Nothing to Fear
FDR's Inner Circle and the Hundred Days That Created Modern America
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Narrated by:
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Norman Dietz
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By:
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Adam Cohen
About this listen
When FDR took his oath of office in March 1933, more than 10,000 banks had gone under following the Crash of 1929, a quarter of American workers were unemployed, and riots were breaking out at garbage dumps as people fought over scraps of food. Before the 100 days, the federal government was limited in scope and ambition; by the end, it had assumed an active responsibility for the welfare of all of its citizens.
Adam Cohen provides an illuminating group portrait of the five members of FDR's inner circle who, more than any others, drove this unprecedented transformation. These five men and women frequently pushed FDR to embrace more radical programs than he would have otherwise. FDR came to the White House with few firm commitments about how to resolve this national crisis - as a politician he was more pragmatic than ideological and, perhaps surprising given his New Deal legacy, a fiscal conservative by nature. Instead, he relied heavily on his advisers and preferred when they had conflicting views so that he could choose the best option among them. For this reason, he kept in close confidence both Frances Perkins - a feminist before her time and the strongest advocate for social welfare programs - and Lewis Douglas, an entrenched budget cutter who frequently clashed with the other members of FDR's progressive inner circle.
Rather than commit to a single solution or ideology, FDR favored a policy of "bold, persistent experimentation". As a result, he presided over the most feverish period of government activity in American history, one that gave birth to modern America.The political fault lines of this era - welfare, government regulation, agriculture policy - remain with us today.
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Editorial reviews
The dramatic first 100 days of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidency are the subject of Nothing to Fear, named for the oft-quoted line in FDR's inaugural speech: "The only thing we have to fear is...fear itself." Audiobook performer Norman Dietz brings a gritty realism to his narration as he describes this time of crisis and massive upheaval for the United States, detailing the multiple reforms FDR ushered in to bring relief to a nation devastated by the Depression. This audiobook also provides an in-depth portrait of FDR's inner circle of five advisers, who played a pivotal role in the groundbreaking policies he introduced to establish the modern welfare state. Packed with historical detail, Nothing to Fear captures one of the most important transitions in American political history.
Critic reviews
"An elucidating, pertinent and timely work on the makings of government." (Kirkus)
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A must listen!
- By Book and Movie Lover on 06-14-09
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Fear City
- New York's Fiscal Crisis and the Rise of Austerity Politics
- By: Kim Phillips-Fein
- Narrated by: Pam Ward
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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When the news broke in 1975 that New York City was on the brink of fiscal collapse, few believed it was possible. How could the country's largest metropolis fail? How could the capital of the financial world go bankrupt? Yet the city was indeed billions of dollars in the red, with no way to pay back its debts. Bankers and politicians alike seized upon the situation as evidence that social liberalism, which New York famously exemplified, was unworkable.
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Thanks for writing this book!!
- By G. A. Rivera on 08-14-21
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Herbert Hoover
- A Life
- By: Glen Jeansonne
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 16 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Prize-winning historian Glen Jeansonne delves into the life of our most misunderstood president, offering up a surprising new portrait of Herbert Hoover - dismissing previous assumptions and revealing a political Progressive in the mold of Theodore Roosevelt and the most resourceful American since Benjamin Franklin.
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Thought provoking
- By Jean on 10-26-16
By: Glen Jeansonne
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America's Bank
- The Epic Struggle to Create the Federal Reserve
- By: Roger Lowenstein
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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A tour de force of historical reportage, America’s Bank illuminates the tumultuous era and remarkable personalities that spurred the unlikely birth of America’s modern central bank, the Federal Reserve. Today, the Fed is the bedrock of the financial landscape, yet the fight to create it was so protracted and divisive that it seems a small miracle that it was ever established. For nearly a century, America, alone among developed nations, refused to consider any central or organizing agency in its financial system.
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Important and Intriguing
- By Jean on 11-02-15
By: Roger Lowenstein
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The Triumph of William McKinley
- Why the Election of 1896 Still Matters
- By: Karl Rove
- Narrated by: Karl Rove
- Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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From New York Times best-selling author and political mastermind Karl Rove comes a fresh look at President William McKinley, who found a message that healed his nation, pried his party away from its bosses, and extended its reach to forge a governing majority that lasted 30 years.
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Understand Modern Presidential Campaigns
- By Anon on 02-27-16
By: Karl Rove
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Traitor to His Class
- The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt
- By: H. W. Brands
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 37 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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A sweeping, magisterial biography of the man generally considered the greatest president of the 20th century, admired by Democrats and Republicans alike. Traitor to His Class sheds new light on FDR's formative years; his remarkable willingness to champion the concerns of the poor and disenfranchised; and his combination of political genius, firm leadership, and matchless diplomacy in saving democracy during the Great Depression and the American cause of freedom in World War II.
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Talented writer and narrator, but too biased/long
- By todd on 01-24-20
By: H. W. Brands
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Act of Congress
- How America's Essential Institution Works, and How It Doesn't
- By: Robert G. Kaiser
- Narrated by: Matthew Josdal
- Length: 19 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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An eye-opening account of how Congress today really works - and doesn’t - that follows the dramatic journey of the sweeping financial reform bill enacted in response to the Great Crash of 2008. The founding fathers expected Congress to be the most important branch of government and gave it the most power. When Congress is broken - as its justifiably dismal approval ratings suggest - so is our democracy.
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insightful, and eye opening.
- By A&K Schneider on 10-21-17
By: Robert G. Kaiser
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FDR
- By: Jean Edward Smith
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 32 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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One of today's premier biographers, Jean Edward Smith, has written a modern, comprehensive, indeed ultimate book on the epic life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This is a portrait painted in broad strokes and fine details. We see how Roosevelt's restless energy, fierce intellect, personal magnetism, and ability to project effortless grace permitted him to master countless challenges throughout his life. Smith recounts FDR's personal battles and also tackles head-on and in depth the numerous failures and miscues of Roosevelt's political career.
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Interesting but flawed
- By Mike From Mesa on 09-15-13
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The Money Makers
- How Roosevelt and Keynes Ended the Depression, Defeated Fascism, and Secured a Prosperous Peace
- By: Eric Rauchway
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Shortly after arriving in the White House in early 1933, Franklin Roosevelt took the United States off the gold standard. His opponents thought his decision unwise at best and ruinous at worst. But they could not have been more wrong. With The Money Makers, Eric Rauchway tells the absorbing story of how FDR and his advisors pulled the levers of monetary policy to save the domestic economy and propel the United States to unprecedented prosperity and superpower status.
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Excellent over view and easily understandable
- By L. Ford Ballard, Jr. on 01-15-19
By: Eric Rauchway
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The Crusades of Cesar Chavez
- A Biography
- By: Miriam Pawel
- Narrated by: Jackson Gutierrez
- Length: 21 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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In the first comprehensive biography of Chavez, Miriam Pawel offers a searching yet empathetic portrayal. Chavez emerges here as a visionary figure with tragic flaws; a brilliant strategist who sometimes stumbled; and a canny, streetwise organizer whose pragmatism was often at odds with his elusive, soaring dreams.
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Cesar Chávez
- By Ed on 09-10-18
By: Miriam Pawel
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The Triumph and Tragedy of Lyndon Johnson
- The White House Years
- By: Joseph A. Califano Jr.
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 17 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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President Lyndon Johnson was bigger than life - and no one who worked for him or was subjected to the "Johnson treatment" ever forgot it. As Johnson's "Deputy President of Domestic Affairs", Joseph A. Califano's unique relationship with the president greatly enriches our understanding of our 36th president. Califano shows listeners LBJ's commitment to economic and social revolution, and his willingness to do whatever it took to achieve his goals.
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LBJ The Greatest President of 20th century
- By David W. Goldstein on 07-28-15
What listeners say about Nothing to Fear
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Paul
- 04-29-09
It's all about the cabinet
This was a good read but really focused on Roosevelt's cabinet, not Roosevelt, himself. The author spent too much time on Perkins. Toward the end of the book, the author gets involved in a little Bush and Republican bashing which really is unecessary in what is supposed to be a historical account, not a political memoir.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Tim
- 05-22-11
Wow this is a great book!
Written as a narrative, this is very easy to listen to. This is one of my top 5 audio books! Highly recommended.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Tim
- 10-18-14
FDR, No Strings Attach
The first 100 days of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidency are what leaders are made of. Out with the old and in with the new. FDR brought back confidence to the American people by backing up banking from the federal reserves, implemented labor laws, establishing unemployment and Social Security as an insurance by boosting morale for many Americans. It takes a keen ear to build up good leadership to listen. Herbert Hoover was from a different era and didn't knew how to change. Roosevelt was from the new generation and saw a need for better leadership by asking for advise from his cabinet.
"Nothing to Fear" is something that our current administration should read. Instead of having lobbyists and corporations running the country, FDR was his own puppet master with no strings attach and not just another talking head. FDR showed true leadership in the White House that has been lost many presidents after him.
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1 person found this helpful
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- R.S.
- 03-05-09
Important contribution
I have been reading about Roosevelt and his presidency for the last few months. There are many books about Roosevelt and his leadership, but where some of them are weak, it is that they focus too much on the man, and too little on those with whom he worked, and sometimes too little on policy.
Nothing to Fear is an account of the fabled first 100 days of Roosevelt's first term, and the characters who came together to make it.
Nothing to Fear exemplifies good story telling, with policy and human interest finely balanced. While we are introduced to the origins and development of Henry Wallace, Stevens, Perkins, Hopkins, Moley, etc, we are then, in the epilogue learn about their diverse fates.
In one review the author was taken to task for not assimilating more recent views of Hoover into his account. This doesn't hold up. There is an ongoing discussion about Hoover, his limitations, and his belief in the role of government.
These profiles indicate that the reforms of the New Deal were not merely the work of a great man, but resulted from the coming together of many who reached similar conclusions about the role of government. Despite Hoover's brilliance, he did not share the view that government should intervene in the economy, and this transformation could not have happened during his tenure.
The profiles of Frances Perkins and Henry Wallace were especially interesting, and despite my previous reading, I had no idea of the important role of Frances Perkins as an architect of Social Security.
I hope the author is working on a follow up.
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28 people found this helpful
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- D. Littman
- 10-04-10
political mechanicals & personalities well shown
This is an excellent book about politics and the politics of crisis management. It shows that the president, in this case FDR, does not do everything, and that what goes on in the White House and the Executive Office building & the cabinet departments is much more heterogeneous and complex than you might think from reading the newspaper or listening to the radio (in that day) or watching pundits on TV or reading narrowly-focused websites (in this day). I particularly liked the author's focus on the key advisors of FDR's first year, some of whom stayed with him, some dropped off later and at least one or two became vociferous opponents later on. You can see how their "politics" and "ideologies" were formed and how those pre-set features played out flexibly or inflexibly in 1933. I am puzzled by the earlier review that suggested the author spent too much time on Frances Perkins. My impression is that she got just enough, and no more than Rexford Tugwell and the others.
The experience of 1933 is relevant to the current time, as well, so there is no reason to leave off some of the author's thoughts about how we can use the 1933 experience to help us understand the 2008-2010 experience. That does not mean that the actual policies of 1933 could be used to remedy our current economic malaise (and the policies of 1933, as shown by the book, were internally contradictory in any case). But an understanding of the complexity of the policymaking process, in normal times and in times of crisis, is a good tonic to help understand what is happening now.
Well narrated too.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Marc Cooper
- 09-23-12
Good history of the period.
What did you like best about Nothing to Fear? What did you like least?
It was a good history of the 100 days period. However, sometimes the overall story got lost in backstory of some of the figures. It seemed like some of the cabinet members were covered a lot more than others, maybe those which interested the author most. But what it covers, it covers well.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
The story could have given more of Roosevelts personality not just certain of his cabinet members.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Jose
- 12-29-20
This book is on FDRs Cabinet and Policies enacted.
I loved that this book because it focused not on Franklin Roosevelt but on each member of his cabinet and the policies that they were instrumental in creating. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has any sense of pride in being an American. We must look to our past for ideas on fixing our current and future problems.
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- Nanalou West Sauder
- 08-26-23
Excellent history
The Author has presented the new deal programs in an excellent manner by introducing the reader to the cabinet members and presidential advisers that were so necessary to bring about all the new techniques that were so important to bringing relief to so many millions of Americans that have been hit so hard by the near collapse of the banking and marketing systems. I learned a great deal from reading this book and I’m grateful to Mr. Cohen for writing it
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- Sandra
- 10-23-17
Horrible narration
You can actually hear the narrator sucking on a throat lozenge or candy - so gross and distracting from a book I want to love.
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