Awakening the spirit of America FDR's war of words with Charles Lindbergh--and the battle to save democracy

Review by Booklist Review

One man, a U.S. president at a time of heightened global tensions, tries to use the power of his office to assist an ally in its fight with an aggressive neighbor. The other man, an icon turned politician, argues against the president's actions, advocating instead for an isolationist, America-first approach. This is the war of words at the heart of Sparrow's fascinating new book. From September 1939 until January 1942, Franklin Delano Roosevelt "persuaded the world that free people could overcome the terror of mechanized militaries controlled by brutal totalitarian government," as Sparrow puts it. Standing in his way was Charles Lindbergh, the aviator and national hero who, as spokesman for the America First Committee, argued against involvement in the burgeoning Second World War, claiming that Hitler was necessary to defeat the Soviet Union (debatable) and that Jews were ruining everything (deplorable). Enough books have been written on WWII to stretch from here to eternity, but few have focused on this mano-a-mano between president and pitchman--a prescient tale if ever there were one.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Sparrow, former director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, puts his knowledge of the president's archives to excellent use in this riveting debut history. From 1939 to 1941, as Americans debated whether to enter WWII, FDR and famed aviator Charles Lindbergh "entered into a war of words," becoming avatars for the country's interventionist and isolationist camps. Roosevelt, long convinced Nazism was a threat to democracy, began advocating for intervention immediately; Lindbergh reared his head as a surprise antagonist, delivering speeches and radio addresses with the backing of William Randolph Hearst and Henry Ford. Sparrow's main focus is on analyzing FDR's speechwriting process and public performances to shed light on how he persuaded Americans to take up arms in defense of democracy. Sparrow makes ample use of Roosevelt's own words to showcase that persuasiveness: "When you see a rattlesnake poised to strike, you do not wait until he has struck before you crush him." Though the author's strong regard for FDR occasionally leads him to veer into hyperbole--he likens Roosevelt to "a chess master planning twenty moves ahead"--his storytelling captivates, and he makes an invigorating case that the president's calls to fight for democracy resonate today. It's a gripping snapshot of America at a crossroads. Agent: Leah Spiro, Riverside Creative Management. (June)

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Review by Library Journal Review

From 1939 to early 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt engaged in a war of words with the United States' isolationists, especially aviator Charles Lindbergh, and warned Americans of the dangers posed to democracy by nationalist totalitarianism (e.g., Nazism). Meanwhile, Lindbergh advocated for the U.S. to be neutral in World War II, based on his admiration of Nazi Germany, distrust of the British, and deeply ingrained antisemitism. Sparrow, former director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum, details the crucial period when Roosevelt and his allies prepared the U.S. for war, providing arms and support to Great Britain as it stood against Hitler's Germany. Through carefully crafted speeches and fireside chats, Roosevelt made the case that Hitler needed to be defeated to save democracy, while Lindbergh, although deeply private and reclusive, used speeches and alliances with other isolationists to put out his own message. VERDICT This deeply researched, engaging work demonstrates what was at stake in the war of words between Roosevelt and isolationists in the immediate years prior to the U.S.'s entry into WWII. There's much to enjoy in this title.--Chad E. Statler

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

How Franklin Roosevelt used his political and oratorical acumen to persuade Americans to rebuff a national hero, stand for democracy, and defeat tyranny. Sparrow, former director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, brings his storytelling talents and familiarity with the 32nd president to bear in this engaging book. The narrative centers on Roosevelt's desire to make the U.S. the world's foremost opponent of tyranny, countering the isolationist America First Committee, whose figurehead, aviator Charles Lindbergh, was at the time one of the world's most famous people. Essentially, the battle pitted the "Spirit of St. Louis" against what Roosevelt termed the "Spirit of America." As Lincoln said, public opinion is everything in American politics. Sparrow reminds readers that when Hitler invaded Poland in September 1939, Lindbergh and America Firsters, whose ranks included influential industrialists, media figures, and politicians, held significant sway. In several major radio addresses and speeches, they played on Americans' wariness of another prolonged war or further foreign entanglement, and thinly veiled anti-Jewish sentiment accompanied the seeming willingness to cooperate with the Third Reich. As the author shows, Roosevelt had to contend with such opinions in addition to the Neutrality Acts, which initially stymied aid to the British. Sparrow vividly describes how Roosevelt shaped his rhetoric not only to counter Lindbergh, but to convince the public to reelect him for an unprecedented third term and reinforce the U.S. military as the great defender of democratic principles. In addition to shining a light on Roosevelt's gift for rhetoric and language, political genius, and administrative strength, Sparrow rightly emphasizes other traits more readily associated with Roosevelt's cousin, Theodore--namely, physical courage and the embodiment of the so-called American spirit. This strong, succinct, and thorough book reverberates with Rooseveltian aplomb. A wonderfully written and researched study of a crucial period in 20th-century America. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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