A President in Our Midst
Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Georgia
by Kaye Lanning Minchew
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Pub Date May 15 2016 | Archive Date May 23 2016
Description
Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited Georgia forty-one times between 1924 and1945. This rich gathering of photographs and remembrances documents the vital role of Georgia’s people and places in FDR’s rise from his position as a despairing politician daunted by disease to his role as a revered leader who guided the country through its worst depression and a world war.
A native New Yorker, FDR called Georgia his “other state.” Seeking relief from the devastating effects of polio, he was first drawn there by the reputed healing powers of the waters at Warm Springs. FDR immediately took to Georgia, and the attraction was mutual. Nearly two hundred photos show him working and convalescing at the Little White House, addressing crowds, sparring with reporters, visiting fellow polio patients, and touring the countryside. Quotes by Georgians from a variety of backgrounds hint at the countless lives he touched during his time in the state.
In Georgia, away from the limelight, FDR became skilled at projecting strength while masking polio’s symptoms. Georgia was also his social laboratory, where he floated new ideas to the press and populace and tested economic recovery projects that were later rolled out nationally. Most important, FDR learned to love and respect common Americans—beginning with the farmers, teachers, maids, railroad workers, and others he met in Georgia.
A Note From the Publisher
Advance Praise
—James Tobin, author of The Man He Became: How FDR Defied Polio to Win the Presidency
“Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, a scion of New York social
aristocracy, a son of Harvard, and the very model of the North’s elite,
why would this man fall in love with the people of Georgia, and
especially the poor farmer? It is a great mystery, but one that
transformed Roosevelt himself. In Georgia life came back to a
polio-stricken FDR, and there he breathed his last breath.”
—Jamil S. Zainaldin, President, Georgia Humanities Council
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780820349183 |
| PRICE | $34.95 (USD) |
Links
Average rating from 7 members
Featured Reviews
Brooke W, Reviewer
"A President in Our Midst" is a collection of photographs documenting Roosevelt's time in Georgia. The book particularly focuses on Warm Springs, where Roosevelt died in 1945 after visiting the mineral springs for 20 years in the hopes of curing (or at least alleviating) his polio symptoms. Whether you're planning a visit to Georgia or have already stopped at the Little White House (the highlight of my trip when I was younger was seeing Fala's leash), I recommend this as the perfect companion book to your travels and memories.
As a side note: I found it interesting that Minchew points out that 1920s Georgia was already a site of terrible poverty and agricultural failings, plights that would soon affect much of the country -- it made me wonder whether Roosevelt's exposure to the destitution and lack of development around Warm Springs influenced his political philosophies and the New Deal, or at least gave him a more personal connection to the hardships Americans were facing.
Killian P, Reviewer
I grew up visiting the Little White House and Warm Springs every summer with my grandparents. This was obviously once it had been turned into a museum, but it was always one of the highlights of the break. It was always so peaceful and being a book-loving child I always wanted to pick a place to chill a while with a good story.
This book seemed to be more of a "coffee-table" type book, but it has so much biographical information interspersed with the photographs that it feels much more dense than that.
Roosevelt was one of the most interesting Presidents we've had for a variety of reasons, overcoming polio being just one of those, and it was nice to get a closer look at how involved he was in the Warm Springs community from the time he discovered it to his death there during his unprecedented fourth term as POTUS.
I've included my favorite pictures from this collection, and I highly suggest checking this book out if you have any interest in Roosevelt or Warm Springs. It's a great look at his life there!
Cheri S, Reviewer
While not born in Georgia, Franklin D. Roosevelt began to visit Warm Springs, Georgia for relief and for the healing waters in Warm Springs after being stricken with polio. Over a period of 21 years, including his years as President, he visited there forty one times. The waters were not the only charm that drew him back again and again, he had a very warm regard for the people there. It also offered some respite from his increasingly public persona.
The photographs are a more intimate look through those years than would likely have made the news back then, but combined with the information it provides an excellent peek into those years. The information and stories about FDR were more than enough to keep me interested, plus some stories of those that touched his life there, and the photographs are priceless.
Publication Date: 1 May 2016
Many thanks to University of Georgia Press, NetGalley, and author Kaye Lanning Minchew for providing me with an advance copy to read.
Educator 317339
I enjoyed reading about a different side to FDR. Presidents usually seem larger than life, but this biography makes him seem approachable.
Kari C, Bookseller
This is an interesting history of President FDR and his relationship with Warm Springs and the state of Georgia. Long before he was President FDR traveled to Warm Springs for help with his Polio and he continued to travel there until his death. This book is filled with historical photographs taken during his many visits. Although this book is mostly positive about FDR I was glad that the author also included his sometimes difficult relationship with Georgia's political and business leaders who disagreed with him. This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in FDR and Southern History. Enjoy
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