List $39.95

Written by Jonathan Alter - Narrated by Grover Gardner - Unabridged Nonfiction - 8 CASSETTES

Publisher, Audio Partners (May 2006)

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"This study of Franklin D. Roosevelt's early life, character, and especially his first 100 days in office could get weighed down by facts, but with the combination of sprightly writing, a choice of lively details, and Grover Gardner's gifts for pacing and emphasis, it never does. Gardner lets no nuance of sense or emotion slip by; if there's irony, for instance, however slight, he expresses it, without belaboring the text. This is one of those books more enjoyable to listen to than to read." —AudioFile

In this dramatic and fascinating account, Newsweek columnist Jonathan Alter shows how Franklin Delano Roosevelt used his first one hundred days in office to lift the country from the despair and paralysis of the Great Depression and transform the American presidency. Instead of becoming the dictator so many wanted in those first days, FDR rescued banks, put men to work immediately, and laid the groundwork for his most ambitious achievements, including what eventually became the Social Security Administration. Alter explains how FDR's background and experiences uniquely qualified him to pull off an astonishing conjuring act that saved both democracy and capitalism.

About the Author: Jonathan Alter, a Newsweek Senior Editor, has written the widely acclaimed "Between the Lines" column since 1991, examining politics, media, and society at large. For the last decade, he has also worked as an analyst and contributing correspondent for NBC Broadcasting, including Today, NBC Nightly News, and MSNBC.

About the Narrator: Grover Gardner is one of the spoken word industry's most esteemed and versatile performers. He has recorded hundreds of books, and has garnered an Audie Award, 18 Earphones Awards, and was deemed to have one of the "Best Voices of the Century" by AudioFile magazine. He was also named Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly.