| Details | | Publication Date: | 1996-03-01 |
| Size | | Length: | 298 pages | | Height: | 9.8 in | | Width: | 6.5 in | | Thickness: | 1.0 in | | Weight: | 23.2 oz |
Publisher's Note
Just as Franklin Delano Roosevelt is believed by many to have revolutionized the American presidency, his wife Eleanor Roosevelt wrought great changes on the role of First Lady. But unlike other women of her stature, she did not let her political career come to an end when her husband died in 1945.
In this fascinating and provocative new book, Allida Black examines Eleanor Roosevelt's profound influence on the Democratic party and civil rights organizations during the seventeen years of the life she led after her husband's death.
"Casting Her Own Shadow" shows how Eleanor Roosevelt, after being freed from the constraints imposed on her by her role in the White House, eagerly expanded her career and unabashedly challenged both the Democratic party and American liberals to practice what they preached.
While her progressive determination won her praise in some quarters, it also provoked venomous press attacks, and even assassination attempts. At one point, the Ku Klux Klan reportedly put a bounty on her head. Whether the issue was civil rights, opposing the House Un-American Activities Committee, defending Alger Hiss, or questioning John F. Kennedy's character, Eleanor Roosevelt continually asserted that civil liberties and civil rights were the cornerstones of American democracy.
"Casting Her Own Shadow" takes a unique approach to the much-studied woman, synthesizing the political and the personal by viewing this courageous woman through the wide lens of political history rather than strict biography. Looking at Eleanor Roosevelt as the consummate liberal power broker, Black shows how she was a significant political player independent of FDR.
Enriched with a number of never-before-published photographs, "Casting Her Own Shadow" revitalizes the legacy of this important figure in American political history. Allida Black opens new windows in the fields of 20th-century American history and women's history, offering in the process a fresh perspective on the crisis of American liberalism today.
Unlike other women of her stature, Eleanor Roosevelt did not let her political career come to an end when her husband died in 1945. In this fascinating and provocative new book, Black examines Eleanor Roosevelt's profound influence on the Democratic party and civil rights organizations during the 17 years of the life she led after her husband's death. Photos.
Industry Reviews
"Black makes a very good case that Eleanor Roosevelt was an accomplished politician, who understood how to use committees, organizations, newspaper columns, the well-placed telephone call to the right person."
Davis
"A most important book, written with verve and filled with new information. The issues discussed here are the most urgent issues of our time: human rights and racial justice; civil liberties and political repression; affordable housing, health care, and education; war and peace. Eleanor Roosevelt's vision remains a beacon of hope in our mean and controversial time, and this book vividly presents the dramatic and enduring challenge of her boldly liberal vision.<BR><BR>"Allida Black's splendid research fortifies this compelling, heroic story. Everyone interested in the ongoing battles of the 20th century, everyone concerned about women and power, biography and history, politics and the future, will want to read this book."
Publisher's Catalog - Blanche Wiesen Cook
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