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The Man He Became by James Tobin
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The Man He Became

How FDR Defied Polio to Win the Presidency

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Narrator Charles Constant

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Length 11 hours 8 minutes
Language English
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When polio paralyzed Franklin Roosevelt at the age of thirty-nine, people wept to think that the young man of golden promise must live out his days as a helpless invalid. He never again walked on his own. But in just over a decade, he regained his strength and seized the presidency.



This was the most remarkable comeback in the history of American politics. And, as author James Tobin shows, it was the pivot of Roosevelt's life—the triumphant struggle that tempered and revealed his true character. With enormous ambition, canny resourcefulness, and sheer grit, FDR willed himself back into contention and turned personal disaster to his political advantage. Tobin's dramatic account of Roosevelt's ordeal and victory offers central insights into the forging of one of our greatest presidents.

James Tobin is an associate professor of journalism at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. A former prizewinning reporter, he earned a PhD in history from the University of Michigan. His first book, Ernie Pyle's War, won the National Book Critics Circle Award. He is also the author of To Conquer the Air, Great Projects, and First to Fly.

Actor Charles Constant's professional storytelling career began at the age of thirteen, when he became an Actors' Equity Association apprentice. After training in Chicago and London, he went on to appear onstage in theaters across the country. Charles was chosen by Mark Cuban to narrate his book How to Win at the Sport of Business, and his work on Into the Crossfire became an Audible Listener Favorite in February 2014. Publishers Weekly says that he provides "strong" narration and finds his voice to be "deep and assertive."

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Reviews

"Tobin's balanced and detailed approach offers a well-rounded look at a slice of F.D.R.'s life generally obscured from popular accounts, and it makes for fascinating reading." ---Publishers Weekly Starred Review Expand reviews
Celebrate indie bookstores with our limited-time sale! Shop the sale