Franklin and Lucy: President Roosevelt, Mrs. Rutherfurd, and the Other Remarkable Women in His Life

By Joseph E. Persico

“Just when you thought you knew everything about Franklin D. Roosevelt, think again. Joseph E. Persico [is] one of America’s finest historians. . . . You can’t properly understand FDR the man without reading this landmark study.”—Douglas Brinkley, professor of history at Rice University 

“Persico’s exploration of FDR’s emotional life is fascinating.”—USA Today

In Franklin and Lucy, acclaimed author and historian Joseph E. Persico explores FDR’s romance with Lucy Rutherfurd. Persico’s provocative conclusions about their relationship are informed by a revealing range of sources, including never-before-published letters and documents from Lucy Rutherfurd’s estate that attest to the intensity of the affair, which lasted much longer than was previously acknowledged.FDR’s connection with Lucy also creates an opportunity for Persico to take a more penetrating look at the other women in FDR’s life. We come to see more clearly how FDR’s infidelity contributed to Eleanor Roosevelt’s eventual transformation from a repressed Victorian to perhaps the greatest American woman of her century; how FDR’s strong-willed mother helped to strengthen his resolve in overcoming personal and public adversity; and how both paramours and platonic friends completed the world that FDR inhabited. In focusing on Lucy Rutherfurd and the other women who mattered to Roosevelt, Persico renders the most intimate portrait yet of an enigmatic giant of American history.

Praise for Franklin and Lucy

“Persico is judicious in his treatment of these sensitive matters. . . . He understands that Lucy Mercer helped FDR awaken his capacity for love and compassion, and thus helped him become the man to whom the nation will be eternally in debt.”—The Washington Post Book World

“A stylish and well-written book filled with interesting characters, marital dramas and spylike subterfuge.”—Chicago Tribune

“A powerful narrative that rarely fails to pull you along to the next chapter.”—Louisville Courier-Journal
“Utterly absorbing.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Apr 29, 2008
• ISBN: 9781588367259

Reviews for Franklin and Lucy

[schmerguls · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

5465, Franklin and Lucy President Roosevelt, Mrs. Rutherfurd, and the Other Remarkable Women in His Life, by Joseph E. Persico (read 27 Apr 2017) I decided to read this book because I was so impressed by the author's book Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour about the end of World War One, which I read 5 Sep 2005. Ths book on FDR and his love life is expertly organized and tells the story with unfailing interest, even though the author includes a lot of gossip and hearsay and maybe pays too much attention to comments and opinions of people not too knowledgeable. One cannot of course admire the moral failings of the people he tells about, but the account is absorbingly interesting and his concluding chapters say many good and true things about the President, his wife, and Lucy and the events related of those so poignant days in April 1945 (which I remember so well, though I of course knew nothing of Lucy nor of dire state of FDR's health) are super poignant. This book is surely the definitive book on the whole situation.

