This is a very timely book. It mirrors much of our present day dilemmas. It also outlines and documents the solutions which were proposed, implemented and then opposed and outright rejected before new ones replaced them.
It reviews and summarizes the speeches that were given by Franklin Roosevelt in the darkest days of the Great Depression. Carefully dissecting the country's mood and culture at the time, Mr. Golway paints an accurate portrait of American culture and values while also capturing the spirit of the Presidents speeches. He then goes on to reflect upon the effect that those "Fireside Chats" had on the average American.
But more than that, it explores the forces, and needs, that united us then. More importantly it underscores that lack of spirit and cooperation that sully todays politics as usual, even in these unusual times.
An added bonus is the CD that accompanies the book and holds 77 minutes of the best of Roosevelts "Fireside Chats." This is the leadership that is so sorely missing in todays world, where polls rule while we experience essentially the same problems that plagued our nation then.
If history teaches us anything, it is that the only thing new is the history we don't know. This book drives that point home. I hope someone in Washington is reading it.
No comments:
Post a Comment