Franklin and Lucy, Joseph E. Persico
Franklin and Lucy, Joseph E. Persico
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Franklin and Lucy
President Roosevelt, Mrs. Rutherfurd, and the Other Remarkable Women in His Life

Author: Joseph E. Persico

Narrator: Ted Barker

Unabridged: 17 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/29/2008


Synopsis

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was arguably the greatest figure of the twentieth century. While FDR’s official circle was predominantly male, it was his relationships with women–particularly with Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd–that most vividly bring to light the human being beneath this towering statesman. It is no coincidence that Rutherfurd was with Roosevelt the day he died in Warm Springs, Georgia, along with two other close women companions. 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’s provocative conclusions about their relationship are informed by a revealing range of sources, including never-before-published letters and documents from Lucy Rutherfurd’s estate that attest to the intensity and scope of the affair.

FDR’s connection with Lucy also creates an opportunity for Persico to take a more penetrating look at the other women in FDR’s life. We come to see more clearly 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.

Franklin and Lucy is an extraordinary look at the private life of a leader who continues to fascinate scholars and the general public alike. In focusing on Lucy Rutherfurd and the myriad women who mattered to Roosevelt, Persico paints a more intimate portrait than we have heretofore had of this enigmatic giant of American history.

About The Author

Joseph E. Persico was the author of Roosevelt’s Secret War: FDR and World War II Espionage; Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour: Armistice Day, 1918–World War I and Its Violent ClimaxPiercing the Reich; and Nuremberg: Infamy on Trial, which was made into a television docudrama. He also collaborated with Colin Powell on his autobiography, My American Journey. Persico died in 2014.Ted Barker is an acclaimed screen, stage, and voice-over actor. His audiobook narrations include Franklin and Lucy by Joseph E. Persico and The Devil We Know by Robert Baer.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Pamela on October 09, 2017

Really 2.5 stars for historical relevance. Of course the story was an interesting one, and one gets the feeling Mr. Persico has done his homework in terms of combing the official and unofficial historical record. But I had issues with the way he presented the story, as well as the players in it. Thi......more

Goodreads review by Judy on February 21, 2018

At its heart, a study of the immense female influences that were such a part of FDR's life, beginning with the unconditional, however smothering, love of his mother and ending with the presence of Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd who was with him at his death. An unflinching examination of his complex relatio......more

Goodreads review by Mahlon on August 25, 2016

3.5 This book was much more salacious and speculative than I was expecting, but still a well-written book that sheds light into an often under explored corner of FDR's life. I found Ted Barker's narration slightly distracting.......more

Goodreads review by Linda on January 27, 2022

When they married, Eleanor Roosevelt and her cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt loved each other deeply. Eleanor was pregnant with their first child when they returned from their honeymoon. Their childhood experiences were very different. Franklin was babied and spoiled by his mother. On the other hand......more

Goodreads review by Judy on September 01, 2019

Exceptional book. FDR and Eleanor, two very brilliant and imperfect persons. Very insightful into their strengths and weaknesses and their very dysfunctional marriage. And also great insight into FDR’s love of his life,Lucy Mercer.......more


Quotes

“Just when you thought you knew everything about Franklin D. Roosevelt, think again. Joseph E. Persico [is] one of America’s finest historians. . . . You can’t properly understand FDR the man without reading this landmark study.”—Douglas Brinkley, professor of history at Rice University

“Persico’s exploration of FDR’s emotional life is fascinating.”USA Today

“Persico is judicious in his treatment of these sensitive matters. . . . He understands that Lucy Mercer helped FDR awaken his capacity for love and compassion, and thus helped him become the man to whom the nation will be eternally in debt.”Washington Post Book World

“A stylish and well-written book filled with interesting characters, marital dramas and spylike subterfuge.”Chicago Tribune

“A powerful narrative that rarely fails to pull you along to the next chapter. ”Louisville Courier-Journal

“Utterly absorbing.”Pittsburgh Post-Gazette