His Final Battle: The Last Months of Franklin Roosevelt

By Joseph Lelyveld

Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, History

His Final Battle: The Last Months of Franklin Roosevelt (2016) is a book by Joseph Lelyveld. Lelyveld examines the last year and a half of Franklin Roosevelt's life, when failing health overlapped with Yalta, the end of World War II and planning for the United Nations. He focuses on choices Roosevelt made as his strength ebbed and aides managed what the public was allowed to see.

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• Fareed Zakaria: “This week's book of the week is Joseph Lelyveld's "His Final Battle: The Last Months of Franklin Roosevelt." With all the conversation about presidential candidates and their health, this timely book is a fascinating reminder of the extraordinary secrecy surrounding FDR's health, especially in his last year and a half in office. Lelyveld tells the gripping story of a man at the peak of his power, literally running the world, but whose heart was steadily collapsing. You know how it ends, but because of the intelligence and empathy of the author and very good writing, you will not be able to put this book down.”