No Ordinary Time, is an historical account of FDR and First Lady Eleanor on the domestic front during the years of World War II. Perhaps because it occurred it the not so distant past, Goodwin’s portrayal of the Presidential couple is so detailed, the book seems to have a nostalgic feel to it, as if you were actually there.
No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns GoodwinMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Though knowledgeable of the events of the Second World War in Europe, North Africa and the South Pacific, No Ordinary Time was indeed a learning experience for me as it related the impact here in the states as opposed to military aspects of the war. With a manner of delivering the story that makes the reader feel as though they were actually there, it is abundantly clear why Doris Kearns Goodwin is such a highly regarded author.
Much of No Ordinary Time revolves around First Lady Eleanor, her strange upbringing, personal insecurities and her many contributions to various home front war efforts. Eleanor’s tireless work towards the common good of humanity perhaps influenced another leading lady of the times, Madame Chang.
The importance of China in the final disposition of the war really piqued my interest, sending me along another path of research that eventually clarified some of the questions I had regarding the Korean and Vietnamese conflicts that soon followed as part of the Cold War. Chang Kei Shek and Madame Chang were actually present at the negotiations in Cairo towards the end of the war, much to the chagrin of Winston Churchill, mostly due to the recognition FDR (due to the Delano family’s business associations with China in the past) placed upon China as the world’s fourth super power.
The most memorable read for me this year so far.
Steve D.
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