The Roosevelts: An Intimate History

The Roosevelts: An Intimate History, a seven-part PBS series that chronicles the lives of Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, premieres this Sunday, September 14, on WFYI at 8 PM.  PBS describes the 14-hour documentary created by acclaimed filmmaker, Ken Burns, as follows: "The series encompasses the history the Roosevelts helped to shape: the creation of National Parks, the digging of the Panama Canal, the passage of innovative New Deal programs, the defeat of Hitler, and the postwar struggles for civil rights at home and human rights abroad. It is also an intimate human story about love, betrayal, family loyalty, personal courage and the conquest of fear."

Look for the companion volume, The Roosevelts: An Intimate History  at the Library. Kirkus Reviews calls the book, co-authored by Roosevelt scholar Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns, "[A]n eye-opening look at a political dynasty worthy of the name and at a state of politics far better than our own."

Other fine books about this distinguished American family include: Young Mr. Roosevelt: FDR’s Introduction to War, Politics, and Life by Stanley Weintraub; The Man He Became: How FDR Defied Polio To Win the Presidency by James Tobin, No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin, Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough, and The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard. (Coincidentally, Millard's newest book, The Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, a gripping account of events surrounding President James A. Garfield's assassination, is the Library’s 2014 United We Read selection.)