All American presidents are commanders in chief by law. Not all have performed as such in practice. In his new book, in Roosevelt’s Centurions, distinguished historian Joseph Persico reveals how, during World War II, Franklin Roosevelt seized the levers of wartime power like no president since Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War.
Prior to beginning his career as a historian and biographer, Joseph Persico was chief speechwriter for New York governor and later U.S. vice president, Nelson A. Rockefeller. He has written 13-books, including many about FDR and the Roosevelt era – including: Roosevelt’s Secret War: FDR and World War II Espionage and Franklin and Lucy: FDR and the Remarkable Women in His Life.
Now his 13th book, Roosevelt’s Centurions: FDR and the Commanders He Led to Victory in World War II, is just out and we are thrilled to have him join us this morning here at Hyde Park.
