling read. Roosevelt's Second Act: The Election of 1940 and the Politics of War is a superbly reconstructed chronology of the 1940 campaign." --Washington Monthly

About the Author Richard Moe was president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation from 1993-2010, chief of staff to Vice President Walter Mondale, and served on President Jimmy Carter's senior staff. His books include The Last Full Measure: The Life and Death of the First Minnesota Volunteers and Changing Places: Rebuilding Community in the Age of Sprawl. He lives in Washington, D.C. and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating look at a pivotal time By Gallia Roosevelt's Second Act is a fascinating account of the months leading up to the 1940 conventions and Presidential election.By early 1939 FDR was seriously contemplating leaving the White House in 1941 and retiring to Hyde Park to work on his library, his memoirs, and his finances. However, as the situation in Europe worsened he became increasingly more concerned about the role America would be called upon to play and just who could take over as Commander in Chief if he left. He was also concerned about what would happen to the New Deal programs. As Moe makes clear (and as it certainly was clear to FDR's closest advisors and staff members), the President played what can only be called a wait and see game with everyone in the months leading up to the Democratic convention. He pressured Cordell Hull to run but the then Secretary of State adamantly refused. Even with Hull's refusal, FDR did not make any of the necessary decisions about his own campaign and even told James Farley and Vice President Garner that he would not oppose their being nominated. The matter of either actually being chosen by the convention to be the candidate was, however, something he would not allow. Roosevelt's actions, and apparent lack of actions, during the convention were graphic examples of his mastery of politics and his willingness to take incredible risks. He did not have a campaign manager; he sent Harry Hopkins to Chicago with no real nstructions; he sent a letter to the delegates stating that he did not want the nomination. Of course, he did want the nomination but did not wish to take any overt actions. The host Mayor Kelly of Chicago seems to have been the only one who really knew just what he was supposed to do to guarantee FDR's nomination. The sections on the convention make for gripping reading, and one feels both admiration and disbelief at FDR's manner of working. It is impossible to see a contemporary President acting in the same way today.Moe also describes the situation in 1939 and 1940 as Europe fell to Hitler and left Britain alone to fight. Roosevelt and many others knew that the US had to begin supplying arms and equipment to Britain but had to deal with the strong isolationism of many Americans and key members of Congress. In our time of 24/7 news and rapid communication it is difficult to believe the almost desultory way in which key decisions were made, including the cash and carry policy that was replaced by Lend-Lease. The White House was badly equipped to deal with events quickly: there was no intelligence service; the secretaries of war and the navy were virtual enemies; the US Ambassador to Britain was only reliable in his pessimistic views; and there was also FDR's preferred way of making important decisions himself, holding his cards close to his belly as one friend called it. It was certainly a politics of war. Wild Bill Donovan, a Republican businessman, was sent to Europe to gather much needed information, to the bewilderment of the British. Donovan would later become the man in charge of the OSS, the first intelligence agency of the US.An interesting aspect about the GOP at that time mirrors to some extent what is going on in the party today, and that was the great chasm opening up between the east coast, more liberal, international wing of the party and the more conservative, mid-western, isolationist wing. They disliked and distrusted each other intensely. What is difficult to believe is that they finally decided on a candidate, the likable Wendell Wilkie, who had only been a Republican one year previous to his nomination!And in approving FDR's choice, Henry Wallace, as his running mate, the Democrats chose a man who had only been a Democrat for a short while. Imagine that happening today!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful. FDR's Canny Decision By Sandra Fitzpatrick Dick Moe's book considers in depth a critical, insufficiently examined, moment in American political history: FDR's decision for a third term. His portrait of FDR is insightful, as with so manykey politicos of the day. He pays deserved tribute to Wendell Wilkie who wasso significant in assisting, in a bipartisan way, the war effort.In Moe's telling, it was the threat of war and FDR's deep sense of responsibility to our nation that pressed him to the final decision for an historic third term run. Andthe announcement of that decision was masterful theatre: FDR as the canny, consummate politician. This study should permanently lay to rest the right-wing portrait of a power-hungary EmperorThe author's name should read: James Fitzpatrick

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful. FDR Left Them Guessing By Marijo Mccarthy My regular readers know that I never tire of historical biographies. I have a habit of fixing on a historical figure and reading a dozen variations on a theme of that person’s life … it’s a great way to get a well-rounded picture of someone who made history stand up and notice.And so it is with Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose decision to accept a record-breaking third term is the fascinating subject of “Roosevelt’s Second Act: The Election of 1940 and the Politics of War”, by Richard Moe. As the author points out, so much of what has been written about FDR has been about the New Deal or his leadership during World War II or even his complex relationship with world leaders like Churchill. How did FDR get from 1932 to 1940 … from throwing everything including the kitchen sink at our country’s economic meltdown in a passionate attempt to save Americans and strengthen the middle class with a basic support structure to leading an isolationist country to an internationalist vision?FDR is portrayed as one of the smartest, most manipulative, most successful politicians of modern times and, as Moe would lead us to believe, that wasn’t a bad thing as the world stood poised on the brink of an unthinkable second great war, with even more stunning possibilities than its predecessor. As Hitler rolled across Europe, invading and laying waste to all in his path, as France fell, as Churchill pleaded with FDR for support of any kind, it became clear to FDR that some form of American involvement would be necessary if the world’s civilization as he knew it would not become Hitler’s victim. And yet, Americans had been through one Great War in foreign lands and now struggled with its own economic problems. Americans did not have FDR’s long view or ability to visualize the big consequences. FDR knew that American support of its allies would become a necessity, yet if he got too far ahead of public opinion, he would never be able to lead Americans towards his world view.So, in spite of making clear and unambiguous preparations for a well-earned retirement to Hyde Park, FDR’s internal demons continued to wrestle with a very basic question: if not FDR, then who? The internal and external forces at play … the strong sense of responsibility vs. the fear of appearing arrogant and ambitious … the very real health issues … the political stumbles which rendered him less than popular, just at a time when he needed the country to support him … all of these issues and more spin a picture of a man at the crossroads of personal and public decisions whose impact would take America into war and possibly save a world.Well-written and enjoyable, I recommend adding this to your collection of FDR memorabilia. Don’t have one? You could start with “Roosevelt’s Second Act”.

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