[candyschultz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Other bibliophiles may recognize this situation: there comes a point in some books when you just have to accept the fact that you are not going to bed until you finish. I can count on my fingers the number of times that has happened to me. Obviously different books for different people but FDR, along with Churchill, are stellar examples of leaders to me and I enjoy learning more about them.I have read several other books by Joseph Persico, most notably Roosevelt's Secret War. The content of Franklin and Lucy was almost entirely new to me. I came away with a totally different, much more intimate, portrait of Franklin and Eleanor. I have to admit I have not read much biographical information on either of them. I now await several biographies of both Roosevelts.Franklin and Lucy studies the women in his life, from his mother Sara to Eleanor, Lucy Rutherford, Missy LeHand and various other cousins and admirers. The most in-depth background information is on Eleanor, Sara and Lucy - the three women who had the most profound effect on FDR. Both Sara and Eleanor were products of the Victorian era. Sara, being older, was never able to rise above the Victorian mores of her time and social set. As both Sara and Franklin almost perished during his birth, she never had another child and Franklin was doted on as a companion, one she loathed to relinquish, and treated as her obedient son even when he occupied the White House. It seems apparent that this early pattern gave Franklin the need he always seemed to have for feminine approval and admiration.At the turn of the century the "400" more or less ruled society, industry and government. Their standards for acceptance were shallow, including good looks, inherited wealth, correct breeding etc. It was frowned upon in this group to work hard for grades in school which somewhat explains FDR's rather poor showing as a "C" student.Sara had inherited wealth as well as the standards of her time and, as FDR was an only child, she spoiled him badly. Her wealth provided him with residences beginning with a 'Gold Coast' apartment at Harvard, decorated by her, to side by side townhouses after his marriage to Eleanor. Sara appears to have been not particularly intelligent or imaginative. When she purchased the side by side housing arrangement she had doors cut between the two residences, allowing her to 'pop in' at will. Thus the stage was set for a battle of wills that Eleanor was ill-equipped to win. Apparently Sara was never able to see the wrongness of her control over both Eleanor and Franklin. She was also a bad third court of appeal when the children began to grow up. Their parents might decide one thing but they could turn to Granny who would immediately favor them with a happier outcome. Thus she undermined the parenting of both Eleanor and Franklin.Eleanor was also a product of Victorian mores albeit in a far more draconian way than Sara. She, however, was a more intelligent and curious woman than her mother-in-law. Eleanor was orphaned at an early age and sent with her brother to live with her grandmother. Her childhood was Dickensian to say the least. Eleanor was not blessed with beauty and, in a family known for attractive women, she was cruelly reminded of her uselessness by everyone from her mother to cousin Alice. I have never seen the use of these sort of people but the deliberate cruelty to one of their own family is despicable. Young women of Eleanor's generation learned nothing of sex or sexuality and to quote one of her cousins "The 'purebred' New England woman, when she finally married, knew her duty, lay on her bed, and murmured to herself, as the husband approached, 'for God, for country and for Yale.'" Such was the likely state of Eleanor's knowledge as she approached the marriage bed. Everyone knows how Eleanor subsequently turned out. Knowing the deprivations of her childhood and her lack of self esteem it is easy to understand why she became a champion of so many underdogs. Eleanor as she matured was able to step away from the prejudices of her time - be they religious, racial, gender or class. What is not commonly known is the immediate impetus for her maturity. This lies in the story of Lucy Rutherford and Franklin's affair which she discovered accidentally in 1918.Lucy was another Victorian era child whose monetary fortune did not fare as well as Eleanor and Franklin's. Descended from wealth, Lucy's worthless parents had impoverished themselves by the time she was a young woman. Forced to do something to keep a roof over their heads, Lucy took a job as Eleanor's secretary. The rest is history and you should read the book to find out the details. I had never heard of Lucy Rutherford prior to this book and, after the affair was discovered, it was assumed she left FDR's life. Letters recently discovered by some of her descendants have shown this to be untrue and were the impetus for the book. Lucy was an essential part of FDR's life up until the moment of his death. She was at his side, rather than Eleanor, when that moment came.Persico does an excellent job of providing the information which allows you to see how Sara's early influence on Franklin made it always necessary that he have women around to listen to and admire him; women who did not demand anything of him. Eleanor was a dynamo and unable to do this. Rather, she was always asking things of him - altruistic things - but demanding nonetheless. After he became President, Eleanor was unable to appreciate that, in order to cope with the pressures he was handling, he sometimes just needed a short time to do nothing. That was when Eleanor would descend on him with projects. All this made his time with Lucy the more precious. Lucy had the gift of gracious listening so necessary to a man leading his country into a devastating war. During those years she was more essential than ever to FDR.Persico makes a few comments on the morality of FDR's liaisons but, like me, he is not judgmental. He quotes Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. at the end of the book (If Lucy Mercer) "in any way helped Franklin Roosevelt sustain the frightful burdens of leadership in the second world war, the nation has good reason to be grateful to her." I certainly am. I am grateful to Joseph Persico as well for writing such a compelling book. It will not be published until the end of this month (April). If you are a history fan you will want to read this one.

[wcath · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Joseph Persico’s examination of the women in Franklin Roosevelt’s life is an intriguing book. The premise is that FDR was tremendously influenced by the women in his life, from his domineering mother to his extraordinary wife. The book centers on an extra-marital affair that lasted throughout his adult life however, it also touches on several other possible dalliances. Lucy Mercer Rutherford was a confidante of Franklin’s for most of his adult life. She, along with a handful of other women, had Roosevelt’s ear and his approval and love for many, many difficult years.I received this book as part of the Early Reviewer program. As mainly a fiction reader, this program has made it possible for me to branch out and read some things that I might not ordinarily have picked up. This book is a prime example. It took me a bit longer to read, but I enjoyed it immensely and learned some things about an important period in America’s history along the way. Perhaps my time would have been better spent on a more straight-forward history of Roosevelt’s presidency, but I figure that I still have plenty of time for that!

