The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt

I got into reading about past Presidents around the time of the inauguration and became very curious about Eleanor Roosevelt when reading about her husband. After reading this three-volume autobiography, I am no longer curious, but I have even more admiration.

If you're very curious about her childhood, then by all means read the first volume, but if not, read the wikipedia article for a summary and skip to the good stuff. The second volume covers her years in the White House and contains many observations about the world and the US at the time. She definitely transforms from a woman unsure of herself at the beginning of her family life to an insightful commentator on world events. Roosevelt spends more time in the third volume detailing show more her own worldview as a member of the UN delegation and Civil Rights committee. The topics on which she spends the most time are colored heavily by the mounting Communist threat at the time she wrote that volume (around 1961), but her convictions that all people deserve basic human rights and that we all have a responsibility to bring about a world in which possession of these rights are the bare minimum to be expected are still as prescient and important today as ever. I enjoyed getting to know Eleanor thoroughly. show less

I didn't give this book 5 stars due to its entertainment value or writing style, but for its articulation of her values, trajectory of her personal growth, information, and inspiration. I'm glad I listened to her speak in her own voice before reading anyone else's perspective on her life and thoughts.

I love Eleanor Roosevelt and it is interesting to hear her life story in her own words. I was shocked to see that she was so timid and not assertive in her early years, as I always thought of her as self assured and knowing the right thing to do (and being willing to do it). My only problem with this book is that sometimes it seems to be missing parts of her life (I understand she wrote a three volume autobiography and this is a distillation of those three books) while sometimes she stays on a certain subject for a long time.

Eleanor Roosevelt had a very nice writing style. Her autobiography is very easy to read and quite insightful.

I think she was proof that wisdom does come with age. For the time she must have been quite something. She was definitely a woman with an opinion. Reading about all her travels I also find interesting. I like the fact she is quite down to earth and to the point about everything that's included in this book.

However, once again I picked up a book about (and this time also by) and American and the anti-communist thing is getting sooooo old. Thankfully we have history after her death to prover her ideas wrong. Also the view of America as world leader is even older and boring! Again, history is proving her wrong.

Besides those two show more things I find this book very interesting and it gives a nice view of the times and her personal development. show less

What a fascinating woman and what a dry, boring book! I must find a biography of Eleanor!

the best of my life
a great life. many things about frankie and her kids left out but she can do that.

Boring.