FDR's Folly

How Roosevelt and His New Deal Prolonged the Great Depression

By: Jim Powell

Narrated by: William Hughes

Think FDR was a great president? Think again.

In the minds of historians and the American public alike, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was one of our greatest presidents, not least because he supposedly saved America from the Great Depression. But as historian Jim Powell reveals in this groundbreaking book, Roosevelt's New Deal policies actually prolonged and exacerbated the economic disaster, swelled the federal government, and prevented the country from turning around quickly.

In today's turbulent domestic and global environment, eerily similar to that of the 1930s, it's more important than ever before to uncover and understand the truth of our history, lest we be doomed to repeat it. You'll never look at FDR in the same way again.

©2003 Jim Powell (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Very readable, factual, and insightful - and endorsed by two Nobel Prize-winning economists." (Thomas Sowell, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University)

Roosevelt wasn’t all he’s cracked up to be

Books like this expose the truth about FDR and his policies. WE took years longer to recover thanks to the idiotic policies enacted by him and his cronies.

A Must Listen During These Troubled Times

Just finished this book today and it is a must listen during these troubled economic times. The author provides an excellent review of the major New Deal legislation, policies, and players and the effect that these had on the nation's economy. Definitely worth listening to; I'm going to get the print version!

Excellent Rebuttal of Conventional Wisdom

This is an excellent survey of FDR's damaging actions, and how they ended up extending the Great Depression. It is very relevant to what is going on today. Some of FDR's actions seemed well intentioned, and some were deviously politically motivated. This book reviews taxes to price fixing to union policy to his supreme court packing schemes. An excellent analysis that counters the conventional liberal wisdom that FDR was a great president.

Excellent catalogue of Liberal idiocy

Would you consider the audio edition of FDR's Folly to be better than the print version?

I have not read the book, but the audio was very easy to listen to. The book is a full, generally factual catalogue of FDR's major mistakes with a good synopsis of who, what, when and why. The facts obliterate the false narrative that is still told today on how FDR saved us from the Depression. Jim Powell solidly supports allegations that FDR prolonged the Great Depression and made it much more severe. However, it's definitely one-sided and it doesn't claim to be otherwise. It doesn't give the whole context of FDR's actions and what the practical possibilities were of taking more Libertarian actions. If one only read this book on the Depression, one would think that FDR never did one thing right and would be utterly befuddled as to how FDR was elected FOUR times.Regardless, it is clear that FDR went way over the mark and was clueless on economics as all socialists are. I love Jim Powell's quote which sums up the underlying folly: “New Dealers always seemed to be comparing actual capitalism with ideal government. They judged capitalism by its apparent effects and government by its announced intentions”. Socialists do everything that they accuse capitalists of doing and much worse, but they will look you straight in the eye and based on their own self-righteous authority they will tell you it's okay because it's the government.

What about William Hughes’s performance did you like?

The voice just seems to fit the type of narrative and is never annoying or tiring.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I could have.

Any additional comments?

Now I have to buy the book so I can remember and quote these comprehensive facts when I hear someone say how FDR saved us, which is really annoying. However, I also need to verify and study the facts in the context in which they occurred. I seriously doubt FDR was as terrible as this book tends to imply.

A Great Hidden History

This should be mandatory reading in public schools in America. Knowledge of this book is worth a whole year of US history highschool classes as they are taught now.

FDR's Bloopers

Over the years I've learned a lot about the Great Depression, but I never read anything about FDR's bloopers and how he caused the economic fall. In our textbooks, the former President is a great man with a disability and Commander of Chief during WWII and the attack on Pearl Harbor, but he started the downhill spiral of the country.

FDR ran the country like he was the Godfather of the mafia.

Taxes, more regulations and programs like Social Security were some of his doings. Although these actions were good at the time, the country started the debt deficit in America because it wasn't well run by our president.

We cannot blame FDR because all presidents have their mistakes.

Just look at GWB and his eight years of follies and you will have volumes of books of the aftermath of his mistakes.

Must read for anyone who voted Democrat

A good account of the most misguided president in our history. An exposure of the New Deal for what it really was, backdoor socialism.

Must read for all free people

This is the most enlightening book I’ve ever read. It thoroughly details how governments with potentially good intentions have devastating consequences that disproportionately effect people with lower incomes. It’s an eye opening book.

Excellent, fact-based approach

The author carefully, systematically examines the issues caused by the New Deal. The book incorporates a deep understanding of the relevant data, and was never hard to follow. It departs from the rampant FDR hero worship without becoming a polemic.

History

What made the experience of listening to FDR's Folly the most enjoyable?

I have been recommending this book to every history buff I know. I really enjoyed it.