Franklin and Eleanor
An Extraordinary Marriage
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Narrated by:
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Tavia Gilbert
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By:
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Hazel Rowley
About this listen
Franklin Delano and Eleanor Roosevelt’s marriage is one of the most celebrated and scrutinized partnerships in presidential history. It raised eyebrows in their lifetimes and has only become more controversial since their deaths.
From FDR’s lifelong romance with Lucy Mercer to Eleanor’s purported lesbianism - and many scandals in between - the American public has never tired of speculating about the ties that bound these two headstrong individuals. Some claim that Eleanor sacrificed her personal happiness to accommodate FDR’s needs; others claim that the marriage was nothing more than a gracious façade for political convenience. No one has told the full story until now. In this groundbreaking new account of the marriage, Hazel Rowley describes the remarkable courage and lack of convention - private and public - that kept FDR and Eleanor together. She reveals a partnership that was both supportive and daring. Franklin, especially, knew what he owed to Eleanor, who was not so much behind the scenes as heavily engaged in them. Their relationship was the product of FDR and Eleanor’s conscious efforts - a partnership that they created according to their own ambitions and needs.
In this dramatic and vivid narrative, set against the great upheavals of the Depression and World War II, Rowley paints a portrait of a tender lifelong companionship, born of mutual admiration and compassion. Most of all, she depicts an extraordinary evolution - from conventional Victorian marriage to the bold and radical partnership that has made Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt go down in history as one of the most inspiring and fascinating couples of all time.
©2010 Hazel Rowley (P)2010 Macmillan AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Grace and Power
- The Private World of the Kennedy White House
- By: Sally Bedell Smith
- Narrated by: Lee Adams
- Length: 20 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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In Grace and Power, New York Times best-selling author Sally Bedell Smith takes us inside the Kennedy White House with unparalleled access and insight. Having interviewed scores of Kennedy intimates, including many who have never spoken before, and drawing on letters and personal papers made available for the first time, Smith paints a richly detailed picture of the personal relationships behind the high purpose and poiltical drama of the 20th century's most storied presidency.
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More detail than I wanted
- By R. Jones on 12-24-05
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Lady Bird and Lyndon
- The Hidden Story of a Marriage That Made a President
- By: Betty Boyd Caroli
- Narrated by: Amanda Carlin
- Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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A fresh look at Lady Bird Johnson that upends her image as a plain Jane who was married for her money and mistreated by Lyndon. This Lady Bird worked quietly behind the scenes through every campaign, every illness, and a trying presidency as a key strategist, fundraiser, barnstormer, peacemaker, and indispensable therapist.
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Lady Bird & btw Lyndon
- By Richard on 11-27-15
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First Women
- The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies
- By: Kate Andersen Brower
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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In one of the most underestimated - and challenging - positions in the world, the first lady of the United States must be many things: an inspiring leader with a forward-thinking agenda of her own; a savvy politician, skilled at navigating the treacherous rapids of Washington; a wife and mother operating under constant scrutiny; and an able CEO responsible for the smooth operation of countless services and special events at the White House.
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Who is missing?
- By Southern belle on 05-07-16
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Those Wild Wyndhams
- Three Sisters at the Heart of Power
- By: Claudia Renton
- Narrated by: Claudia Renton
- Length: 15 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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They were confidantes to British prime ministers, poets, writers, and artists, their lives entwined with the most celebrated and scandalous figures of the day, from Oscar Wilde to Henry James. They were the lovers of great men - or men of great prominence... They lived in a world of luxurious excess, a world of splendor at 44 Belgrave Square and later at the even more vast Clouds, the exquisite Wiltshire house on 4,000 acres, the "house of the age", designed in 1876 by the visionary architect Philip Webb - the model for Henry James' The Spoils of Poynton.
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SLOW START BUT STICK WITH THIS ONE
- By The Louligan on 01-22-19
By: Claudia Renton
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Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey
- By: The Countess of Carnarvon
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey tells the story behind Highclere Castle, the setting for Julian Fellowes’s Emmy Award-winning PBS show Downton Abbey, and the life of one of its most famous inhabitants, Catherine Wendell.
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Not what was advertised
- By Jessica C Anderson on 09-10-19
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Lady Bird Johnson
- An Oral History
- By: Michael L. Gillette
- Narrated by: Corinna May
- Length: 17 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Over a span of 18 years, Lady Bird Johnson recorded 47 oral history interviews with Michael Gillette and his colleagues. These conversations, just released in 2011, form the heart of Lady Bird Johnson: An Oral History, an intimate story of a shy young country girl's transformation into one of America's most effective and admired First Ladies.