[hereandthere_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sure Jean Edward Smith's FDR is a more serious political biography, but this is a lot more interesting. It would be too dismissive to call this the National Enquirer version of Roosevelt, as if it merely addressed our curiosity about who really had sex with whom, when and why. While Persico's telling reveals FDR as a shallow cad, it also shows him grow and change and reveals and explores his famed exuberant resilience. Then, also, FDR did have a unique position - do ordinary human expectations apply? Does self-absorbtion and a desire to be adored and served by many women while maintaining his emotional distance constitute a character defect for one in his position or is that kind of polygamy merely an inevitable component of the personality and desire of any emperor? I would modestly suggest that if the names Missy LeHand and Lucy Rutherford don't immediately spring to mind when you think of FDR, then, like me, you may have until now missed certain deep truths about the 1920s to 1940s in FDR's America. This is a book that can and should shape one's understanding of the play of power, sex and personality. It is revealing. Through it all, there is Eleanor, always the odd woman out, working through her own place and agenda in the prison that was the Roosevelt marriage and White House, and ultimately finding her own freedom. Watching the cavortings and machinations of powerful upper class families in the early 20th century, tracing the interplay of sex, money and power in their lives, is like watching a train wreck - interesting, horrifying, painful, and entertaining. In the end, the humanity of the Roosevelts and their friends and allies shines through in Persico's narrative. I found myself unable to dislike these self-important people to nearly the extent that my class biases predispose me. Of the two recent studies of Roosevelt that I've read, this one certainly seems to get closer to the heart of the man, situating him at the center of his own gravitational force field, a Sun King, around whom men, women and an entire era ultimately revolved.
October 5 2009

[socialchild_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The title Franklin and Lucy is a bit deceptive as the book also discusses Mrs Roosevelt and theories about her inner circle of friends. As a "fan" of the Roosevelts, biographies, and a amateur historian I found the book interesting and am glad to make it a part of my library but I consider some of the information more speculative than based on facts-especially when it came to Mrs. Roosevelt.It did not seem to take into fact for instance that people when writing letters to friends tended to be a bit flowery and the language a bit different. As, example, a writer did not mean "my dearest" in the way we might intend it today.

[blankenbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Persico's portraits of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt is not just engaging, but engrossing as it explores the intimate details of a very complicated relationship between a pair of publically strong but privately challenged egos.In many ways this story shows the strength of an early-20th-century female icon facing society's tendency to avert its eyes from the potentially debilitating flaws that inevitably color the strong personality of her very charismatic husband. How steady would Franklin have been without the tenacious faithfulness of Eleanor? And how driven would Eleanor have been without carrying the disappointments and scars of her years with an openly unfaithful mate? An excellent look at what was truly heroic about the lives of one of America's first "power couples."

[memasmb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely an interesting book about the life of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He never would have been able to get away with his behavior today. The press would have been all over him.Is it just our presidents that engaged in this life style?A fascinating read that explained the history of his illness.

[smithwil_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book should have been titled Franklin and the Many Women in his Life or something like that. It has much more depth than just Franklin and Lucy suggests. The book read well; Persico writes with a style of narrative that feels like fiction rather then non-fiction.I have only read a couple of other books on Franklin Roosevelt but this gave me a good feel for the many challenges he faced and how he handled them.

[exvivre · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Franklin & Lucy is one of the more interesting biographies of FDR. Rather than focusing on his policies and the wars, Persico approaches Franklin Roosevelt's life through his relationships with women. The resulting portrait is not particularly endearing, but it's substantially more human than the standard, greatest-president-ever fare. In these days of 24-hour media saturation, it's hard to imagine how so much secrecy was maintained, even within the White House.

[carioca_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is not an easy task to tap into a prominent historical figure's marriage to another prominent historical figure... The author does it well though and manages to maintain an impartial approach through all of it. I have read other works on the presidency of FDR and on FDR the man, but this book addresses a more particular, even personal aspect of his life that has frequently been glossed over in other works to date. A good read.

