Reviews for The man he became : how FDR defied polio to win the presidency
Library Journal
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Tobin (journalism, Miami Univ., OH; -Ernie Pyle's War: America's Eyewitness to World War II) shows his gifts as a veteran reporter, PhD historian, and biographer in this moving page-turner. Even if aspects of the thesis-that Franklin D. Roosevelt's battle with polio transformed him-are familiar, Tobin conveys it marvelously. He supplies context on the disease itself and efforts at patient rehabilitation, while offering balanced and perceptive sketches of FDR, his cohorts, and the general public. After 39-year-old FDR was stricken with polio in 1921, it was his adviser Louis Howe's journalistic and public skills that kept FDR politically viable as he demonstrated his mettle fighting both the disease and public opinion about a disabled person in public office. FDR became a teacher both to others afflicted with the disease and the public who feared it. Tobin has a real knack for capturing the essence of the historical figures he's discussing. Much more than a mere rehashing of this aspect of FDR's life, the book shows how his response to polio gives us insights into his character and how he would go on to battle the Great Depression and World War II enemies. VERDICT Tobin's thoroughly enjoyable work will interest both scholars and general readers who seek stories of the human spirit triumphing over calamity. Highly recommended.-William D. Pederson, Louisiana State Univ., Shreveport (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Choice
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Tobin (Miami Univ.) considers how Franklin D. Roosevelt overcame infantile paralysis, speculating that he may not have become president if he had not had to face the daily struggle and suffering brought on by the disease. Polio helped shape his character, making him more sensitive to the difficulties of others. The author dispels the myth that FDR, his advisers, and the press conspired to keep his illness a secret. Actually, the public knew the president was crippled, but may not have understood the full extent of his disability, and Tobin acknowledges the considerable bias against the disabled at the time. FDR helped establish the "National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis" (later, the March of Dimes), and every year of his presidency, a fund-raising dinner was held on his birthday. This work discusses how Roosevelt may have contracted the virus, his symptoms, and his struggles to overcome the disease. There are frequent biographical notes that provide further insight and perspective, focusing on the period from 1924 to 1932, and how he overcame his pain and the effects of his paralysis. The book contains numerous photographs--even those of the doctors who treated him--and should appeal to the general public, students, and faculty. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. J. S. Schwartz emeritus, CUNY College of Staten Island
Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Many books have been written about Franklin Roosevelt's life in politics, but here Tobin (Ernie Pyle's War) takes a risk by telling the story of one of the country's most popular presidents from a largely unexplored angle. As the subtitle suggests, this book looks at Roosevelt's life from the time he contracted polio to the time he became president, and does so with a compassionate view. To keep the book from becoming a maudlin sympathy tale, Tobin considers some obvious but important questions: How did Roosevelt overcome his "handicap" to become president? Would he have become president had he not contracted polio? What effect did his affliction have on him personally? How did his accomplishments affect the perception of handicapped persons generally? The conclusion may be surprising to many: "that he became president because of polio" and the advantages it afforded him during a turbulent period in Democratic Party politics. Personal items are not glossed over-Tobin makes it clear that F.D.R. was not always kindest to those closest to him and that his family life was tense-and the myriad medical and political details are coupled with glimpses of his vulnerable moments. Tobin's balanced and detailed approach offers a well-rounded look at a slice of F.D.R.'s life generally obscured from popular accounts, and it makes for fascinating reading. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
A winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award (Ernie Pyle's War, 1997) returns with an account of Franklin Roosevelt's struggles with polio and how they shaped his political career. Tobin (Journalism/Miami Univ., Ohio; To Conquer the Air: The Wright Brothers and the Great Race for Flight, 2003, etc.) focuses on 19211932, the years that frame FDR's contracting polio and his winning his first presidential election. Throughout, the author emphasizes his thesis: FDR did not win elections in spite of his polio but because of it. Tobin begins with some moments before FDR took his first presidential oath of office in 1933, then he takes us back to the summer of 1921, where he speculates about how FDR contracted the disease. Here--and throughout--Tobin instructs us about the polio virus: how it enters the system ("via specks of human waste"), what it does once it gets there, the varieties of damage it does and the treatments available in the decade of the book's focus. Tobin does a fine job of showing us how the virus knocked FDR down, how one physician completely misdiagnosed his case, and how FDR dealt with the grievous pain, both physical and psychological. We also meet people who helped in various ways--from his wife, Eleanor, to his aide Louis Howe and several secretaries, physical therapists and physicians. The author also dispels the nonsense that FDR somehow hid his illness from the public (everyone knew: It was continually in the newspapers) and chronicles the long, slow struggle that eventually enabled him to sit, stand and walk (braced and otherwise aided). He used a wheelchair only for short periods and only at home. We see, as well, the evolution of his relationship with his wife and his complicated choreography with fellow New York politician Al Smith. Medical history, physical and psychological stress, and human ambition are the prominent strands in this rich narrative carpet.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
The basic premise of this book that Roosevelt's struggle to overcome polio was a transformative episode in his life seems undeniable. After all, Roosevelt, a previously vigorous man, never walked unassisted as a result of the disease. But Tobin, an associate professor of journalism at Miami University of Ohio, goes much further than recounting the obvious physical limitation imposed upon Roosevelt. Rather, Tobin convincingly asserts that the struggle to overcome the disease and to resume an active life transformed Roosevelt's character. It added steel to his personality, led to his appreciation for human suffering, and even added additional fire to his already burning political ambition. Tobin offers very useful context by describing the nature of the polio virus, especially for those too young to recall what a terrifying and devastating malady it was before a vaccine was developed. Roosevelt's grueling efforts at rehabilitation are described in detail. This is a well-done and informative study of a critical component in the life of a giant in American history.--Freeman, Jay Copyright 2010 Booklist