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Fantastic
- By Syd Young on 06-01-19
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The Lincolns
- Portrait of a Marriage
- By: Daniel Mark Epstein
- Narrated by: Adam Grupper
- Length: 21 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1974 the historian Fawn Brodie predicted that a "sensitive study of the Lincoln marriage will not always defy biographers". Until now, it has. The only book-length treatment of the marriage was published in 1953, when scholars lacked today's resources and were still struggling with deep-seated prejudices about Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln. Now Daniel Mark Epstein has produced an incisive and balanced portrait of the Lincolns.
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Fascinating!
- By F. Elizabeth Hauser on 12-14-08
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Royal Sisters
- Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret
- By: Anne Edwards
- Narrated by: Corrie James
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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In Royal Sisters, Anne Edwards, author of the best-selling Vivien Leigh: A Biography and Matriarch: Queen Mary and the House of Windsor, has written the first dual biography of Elizabeth, the princess who was to become Queen, and her younger sister, Margaret, who was to be her subject. From birth to maturity, they were the stuff of which dreams are made.
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Where's The Rest?
- By Simone on 12-19-17
By: Anne Edwards
What listeners say about Franklin and Eleanor
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Marlene
- 10-19-13
Not Too Impressed
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
This book was not as good as I expected that it should be. I feel that Eleanor was given too much credit in the marriage.
What didn’t you like about Tavia Gilbert’s performance?
I did not care for her presentation.
Was Franklin and Eleanor worth the listening time?
Yes, mostly because of the subject matter.
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- Jenny
- 08-04-13
An amazing partnership
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I would certainly recommend this book as an audiobook. It is very well written and read. It is detailed without dragging, and is also very human in the way it talks about these two giants of mid 20th Century America.
Who was your favorite character and why?
In a biography I do not find it possible to choose a favourite character, as there are no 'characters'. Each person written about existed and contributed to the story of Franklin and Eleanor.
Have you listened to any of Tavia Gilbert’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I have not heard Tavia Gilbert before, but she did not intrude into the reading in any way and I would be happy to listen to her again.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I was always reluctant to stop the reading when the time came to go and do something else. I had it loaded to my iPod and so was able to take it with me most places and during most activities. Listening as continuously as I did, made the people in the book much more real.
Any additional comments?
What a remarkable pair these two were! And how little I knew of them - I am not American, and so am not as familiar with the folk who peopled and contributed to the history of the USA.
I was engrossed in their story, and very impressed with the work they did, both of them, their commitment to the things they believed in and, not to make them into angels - their foibles and faults.
They became so human.
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- Margaret
- 12-29-13
Interesting History of an Important Marriage
The researcher appears to be trying to be quite objective in this treatment of an extraordinary marriage. Franklin and Eleanor appear to be quite modern and surrounded by an entourage of friends, flirtations and philandery that make quite a travelling circus troupe as they move from mansion to mansion creating change in the U.S. Franklin comes out a bit better than Eleanor - clearly a masterful politician and very loyal to all of his mistresses, if not physically, at least emotionally. Hard to imagine who he could have married if NOT Eleanor, who built quite an independent life for herself. Overall, the book gives us a look at two truly unconventional people.
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- Molly-o
- 08-10-14
Inspired by the facts, not the book
I enjoyed this book, but I wouldn't ever recommend it to anyone. I enjoyed it because I wanted to have more of an insight into Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt and thought starting with their marriage was a good beginning. So it was a very personal motivation and it succeeded in that the book does chronicle the marriage, poke into many of the rumors and paint the two main characters as noteworthy to be sure. BUT I now expect my non-fiction forays to be told by a good story teller - I guess I am spoiled, but this book just sort of loped along and relied on its facts rather than its art.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Millie
- 12-20-11
My favorite!
Of all the books I have listened to from Audible, this is my favorite. I loved he way the story was told and I learned a lot about FDR and Eleanor. This is one of those books that inspire you to read other books about the subject. If you are an expert on FDR, you might not appreciate it as I did but if, like me, you want to learn about FDR's presidency and family life, this book brings it all together beautifully in a cohesive, entertaining way.
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3 people found this helpful
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- AXIOM MONSTER
- 10-24-18
Brook
Loved it. I learned a lot of history in addition to learning about Franklin and Eleanor.
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- Lisa Jackson
- 05-15-21
Bizarre racially charged terms
Fairly bland rendering. What made this book most annoying was that for some odd reason this author chooses to use the outdated and now racially charged term “Negro” each time she refers to Black people. She is not quoting people of the day or books, articles, etc she just uses the term as though it is a standard accepted term. She is far too young to have the excuse that it was the term she grew up with either. Do not recommend.
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1 person found this helpful