[karen_o_23 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although the title of this book leads one to believe that the focus is on FDR and his relationship with Lucy Rutherford, in fact the subtitle is more accurate as the book reviews the President's relationship with many. many women in his life, including the pivotal one with his mother. In the end though I felt an enormous sympathy with his wife, Eleanor, and hope she understood that a man of Franklin's ego requires that sort of adoration from many and it had nothing, really, to do with her.

[walkonmyearth · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Franklin Roosevelt's legacy was larger than life; and Eleanor Roosevelt was the matriarch of the U.S. In my mind Eleanor Roosevelt connected our country to all of Europe - that was my impression as I grew up in my post WWII years. Reading Joseph Persico's 'Franklin and Lucy' invited me into a circle of the Roosevelts' acquaintances, friends, family, and hangers-on. I felt as if I were visiting each character, attentively listening as he or she related the role played, the relationship imagined or manifested, and observations of other players in the lives of these two great people. In these many visits and conversations, certain facts were repeated once or twice, as experienced by different people. At first I found this a bit annoying, but chose to see the repetition as an emphasis of specific information, reflecting on the character of subject.Perhaps Eleanor gave the best description of herself and of her husband when she wrote, "You build a facade for everyone to see and you live separately inside the facade." Because a person doesn't emotionally react to rumors, vile comments, or a philandering husband, doesn't ignore the depth of pain on the inside. Yet Eleanor chose to live behind the facade and stay her path.Franklin Roosevelt, born with gifts of wealth, status, and apparently an undeniable magnetism and charm, used all his 'inheritance' to fulfill his political plans and sexual needs - but all on his terms.With all the false names, paramours, back roads, secrets, and clandestine meetings, Persico avoids a seamy web and straight-forwardly presents a well documented and very human portrait of the Roosevelt relationship.On a side note, as a library worker, I appreciate that in his acknowledgements, Mr. Persico specifically thanks the many libraries and staff. I also appreciated the keyed notes to primary and secondary references. sage Feb. 28, 2009

[eduscapes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've read other books about the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt along with books such as Closest Companion: The Unknown Story of the Intimate Relationship Between Franklin Roosevelt and Margaret Suckley, so I was excited when I saw Franklin and Lucy: Roosevelt, Mrs. Rutherfurd, and the Other Remarkable Women in His Life by Joseph Perisco on the LibraryThing Early Reviewer list.With so many books available on this topic, I wondered what new information Joseph Persico would provide. I was happily surprised by the result. The book is filled with interesting stories that have been overlooked by other authors focusing on FDR's life.Let's explore three elements that make this book particularly effective.First, the conversational approach made the book read more like a novel than a word of nonfiction. Persico's writing style made the book easy and enjoyable reading.Second, the broader focus on the women in Franklin's life provided different perspectives than is often found in books about FDR. I'd recommend changing the title to Franklin and his Remarkable Women because Lucy is only one of many women in Franklin's life.Third, Persico did an outstanding job making the players in Franklin's life feel multidimensional. Rather than whitewashing unpleasant aspects their lives or promoting the scandalous elements, the author finds the humanity in each character.Franklin and Lucy is an excellent addition to the many wonderful works related to FDR and the women around him.

[karenthecroccy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. What an intimate portrait of a man who is well respected in history! We all know about Eleanor Roosevelt and how she shook stodgy Victorian ways and became a woman who was often quoted in regards to subjects such as feminism. It's known that she had lesbian love affairs, but I never realized that FDR, too, wasn't faithful in his marriage.I find it fascinating how the childhoods of presidents and first ladies effect the way they govern the people. The backgrounds of both FDR and Eleanor are fascinating. I also quite enjoyed learning more about Lucy Rutherford's background as well. I prefer that history celebrate the whole person. This book does not paint anyone in a positive light, rather it shows the people for who they were, flawed or not.

[willowone_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I agree with reviewer "inkstained". I guess I just don't know enough about FDR to really get into this book. I have picked it up and put it down on more than one occasion. I really feel that to read an autobiography you have to already know a little about the person and be interested to know more. I thought that FDR's marriage was good, at least that is what we were shown. I am struggling to get through this book and may just end of giving up all together. My agreement with "inkstained" is that it is through no fault of the author.

