Critical Acclaim for James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn’s The Three Roosevelts:

“Fresh and original... [an] inspiring and illuminating book.”

—Herbert Mitgang, New York Daily News

“Excellent... Burns and Dunn... succeed in approaching their subjects with grace, respect, and insight. In the end, they do great justice to three remarkable lives superbly lived.”

—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Eloquently and insightfully examine[s] the legacy of America’s most powerful and prominent political family of the twentieth century ... A remarkable examination of their intertwining lives and the common thread of their leadership ... Burns and Dunn show how they defined a new brand of courageous political and moral leadership that set a standard for American leaders (on the right and on the left) that endures to this day.”

—Steve Puleo, American History

“No one has done more to shape modern American political life than the three Roosevelts and no one understands their magic better than James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn. TR, FDR, and Eleanor all spring freshly to life in these pages as we see them growing as leaders and then changing the course of history. This book is a wonderful read, one to mark and study for years to come.”

—David Gergen

“Scholarly ... James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn ride above the scandals and personal heartbreaks to concentrate on the trio’s passion for change and moral leadership.... The Three Roosevelts is impressive in its breadth of vision.”

—Ann Hellmuth, The Orlando Sentinel

“Highly readable and always entertaining ... An analysis of the Roosevelts that vividly establishes the connections among their careers, ideas, and values, and makes the case for their transformational leadership. Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor not only changed the very nature of American society, they also altered the history of the rest of the world.”

—Constance M. McGovern, America

“The charge up the San Juan Hill of activist government was one that not even the hyper-energetic TR could complete by himself. It took another Roosevelt—or two.…James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn capture this busy trio neatly in The Three Roosevelts.”

—Michael J. Ybarra, The Wall Street Journal

“Brilliant and bold, this tribute to three great-hearted progressive American leaders is a lyrical, galvanizing gift for the future. In this splendid book Burns and Dunn illuminate the just and vigorous alternative to the muck and cruelty of politics stuck at dead center.”

—Blanche Wiesen Cook

“Elegant... A rattlingly enjoyable book, deftly organized, fluidly paced ... Under the guise of a history book, the authors have written a tract for our times.”

—Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, The Literary Review

“An absorbing, insightful look at this trio of amazing and still-controversial leaders ... [Burns and Dunn] describe with fresh, even-handed judgment not merely leadership styles but policy content. In the process, they give a remarkably comprehensive view.… Uncommonly well-written and abounding in new perspectives and understanding, it’s a cogent yet far-reaching commentary on personality and politics…. Both profound and profoundly revealing without deifying its subjects, The Three Roosevelts offers us a vision of leadership virtually unheard of and unimagined today.”

—Charles Sermon, The State (Columbia, SC)

“An absorbing, instructive story told with ambition, imagination, and impeccable scholarship.”

—Peter Preston, The Observer (London)

“James MacGregor Burns... and Susan Dunn have had the interesting idea of threading the history of the United States over the first half of the twentieth century through the fabric of these three Roosevelt lives. Each of these American aristocrats was in his or her way a radical. And each played an important role not only in progressive politics at home, but also in extending American influence in the world A readable, popular account of the American century.”

—Godfrey Hodgson, The New Statesman

“Eloquent... Masterly ... Essential.”

—Library Journal

“The Three Roosevelts will captivate even those most familiar with the biographies of these great twentieth-century political leaders. Burns and Dunn enrich our understanding of why and how government has often been the solution to so many of our economic and social problems. Their book will help reestablish the legitimacy of federal activism and will inspire a new generation of Americans to see public service as a worthy cause.”

—Robert Dallek

“A moving and sometimes humorous account of how Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor grew from sheltered patricians into leaders of all the people ... A vivid description of how the Roosevelts influenced and were influenced by the history of New York, America, and the world.”

—John Rowen, The Sunday Gazette (Schenectady, NY)