The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope by Jonathan Alter

When the twentieth century began, Franklin D. Roosevelt was a relatively unknown politician from New York with a vision of a brighter future for America. That vision became reality when, in 1933, during his "Hundred Days" in office, FDR shook the foundations of American government and led the country through the depths of the Great Depression.

In The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope, author Jonathan Alter tells the story of how Roosevelt's bold, dramatic moves during his first three months in office changed the nation forever. Alter chronicles how Roosevelt was able to galvanize Congress, the public, and political leaders, while also making historic decisions to stabilize the banking system and shape the New Deal programs that would, ultimately, bring hope and relief to millions of Americans.

Alter begins his book by analyzing the state of the nation prior to Roosevelt's election, detailing the political gridlock and wide-spread despair that had befallen America in the early 1930s. Roosevelt saw an opportunity to dramatically reshape the nation and devised an adroit plan of action. He boldly declared a 'bank holiday' to stem the tide of bank failures, laid out an ambitious 'New Deal' to provide citizens with jobs, and pro-actively identified those business practices that were leading to economic downfall.

The implications of these moves were far reaching: the banking system was dramatically refashioned, large farms were broken apart, and a social safety net - including the Social Security Act - was installed. As Alter eloquently underscores, what Roosevelt accomplished in his first hundred days set the stage for the remainder of his presidency, and ultimately established him as one of the greatest presidents in American history.

Alter expertly weaves together the story of how Roosevelt's "Defining Moment" not only defined the twentieth century, but also created a depression-era legacy that continues to shape United States policy today. Through first-hand accounts and intimate interviews, Alter captures both the sweeping drama of FDR's time in office, and the often forgotten successes of the extraordinary people who worked to bring the nation back from ruin.

The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope focuses its lens on one of the most important and celebrated chapter in American history. Through Alter’s careful research and evocative prose, the book offers readers a vivid and memorable account of how Roosevelt's 'Hundred Days' in office changed the course of history and plunged the United States into a time of hope and progress.