[verbafacio · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Joe Persico deftly takes on a delicate subject -- the status of Franklin Roosevelt's marriage to Eleanor. Relations between these two well-loved figures were notoriously strained, though this was not common knowledge during their lifetimes. Following an affair between FDR and Lucy Mercer in the 1910s, the marriage became more of a platonic partnership. After that, Franklin surrounded himself with the companionship of several significant women. Whether these relationships were sexual is unknown, but the relationships were certainly a major part of his life. Persico does an excellent job of explaining how these close friendships both shaped and revealed his character. This book provides a great look at Roosevelt, the man, beyond Roosevelt the President.

[jgv6442 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've always found Franklin Roosevelt to be the most interesting of our former presidents. He presided over not one, but two national crises (the Depression and World War II), was elected to an unprecedented four terms, was a powerful and inspiring speaker, and he did all of this while concealing the fact that he was crippled as a result of a bout with polio. In Franklin and Lucy, Joseph Parsico looks at FDR's relationships with the women in his life. This, of course, includes his mother, his wife, and his eldest daughter, Anna, but equally important to him it seems was Lucy Rutherford. Persico, through the use of letters and other documents, that theirs was clearly an affair of the heart even if it is unclear if there was every any physical infidelity. It would be easy to judge Roosevelt harshly for the long term relationship he had with Lucy, and certainly the hurt he caused Eleanor was unconscionable, but Persico doesn't offer us any villains in this story, just human beings with the regular compliment of needs and foibles. It just so happens that two of these human beings, Franklin and Eleanor, were major historical figures. That's really the strength of this book, the way it depicts the Roosevelts, for all their power and influence and greatness, as people and not the icons they've become. I'm left wondering, if Eleanor had found happiness in her marriage, would she have been half as accomplished a person as she ultimately was? What of Franklin? Persico does a fair job exploring why FDR needed the other women in his life, that Eleanor, while being an ideal match intellectually, was incapable of providing him with the emotional nourishment that he needed, but for as much genuine affection as he shows to Lucy and others such as Missy LeHand (sometimes called his "surrogate spouse), there's also a selfishness to it all, he doesn't seem to be able to give all that much back. Does he get a pass, as some quoted in the book seem willing to give him, because of the suffering he endured or the great pressure he was under? It's not for me to judge, but it was certainly interesting to read about.

[raspberryvixen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's amazing when you read a book like this and you find out just exactly how much you DIDN'T know about such a very important historical person, even though a good portion of their life was always right out there in the open for all to see. I was under the impression the FDR and Eleanor had a loving, caring marriage. They might have had one that was loving at one point in time, but little did I know that they spent most of their time going in separate directions!I couldn't put this book down. This book was about FDR on a much more personal level than most, and it delved rather deep. It was fascinating to read about all of the different women that passed through FDR's sphere and how he dealt with them. Very in depth, and I was honestly riveted.

[inkstained · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've started and stopped this book several times and not been able to get through it, likely through no fault of the author's. Having lacked a thorough knowledge of FDR's presidency, I thought a study of his romantic life might be an entertaining introduction to a period of American history I'm not well-versed in. I was wrong. I'm sure this is actually a very good book, but it's not for the beginning armchair historian. Read up on FDR's life first and the events current to his life first and then read this to fill in some of the more sordid details.

