The Wars of the Roosevelts: The Ruthless Rise of America's Greatest Political Family

Written by William J. Mann

Narrated by Christopher Grove

The award-winning author presents a provocative, thoroughly modern revisionist biographical history of one of America’s greatest and most influential families—the Roosevelts—exposing heretofore unknown family secrets and detailing complex family rivalries with his signature cinematic flair.

Drawing on previously hidden historical documents and interviews with the long-silent ""illegitimate"" branch of the family, William J. Mann paints an elegant, meticulously researched, and groundbreaking group portrait of this legendary family. Mann argues that the Roosevelts’ rise to power and prestige was actually driven by a series of intense personal contest that at times devolved into blood sport. His compelling and eye-opening masterwork is the story of a family at war with itself, of social Darwinism at its most ruthless—in which the strong devoured the weak and repudiated the inconvenient.

Mann focuses on Eleanor Roosevelt, who, he argues, experienced this brutality firsthand, witnessing her Uncle Theodore cruelly destroy her father, Elliott—his brother and bitter rival—for political expediency. Mann presents a fascinating alternate picture of Eleanor, contending that this ""worshipful niece"" in fact bore a grudge against TR for the rest of her life, and dares to tell the truth about her intimate relationships without obfuscations, explanations, or labels.

Mann also brings into focus Eleanor’s cousins, TR’s children, whose stories propelled the family rivalry but have never before been fully chronicled, as well as her illegitimate half-brother, Elliott Roosevelt Mann, who inherited his family’s ambition and skill without their name and privilege. Growing up in poverty just miles from his wealthy relatives, Elliott Mann embodied the American Dream, rising to middle-class prosperity and enjoying one of the very few happy, long-term marriages in the Roosevelt saga. For the first time, The Wars of the Roosevelts also includes the stories of Elliott’s daughter and grandchildren.

Deeply psychological and finely rendered, The Wars of the Roosevelts illuminates not only the enviable strengths but also the profound shame of this remarkable and influential family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Dec 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9780062643285

William J. Mann

<p><strong>William J. Mann</strong> is the <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of <em>The Contender: The Story of Marlon Brando</em>; <em>Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn</em>; <em>How to Be a Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood</em>; <em>Hello, Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand</em>; <em>Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines; </em>and<em> Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood,</em> winner of the Edgar Allen Poe Award. He divides his time between Connecticut and Cape Cod.</p>

Reviews for The Wars of the Roosevelts

[Michele Wells · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the best Roosevelt biographies I've read so far. Honest, absorbing and humanizing, this book opens dusty closets and reveals just how fallible heroes can be.

[briandrewz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A completely engrossing account of the Roosevelt family and the bitter rivalry between two branches of the family. I have to say that my views on Theodore Roosevelt were completely changed after reading this book. It's clear that the Roosevelts depicted in this book would stop at nothing to advance their own names and protect that which was most important: keeping themselves on top. Theodore, Alice, Franklin, even Eleanor could be cold, cruel, and biting at times. Still, it's a fascinating look at the inside story of one of America's greatest political dynasties.

[annbury_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Pretty good book, although it took almost a week to read. He starts off with TR putting his brother in a nuthouse and making his wife leave and making sure that his brother never sees his family again, all for trivial reasons. This guy's daughter was Eleanor, who married FDR. Apart from this, there is not much of a family war, except that TR's daughter Alice is a total bitch and becomes a right wing termagant. Well written. Aapparently the Roosevelts of Oyster Bay never forgave the Roosevelts of Hyde Park for their treason. FDR was great and this idiot we now have for a president is a bad joke.

[ellenh_28 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow! How the political parties have changed in their ideas. I started out thinking "This guy has an agenda to dish on the Roosevelts and I maybe won't finish it". But as I read further, I found he was balanced in his criticism and admiration, and that the writing and research were well done. A very interesting book.