No Ordinary Time

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II

By: Doris Kearns Goodwin

Narrated by: Nelson Runger

Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Pulitzer Prize–winning classic about the relationship between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt, and how it shaped the nation while steering it through the Great Depression and the outset of World War II.

With an extraordinary collection of details, Goodwin masterfully weaves together a striking number of story lines—Eleanor and Franklin’s marriage and remarkable partnership, Eleanor’s life as First Lady, and FDR’s White House and its impact on America as well as on a world at war. Goodwin effectively melds these details and stories into an unforgettable and intimate portrait of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt and of the time during which a new, modern America was born.

Solid historical reporting made personal.

Would you consider the audio edition of No Ordinary Time to be better than the print version?

I can't say as I haven't read the print version.

What other book might you compare No Ordinary Time to and why?

This is an intimate look inside the lives of FDR and the First Lady. In that regard, it reminds me somewhat of Caro's works on LBJ but with a more focused time frame.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Nelson Runger?

Yes. Good solid, workmanlike narration. Ringer brings the listener the book without getting in the way.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

They're all very interesting.

Any additional comments?

Very good book. Appropriate narration that was error-free. Recommend.

Great book - questionable narration

I enjoyed the narrative, the research and the insight tremendously, but the narration left me... annoyed. I'm all for acting out the voices, but his intonation, uptalking and tone for Mrs. Roosevelt made every direct quote sound vapid and silly. If you watch interviews of her, she frankly doesn't sound like that. It doesn't fit with the author's characterization and it loses a lot of the nuance in the way she delivers very hard messages while smiling. His impression of the President was spot on, but a lot of the other characters sounded much goofier and befuddled than I am sure those men were.

Best Read of 2012

I found this book enlightening from the standpoint of the different standards applied to our elected officials in the past compared to the standards of today! If the President and First Lady had extramartial affairs as discussed or alleged in this book, in the White House the press and television networks would make it impossible to keep from the public. Notwithstanding their private affairs, this book shows that the actions of Mrs. Roosevelt were significantly underrated and that failure to recognize her as one of the individuals responsible for major social improvements in the 20th century was an justice to the Women.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in the time following the depression of the early 20th century and the actions taken by the government leading up to and during the 2nd world war.

A great slice of History

Would you listen to No Ordinary Time again? Why?

I love listening to Edward Herrmann and would listen to this again as it was so chock full of interesting tid bits

What did you like best about this story?

Goodwin treated FDR and Eleanor as two tragic overachievers that did not really spend the time to stay a couple. I was most interested in the description of the deep friendships of the Roosevelt's and their many house guests.

Which character – as performed by Nelson Runger – was your favorite?

Edward Herrman was this reader and I could see the part he did many years ago

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

Too long but easy to pick up and put down without loosing a spot

You’re very interesting well written book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is well written and kept me interested throughout the book. It’s nice sometimes to get an honest view of history. And this was an honest view of history.