[jfballenger · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a fascinating book about the web of romantic relationships surrounding Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, and an exploration of the importance of these relationships to the most consequential presidential administration in the twentieth century, and perhaps all of U.S. history. After FDR’s affair during WW I with Eleanor’s personal assistant Lucy Mercer Rutherford nearly ended their marriage, both Eleanor and Franklin became involved in a number of relationships outside of their marriage that, while it cannot be established that they were overtly sexual (though in at least one case for each of them it seems quite likely), were intensely romantic and profoundly important to both of them. Persico shows how Eleanor’s relationship with her bodyguard Earl Miller, and more importantly with the journalist Lorena Hickock helped her to grow from a typically reserved Victorian upper class woman to the most remarkably expansive, broad-minded and activist first lady in history. While FDR continued to love Eleanor, and in some ways came to respect and even depend on her for her conscience and knowledge of public issues, after his affair their marriage was, at her insistence, completely celibate, and he relied for the female companionship he needed and, Persico thinks likely, for sexual intimacy on several other women over the course of some twenty-five years. Most importantly, Persico’s research reveals that FDR’s relationship with Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd did not end as has widely been believed, but continued furtively throughout his presidency. Persico is sensitive and insightful, and his judgments about what seems likely to have happened when the evidence is indeterminate reflects a generous but not naïve reading of human nature and the situation and motivations of the particular people he writes about. His writing is sympathetic in the best sense of the term -- avoiding moralizing platitudes to help the reader better understand his subjects. However, Persico fails to make a convincing case for his assertion that these relationships were central to FDR’s presidency. While it’s clear that FDR depended on Lucy and other women for companionship and intimacy, and that this might have contributed in some way to his character – just as his disability did – it does not seem that they concretely affected his thinking on any particular policy matters. That appears to have remained the province of Eleanor herself. Still, on the whole this is a fascinating book to read – history that makes for enjoyable beach reading.

[laytonwoman3rd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It has been many years since I last indulged my fascination with Franklin Roosevelt’s life and Presidency by reading a new biography. As its subtitle implies, this one concentrates on his relationships with women, their influences on him and his considerable impact on their lives. Although much of the information in Franklin and Lucy had a comfortably familiar feel to it, Persico’s style is very reader-friendly, and I found myself thoroughly engrossed. The title of this book, Franklin and Lucy, is a bit misleading. Although it was prompted by the recent discovery of letters establishing that Roosevelt and his lady-love, Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd, were in communication during a long period of time when it had previously been thought that their relationship had ended, it is not primarily about their connection. I believe I Iearned more of interest about FDR’s dependence on his mother, Eleanor’s coping mechanisms, and the Eleanor/FDR marriage, than I did about the love affair with Lucy. I found myself disliking the man, pitying his wife, and wondering about the magnetism that bound so many women to him. It is no secret by now that throughout his presidency, Franklin Roosevelt was “involved” with women other than his wife. He was a strikingly handsome young man, and before being stricken with polio in 1921, a very athletic one as well. He was always attractive to -- and attracted by-- women, and that did not stop when he became confined to a wheelchair. He clearly had a dynamic personality that made him irresistible to certain women, even when he treated them in a cavalier manner, as he often seemed to do. It is no surprise, either, that his mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt, was a dominant influence in most all aspects of his life, with the singular exception of his decision to marry distant cousin Eleanor. Nevertheless, Persico’s treatment of these and other relationships in FDR’s life is insightful, and takes the reader a bit deeper into the territory than anyone I have read before. It also treats extensively of Eleanor's own emotional attachments to various men and women who came in and out of her life over the years.Persico makes much of Eleanor Roosevelt’s shock and disappointment upon finding letters to her husband which eliminated any doubt about his extra-marital liaison with her former social secretary. (Earlier, suspecting too much chemistry between FDR and Lucy Mercer, Eleanor had fired Lucy under pretense of economizing, only to find her employed in Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin Roosevelt’s office in the blink of an eye.) Although Eleanor offered Franklin a divorce at that point, and he was quite inclined to accept, his mother emphatically refused to allow it. Roosevelts did not get divorced, in any case, and it would be tantamount to political suicide for Franklin at the time. Sara controlled the bank accounts; Franklin and Eleanor saw reason. It is sobering to contemplate what the second half of the 20th century might have been like if FDR had put his personal happiness ahead of his ambition in 1918 by divorcing his wife and marrying Lucy Mercer.If you’re looking for an analysis of Roosevelt as a politician, a world leader, or a President, this book won’t give it to you. If you’d like a more personal perspective, it’s rich with material and well worth reading.

