Nothing to Fear: FDR's Inner Circle and the Hundred Days That Created Modern America

Written by Adam Cohen

Narrated by Norman Dietz

Nothing to Fear brings to life a fulcrum moment in American history-the tense, feverish first one hundred days of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidency, when he and his inner circle completely reinvented the role of the federal government. 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 hundred 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. Nothing to Fear is both a riveting narrative account of the personal dynamics that shaped the heady hundred days and a character study of one of America's defining leaders in a moment of crisis.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Jan 22, 2009
• ISBN: 9781400180417

Reviews for Nothing to Fear

[oregonobsessionz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Numerous books are available on the topic of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s first 100 days in the White House. Nothing to Fear focuses on the people around FDR, and their influence on his opinions and programs. Raymond Moley, Lewis Douglas, Henry Wallace, Frances Perkins, and Harry Hopkins were all driven to improve conditions in the country, but they had strongly differing opinions on the most effective methods. In some cases, this led FDR to drive the economy with one foot on the gas and one on the brake, but overall this amazing team managed an impressive list of accomplishments in those first 100 days.Cohen provides a brief biography for each of these individuals, explains their roles in the Roosevelt administration, and describes their later careers. This book has made me want to read more on each of them, especially Frances Perkins.By 1932, industrial stocks had lost 80 percent of their value, and unemployment reached a peak of 23.6 percent. By 1937, gross national product had returned to pre-crash levels, and unemployment had fallen to 14 percent. In light of current arguments about deficit spending, it is interesting to note that Roosevelt’s effort to cut deficit spending in 1937 led to a “Roosevelt recession”, in which the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost nearly half its value, and unemployment climbed back to 19 percent.A word on quality: I prefer hardcover books, and am willing to pay the premium price in order to obtain a book that is attractive, pleasant to read, and durable. Unfortunately, this may be the most cheaply made hardcover I have ever encountered. The cardboard that reinforces the spine has repeatedly fallen out, and the endpapers are separating from the cover. The main body of the book has split in several places, with pages in danger of falling out. I would not be surprised to see this type of deterioration in a mass market paperback, but it is definitely not acceptable in a first edition hardcover. I emailed The Penguin Press about the problem, and they replied that I would have to return the book to the retailer for reimbursement. Which I will do, now that I have finished the book and this review. I hope that this copy was an atypical manufacturing defect, and that I can find a replacement copy without these problems.

[helenoel · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well done history of the beginnings of the New Deal and early days of FDR's administration. Back story on some of the key cabinet members, especially Frances Perkins. I'm too young to have lived it but too old to have had this history in school. Stuff I've always heard about - good to have a better grasp. Scary how much of this history is paralleled by current events- though some of the country seems hell-bent on undoing the accomplishments of the past.

[bongo_x_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent book highlighting 5 of the people involved in the first 100 days of FDR’s presidency and the policies they worked for and against. It’s really well written and the author makes this potentially dry subject into a fascinating page turner.

Cohen definitely has an opinion here, but it’s the same as mine, the correct one. He’s trying to show how much that time looked like ours, but the parallels are not hard to make. It shows the different sides and gets into the debates that were going on, and how conflicted many of the people involved were in the programs they were involved in. He emphasizes how much they were just winging it for most part and were willing to try things to see if they worked.

Being from Arizona it was interesting to read the background on Douglas and AZ politics at the time. It gives some perspective on the stupidity going on there now.

Highly recommended.

[schmerguls · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I undertook to read this I did not expect much since the territory it covers seemed so familiar to me from other reading. But I was most pleasantly surprised. The author covers the time through highligting the acts of Raymond Moley, Lewis Douglas, Henry Wallace, Frances perkins, and Harry Hopkins and shows how great the role of the last three named was. In the final chapter he relates the path of each of the five after the 100 Days and shows the really important role played by Wallace, Perkins and Hopkins. I found this a much appreciated account and to my surprise I am giving it what I seldom, it seems, give a book--five stars!

[angelic55blonde · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book. I love this time period and I have read a great deal on the infamous Hundred Days of Franklin D. Roosevelt. This book takes a new look at the Hundred Days by focusing on the advisers close to FDR and how they influenced and shaped the Hundred Days. Each person, such as Francis Perkins, was focused on. Each got a short background history and the author eloquently explained how they got involved with FDR and how they influenced FDR.To go along with all the great information, there are some pictures. I would have liked a few more pictures in the book but since the book is not incredibly long, that is forgivable.This is a great look at the Hundred Days. The book shows that the beginning of the New Deal did not come about by one man alone but by a team of highly intelligent people, some with differing views on the issues at hand, who managed to work together to come up with some of the most well known of FDR's "alphabet soup".I highly recommend this book to everyone. Whether you have never read anything about the New Deal or FDR's presidency or you are an FDR history buff, this book is for you. I know I really enjoyed it and I'm glad I purchased it.