No Ordinary Time
Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Recommended by Samantha Power and Lloyd Blankfein
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Reading Profile
Should I read this?
A broad, narrative-heavy history of the U.S. wartime home front and the presidential household, rich in anecdote and archival detail. It stitches personal lives, the First Lady's public role, and the day-to-day work of the White House into a continuous story that rewards patience. What works best is texture: vivid scenes, staff troubles, and political maneuvering bring institutions to life. The main limitation is scale and repetition—long stretches of administrative minutiae and personality portraiture that flatten for readers who want concise argument or social-history breadth.
Read this if...
- •a graduate student writing a thesis on wartime governance who needs densely reported anecdotes and institutional timelines to color legal or policy analysis
- •a high-school history teacher building a multi-week unit on the home front who wants vivid human stories and memorable scenes to anchor lectures
- •a museum curator or exhibit writer assembling an installation on presidential wartime leadership who needs readable vignettes and administrative anecdotes for labels and narrative panels
Skip this if...
- •you'll likely put it down when chapters settle into long, detailed accounts of internal White House meetings and personnel lists—those stretches slow the book to a crawl
- •annoying if you prefer short, punchy argument-driven history rather than long-form biography and chronological narrative
- •not ideal if you want broad social-history coverage or diverse grassroots voices—the focus stays tightly on the central household and its administration
Winner of the Pulitzer for History, No Ordinary Time is a chronicle of one of the most vibrant & revolutionary periods in US history. With an extraordinary collection of details, Goodwin weaves together a number of story linesthe Roosevelts marriage & partnership, Eleanors life as First Lady, & FDRs White House & its impact on America as well as on...
Before You Buy
Reading Specifications
Difficulty:hard
Audience Fit
- a graduate student writing a thesis on wartime governance who needs densely reported anecdotes and institutional timelines to color legal or policy analysis
- a high-school history teacher building a multi-week unit on the home front who wants vivid human stories and memorable scenes to anchor lectures
- a museum curator or exhibit writer assembling an installation on presidential wartime leadership who needs readable vignettes and administrative anecdotes for labels and narrative panels
- you'll likely put it down when chapters settle into long, detailed accounts of internal White House meetings and personnel lists—those stretches slow the book to a crawl
- annoying if you prefer short, punchy argument-driven history rather than long-form biography and chronological narrative
- not ideal if you want broad social-history coverage or diverse grassroots voices—the focus stays tightly on the central household and its administration
Check formats, pricing, and availability options for Kindle, physical print, or audiobooks directly.
View available editions on AmazonKey themes
Why recommended
Recommended by 3 sources and appears in American History, American History, and Most Recommended Books.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Lloyd Blankfein
“A few weeks ago, @vulture asked me to describe 10 books that have impacted me along the way. List just out: Chinua Achebe, Dorothy Day, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, Ralph Ellison, Bernard Malamud, Doris Kearns Goodwin, & more: | Book rec: No Ordinary Time, by Doris Kearns Goodwin. About the “home front” in WWII. Early in the book a good discussion of Roosevelt’s leadership in mobilizing industry (whose hatred he had welcomed!) as the country transformed into the “arsenal of democracy.” Relevant.”
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Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Recommended by 19 sources.
“Goodwin weaves letters and diaries into an immersive story, dropping you into the 1860s surrounded by ambitious characters jockeying for power. Her strength is making Lincoln’s political acumen—his ability to read men, soothe egos, and wait—feel urgent and instructive. The downside: at nearly 900 pages, the chronicle of cabinet infighting can become a slog, and the near-hagiographic tone may grate if you want a more critical lens.”
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Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.