[jmeisen_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The author has taken an unusual but ultimately successful approach by viewing FDR and his life and times through the women in his life, from his mother Sara and his wife Eleanor to the many women with whom he had relationships of more or less intimacy, including the well-known Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd. His access to previously unavailable papers belonging to Mrs. Rutherfurd, as well as the great mass of other material he used, contributes to this sometimes startling portrait of an often selfish, self-absorbed man who nonetheless was one of our greatest presidents, married to arguably the greatest American woman of the 20th century.While a devoted amateur of American history and government, I am no FDR expert. I learned a great deal about both Franklin and Eleanor that I had not known, and it is fascinating. Persico does a remarkable job helping the reader understand the social and emotional climate in which the Roosevelts lived. He is less successful, though he tries valiantly, at explaining why a man like Franklin Roosevelt — "an Adonis," prior to his crippling by polio, who spent his life charming everyone he met — would marry a woman like Eleanor, who could charitably be described as plain and suffered from low self-esteem and a lack of many of the "womanly virtues" of the time. What is clear is that while their marriage was an emotional failure, their partnership was a brilliant success, and the United States is the better for it (despite the invective some on the right still fling at the Roosevelts, particularly Eleanor).It's clear that many great men have had personal lives that were — to put it politely — messy. It is also clear that a man like Roosevelt could not have behaved as he did in today's atmosphere. Persico argues, convincingly, that the women in Roosevelt's life met his emotional needs in ways that allowed him to be the great man he was. It is for the reader to ponder whether the close scrutiny of politicians today is for better or for worse.

[minfo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So many words have been written about the life and times of FDR, it's impossible to keep from re-reading the same phrases over and over again. Each new biography sounds invariably like parts were lifted from other sources yet in this work, it's clear that the author did strive to present his material in way which remained true to the title. Rather than just rehashing old gossip with an emphasis on titillation, Mr. Persico has offered his readers a broad lesson in the life and times of FDR seen through the prism of his interactions with the women surrounding him. In most cases, he has refrained from pseudo-psychoanalysis that belabors so many similar works. If you've never read an FDR biography, this would be an interesting starting place; if you're an FDR admirer, you may find far too many warts exposed to enjoy this work. I personally found it a good read, buttressed by credible scholarship.

[doondeck · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Insightful portrait of FDR in the light of the women in his life. His love of Lucy and Missy and his dalliances with other women were reflective of how much he respected and loved them rather than for his own gratification. The interlaced story of Eleanor makes the book all the more interesting.

[chellinsky · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fascinating look into FDR's personal life--namely the women that affected him the most. Having read a number of histories on WWII and one on FDR, I still found the book enlightening. Persico weaves the stories from FDR's female companions and love interests into the familiar narrative of FDR's life to reveal interesting details. The downside of the book is that while it expounds upon the personal details of FDR's life in a new way, it does not dig too deeply into how these relationships affected his major geopolitical decisions. There are some notable exceptions--e.g. his decision to stay with Eleanor for political/family reasons. However, to bump this book from four to five stars, the author should have tried to demonstrate what, if any, link existed between the women and FDR's actions. Overall, the writing and depth of research were excellent and the book is well worth the effort to read.

[shortride · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting approach to the FDR story, approaching the tale through his interactions with women. It seamlessly worked the new material about Lucy Rutherford into the mix. The only criticism I had wa that it didn't seem particularly weighty.

[rosecityreader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Franklin and Lucy is an intimate look into the personal life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the women close to him. Joseph Persico examines the roles played by Roosevelt’s mother, wife, dearest lover, closest companion, daughter, and a cadre of others. While Persico occasionally makes assumptions based on no more than reasonable speculation, most of his conclusions are well-supported and persuasive. The title is somewhat misleading in suggesting that the book focuses primarily on Lucy Mercer Rutherford, who became Franklin’s lover while working as Eleanor’s personal secretary during World War I, but then played only a peripheral role in his life until late in his third term as President. Persico’s point seems to be that Lucy was Franklin’s true love. However, the same point could have been made about Missy LeHand, Franklin’s long-time secretary and best friend, who lived with him for decades. Although the timing is fuzzy, a case could be made that, had Franklin not discarded Missy when she suffered a series of mental and physical breakdowns, she, not Lucy, would have deserved top billing in the book’s title.Just to describe this minor flaw in the book is to demonstrate its absorbing appeal. Persico keeps the tone personal rather than prurient, but the intimate details are thoroughly discussed. He shows Franklin’s domineering mother Sara using the family purse strings to direct Franklin’s life. He explores Eleanor’s complex relationship as simultaneous inspiration and aggravation, as well as describing her own personal intrigues as she led her parallel life as an international do-gooder. He considers Franklin’s lifelong appeal to women and his delight in their company, despite being crippled by polio.Although designed to fit a niche in collection of FDR biographies, Franklin and Lucy provides enough context to provide a good introduction to the man’s life. The book is entertaining, thorough, and readable.

