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A Companion to Franklin D. Roosevelt

by William D. Pederson
Wiley-Blackwell. (Blackwell Companions to American History). 2011. c.784p. ed. by William D. Pederson. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781444330168. $199.95. HIST
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Pederson (American Studies Endowed Chair & Director of the International Lincoln Center for American Studies, Louisiana State Univ., Shreveport; The FDR Years) presents a comprehensive collection of new essays on all aspects of FDR's presidency. Each writer expertly guides the reader through important themes and areas that have heretofore been in need of further research. The range of essays, each with endnotes and further readings, is impressive; the book covers not only the usual subjects such as the New Deal, foreign relations, and the presidential elections, but other less discussed issues such as conditions and treatment of minorities and land conservation. Some more recent sources for further reading are not here, e.g., Kirstin Downey's The Woman Behind the New Deal.
VERDICT As historiographical essays, they are not intended for the lay reader. For serious students of FDR's presidency, from undergraduates to faculty and scholars, this is an indispensable foundational source. [Pederson has been a longtime LJ book reviewer in American history and biography.—Ed.]
Reviewed by Bryan Craig, Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville , Jul 01, 2011
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