No Ordinary Time

By: Doris Kearns Goodwin

Narrated by: Edward Herrmann

Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Presenting an aspect of American history that has never been fully told, Doris Kearns Goodwin describes how the isolationist and divided United States of 1940 was unified under the extraordinary leadership of Franklin Roosevelt to become, only five years later, the preeminent economic and military power in the world. Using diaries, interviews, and White House records, Goodwin paints an intimate, detailed portrait not only of the presidency during wartime but also Franklin and Eleanor themselves, as well as their friends, advisers, and family. Bringing to bear the tools of both history and biography, No Ordinary Time relates the unique story of how FDR led the nation to victory in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds and, with Eleanor's essential help, forever changed the fabric of American society.

Listen to Doris Kearns Goodwin talk about this book on C-SPAN's Booknotes (10/25/94).

©1995 Doris Kearns Goodwin, All Rights Reserved (P)1995 Simon & Schuster Inc., All Rights Reserved

Critic reviews

• Winner of the Pulitzer Prize

Moving insights on the Roosevelt’s

No Ordinary Time provides a moving and vivid portrayal of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt—focusing on his presidency and their leadership during World War 2. Godwin’s engaging narrative kept me enthralled.

Brilliant!

Such a wonderful peek into these important lives during a pivotal time in our history.

Great!!!

Loved it! reader's voice was great throughout. The information was presented wonderfully! Learned of Doris Kearns Goodwin from the podcast Presidential from the Washington Post.

A terrific introduction to FDR

Easy to listen to. A compelling story of the personal and political. Listened to it all in a few days.

Very good but overly abridged

This is an interesting portrayal of the Roosevelts during WW II and before. But this 6 hour selection from an unabridged audiobook of over 30 hours focused too much on the admittedly interesting personal aspects and too little on the policy and strategic decisions of FDR. That was apparently the choice made in the decision to abridge so much. A 12-14 hour version would have been better. That said, it repays listening and Hermann does his usual superb job reading! If you want a short take, this is recommended.

Different Approach to the Roosevelt Period

What made the experience of listening to No Ordinary Time the most enjoyable?

Characters' lives/history which I was not aware of prior to this book. An interesting perspective for this period of our history.

What did you like best about this story?

Explanation of reasons for why people behaved as they did.

What does Edward Herrmann bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

Excellent narrartor. Not sure his is better/more applicable than another narrator.

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

no

calm, thorough approach to a long, up and down story

thorough news of the story, great readers, honest, thoughtful telling if the good, the bad, the ugly, well written, great reader, excellent book.

Nice in combo with “Hyde Park on the Hudson”

Any additional comments?

As someone born in the 1960’s who has not read extensively about American presidents nor American involvement in WWII, I found this book very interesting and informative. There was just enough detail for me in this abridged version of the book, which touched on both Mr. and Mrs. Roosevelt’s personal and public lives, primarily during WWII. Someone with a more burning interest in these topics would probably want to read the unabridged version, but for anyone with merely a passing interest, this abridged version is just the right length. Mr. Herrmann’s performance of the book was excellent, and a foreword and afterword are read quite effectively by the author. Having just enjoyed “Hyde Park on the Hudson,” the 2012 movie about Roosevelt starring Bill Murray (an excellent film), this book definitely expanded my understanding of both the man and his times. As I listened, my mind was full of vivid pictures from the film of the president driving his car, looking at his stamp collection, enjoying his daily cocktail hour, and posing for press photos *after* being helped out of his wheelchair so the American public wouldn’t realize the extent of his disability. The book devotes nearly as much time to Eleanor as to her husband (unlike the film) and left me with a much increased understanding of her importance, in both the life of her husband and of our nation.

Inside FDR's White House

Absorbing narrative of the FDR presidency, read by a fine actor who brings all the characters --the President, Eleanor, Winston Churchill and many others -- to vivid life. Quotes from letters and other documents add humor and charm to the epic story of America in WW II under Roosevelt's leadership. Goodwin is a great historian who also has a novelist's gift for telling a story.

Food for thought during another time not ordinary

Wonderfully organized and cogent. The final chapter, read by the author, displays mastery of a complicated period in American history.