[neilandlisa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Franklin and Lucy: President Roosevelt, Mrs. Rutherfurd and the Other Remarkable Women in His Life, by Joseph Persico, is a fascinating look at a side of FDR few of us have seen. Lucy (Mercer) Rutherfurd, with whom Roosevelt had a long-standing affair, is the main focus, but the author also examines his relationships with his wife Eleanor, his mother Sara, his private secretary Missy LeHand and FDR's cousins Daisy and Polly. There have been countless books written about Roosevelt and his presidency over the years, but Persico does a fine job of re-examining the man's life and times from a very different perspective. Having slogged through Conrad Black's 1,300-page opus four years ago, I can safely say that this was a refreshing change of pace and I enjoyed it very much. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in FDR and his personal life behind the scenes both at the White House and before his election.

[oberon_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Franklin and Lucy, written by Joseph Persico, is an in-depth of examination of the life Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the relationships that shaped him. The title refers to Lucy (Mercer) Rutherfurd with whom FDR had long running affair. However, the scope of the book is much broader than just FDR’s relationship with Rutherfurd. Persico goes to great lengths to describe the inner workings of the Roosevelt clan and the influence that various members, many of whom are women, had on FDR’s career and family life. Persico does an admirable job of not only explaining the personalities of the people he is writing about but also of the times and social mores of the people. Ultimately, it was this broader picture of America slowly transitioning from an aristocracy where class and breeding were the hallmarks of leadership to a broader, more diverse society that was the most interesting component of the book. Franklin and Lucy puts this time in perspective and explains how the social mores of the time dictated FDR’s actions and the actions of his family. The book also provides a context for understanding how such “open” secrets as FDR’s affairs were handled by the media and peers. This context is helpful in understanding not only FDR’s personal failings but also how he was able to largely conceal his paralysis from polio from the broader public. Persico leaves little doubt that the many women in FDR’s life had an impact upon the man. Left unanswered (and perhaps unanswerable) is the extent that these relations had upon his policies and leadership. Even with the bigger questions unanswered, Franklin and Lucy is an entertaining and informative look at the makings of one of the giants of American history.

[spacecommuter · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I feel guilty reading books like this. I firmly believe that we've gone overboard scruitinizing the personal lives of politicians - there have been adulterers for as long as there has been a republic but SUDDENLY we think it affects matters of state? Our politicians are getting meaner and duller with every passing election now that we've made probity a prerequisite for office. And that's why I held my nose when I opened this book. I just don't think FDR's monkey business is any of my business.That being said, it is a fun book to read. It's great as a social history of an era, an amazing study of character and personal choices, particularly the depth of detail the author goes into with FDR's paralysis after his polio attack. The book chronicles many affairs he allegedly had over the decades, and the damage they did to Eleanor's psyche. Lucy always remains a bit of a mystery, especially because none of her letters survived so her voice can't be heard, and the author uses her elusiveness to stand in for her allure. The author probably never intended anyone to say this about his book, and wouldn't even know what I was talking about anyway, but this book is a lot like the HBO series Entourage. Both, in addition to being titillating, are really good instructions for women on how to behave around powerful men. Both teach women to never be demanding, except by asking their big strong lovers for help in ego-boosting ways, and to always listen, to always greet their men like gods, to never bore their men or wear them down with stories about themselves, to find their men handsome and charming, hilarious and intimidating, and to service their every need and vanity. And most importantly - to go away when they are not convenient and pick up exactly where they left off when men want to reach back in time and embrace the lovers of their youth to feel young again themselves, like Lucy did for Franklin. Ick! According to the author, Eleanor always wanted Franklin to show some interest in her pet causes, always disturbed him with talk of work at breakfast and cocktail hour, and often browbeat him into working on something the moment she mentioned it instead of later. He casts her as a villain for putting the country's affairs before her husband's and trying to get him to do things instead of just serving him. It's pretty disgusting to read, actually, so I clearly don't have what it takes to be a presidential mistress myself, but it's fascinating to know what Not To Do in a marriage to a self-important man.