The Vibrant Era from the Depression to the Cold War: The Rich Historiography of the Roosevelt and Truman Years

A Companion to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Edited by William D. Pederson. Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011. 784 pp. A Companion to Harry S. Truman. Edited by Daniel S. Margolies. Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. 632 pp. A Companion to Franklin D. Roosevelt is a valuable contribution to the series of companion editions published by Wiley-Blackwell to document the central historiographical features of, in this case, American presidents. Noted Franklin D. Roosevelt (or FDR) scholar, William D. Pederson, has done excellent work in crafting this large and detailed study that places Roosevelt and his presidency in a clear historiographical context. A Companion to Harry S. Truman, on the other hand, does much more than offer simple historiography. The book is very thorough, and many of its 27 essays actually are creative of a new synthesis or understanding of a topic. Daniel S. Margolies, as editor, provides clear and focused introductions to the book and to the sections that reveal a well-developed plan for covering the complexity of the Truman era. Organized by issues and themes rather than chronologically or by crisis, the thirty-five essays in the Pederson volume are remarkably consistent in quality and are representative of the complexity of the Roosevelt era. Although there are too many essays to describe in detail here, the authors represent a cross-section of the profession--new, senior, social, cultural, and political, and this review will be simply a sampling of the rich resources provided by this volume. The essays in the first part of the volume address a great deal of personal history, including biographies of FDR and of Eleanor Roosevelt, the prepresidential career, and an essay on how historians have dealt with FDR's physical and psychological health. Biographies, perhaps the oldest of history art forms, are reviewed by Kenneth E. Hendrickson, Jr. His conclusion is that "no subject of biography has generated more literary chaos than Franklin Delano Roosevelt" (p. 1). He briefly surveys the biographies of FDR written by historians, journalists, associates, and relatives. Coming in for special praise from Hendrickson were works produced by Patrick J. Maney (The Roosevelt Presence: The Life and Legacy of FDR [Oakland: University of California Press, 1998]), Roy Jenkins (Franklin Delano Roosevelt: The American Presidents Series: The 32nd President, 1933-1945 [New York: Times Books, 2003]), and, especially, Jean Edward Smith (FDR [New York: Penguin Random House, 2008]). "Very persuasive in arguing its conclusions," Hendrickson writes, "Smith's work is one of the most powerful accounts of Roosevelt's career" (p. 7). Norman Provizer contributes a fine essay about Eleanor Roosevelt, where he thoughtfully analyzes the various ways that writers have depicted her influence on FDR and on politics. Another series of essays covers the political campaigns. Especially interesting is Donald A. Ritchie's review of the analysis of the 1932 campaign. He notes that two "brain trusters"--Raymond Moley, who drifted to the right in later years, and Rexford Tugwell, who was "firmly planted on the left,"--came to opposing conclusions in books written about the first Roosevelt election. Moley argued that FDR was free of ideology while Tugwell claimed that the "brain trusters" had convinced FDR to face economic realities and regretted only that bolder proposals might have created a mandate for more reforms that might have overcome the "southern reactionaries" who later opposed New Deal plans (pp. 80-81). Although the essay contains much analysis of the political issues and process, Ritchie concludes that it was imagery and presentation that won the day: "Herbert Hoover's ponderous logic, dour demeanor, and ideological constraints, simply could not match Franklin D. Roosevelt's vigorous delivery, optimism, and openness to experimentation" (p. 92). Another set of essays deals with particular interest groups, urban and regional interests, minorities, labor, and business. …