226:
with today. No blood-pressure readings were apparently taken of
Roosevelt until Bruenn took over as his cardiologist, by which point it may have been too late to make a difference. Moreover, McIntire actively helped Roosevelt keep his secret from others but also never told him exactly how sick he was. Roosevelt may have purposely refrained from asking too many questions about his own condition, so that he himself would not know the full extent of his illness. Ferrell calls McIntire's repeated statements that Roosevelt was healthy "remarkably false." He also notes that the disappearance of Roosevelt's medical records was suspicious and that McIntire was one of only three people who could unlock the safe at
201:. It looks at the circumstances surrounding Roosevelt's final illness, who died in 1945 of a cerebral hemorrhage brought on by his cardiovascular disease. Roosevelt was diagnosed with severe hypertension in March 1944, near the end of his third term in office, by White House physician Howard Bruenn. By the end, Roosevelt had difficulty concentrating, was easily tired, and could only work four hours a day at most, but still kept his health secret even from his family and Truman.
38:
265:, said the book gives "a rich, insightful, and informed context" of the events of Roosevelt's final year. He noted the difficulty of finding the truth about Roosevelt's health amid "a wide range of contemporary rumors and often misleading official reports," as well as "Roosevelt's own mask of denial about his illnesses." A review in the
204:
Ferrell argues that
Roosevelt, a naturally secretive person, chose to hide the true nature of his serious condition rather than resign his office or allow others in his administration to take over his decision-making powers. "The president knew he was ill, even if he had delusions of immortality,"
135:
suffered during the last year of his life and presidency. Ferrell examines the lengths to which the president and his medical advisers went to keep the public in the dark about the illness, as well as the political and diplomatic problems that arose both from the illness and the secrecy. He argues
271:
said that "Ferrell's brief, tightly constructed book … makes abundantly clear that" Roosevelt's seemingly sudden death "was anything but an unexpected cosmic occurrence," but was "readily foreseeable in well-documented but equally well-concealed medical and nonmedical observations stretching back
225:
Ferrell puts some blame on
Roosevelt's personal physician from 1933 to 1945, Admiral Ross McIntire, who Bruenn thought was "out of his depth" and made a "gross misdiagnosis" because he was not a heart specialist. The medical science behind diagnosing heart attacks was then in its infancy compared
217:
to pressure doctors into staying quiet. Roosevelt's motivations may have included a desire not to be slowed down, and fear that his illness would be seen as a weakness. Ferrell writes that maintaining such secrecy may have been necessary both for national security during wartime and for political
237:, and weakened America's postwar position in Europe, China and Vietnam. He also criticizes Roosevelt for his treatment of Truman as "inconsequential," saying that his failure to "inform his successor of anything, military, diplomatic, or administrative" was "an invitation to national calamity."
208:
Roosevelt's hypertension probably appeared years earlier than Bruenn's diagnosis, although it is impossible to say for sure since his medical records are missing. But he also went to great lengths to keep his health secret, including enlisting
393:
17:
259:, called the book "a devastating critique of FDR and his conduct in 1944–1945 … when he clearly no longer had the ability to carry out the duties of the office." James Cassedy, writing in
735:
218:
expediency during
Roosevelt's fourth run for the presidency. But he also notes that secret-keeping was characteristic of Roosevelt, who also hid his use of a wheelchair due to
767:
898:
1125:
1140:
136:
that
Roosevelt was too sick to have remained in office, and that his inability to work led to critical foreign-policy mistakes in the closing year of
253:, called the book "painstaking and exceptionally researched" and "one of the most important, and telling, works" about Roosevelt. Edmund Kallina, in
193:
284:, was more critical, writing that she thought Ferrell's judgement of Roosevelt was too harsh and his conclusions were unconvincingly speculative.
697:
367:
742:
543:
Lerner, Barron H. (Summer 2007). "Crafting
Medical History: Revisiting the "Definitive" Account of Franklin D. Roosevelt'sTerminal Illness".
280:
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176:
1115:
1135:
342:
114:
426:
179:. One of the country's leading historians, Ferrell was widely considered the preeminent authority on the administration of
233:
In his conclusion, Ferrell writes that
Roosevelt's incapacity may have needlessly prolonged both World War II and the
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168:
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Ferrell's book is one of several he wrote about health and secrecy in the U.S. presidency, along with 1992's
728:
76:
222:
from the public for years: "He had always been very much a self-contained person who confided in no one."
598:
37:
1036:
Trench Knives and
Mustard Gas: With the 42nd Rainbow Division in France (C. A. Brannen Series, No. 6)
791:
653:
227:
167:, was a prolific author or editor of more than 60 books on a wide range of topics, including the
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452:
Savage, Sean J. (Spring 1995). "Book
Reviews: Harry S. Truman: A Life by Robert H. Ferrell".
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Ferrell drew on newly available diaries by
Roosevelt's cousin and close confidante
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214:
180:
141:
888:
The Talkative President: The Off-the-Record Press Conferences of Calvin Coolidge
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658:
855:
The Question of MacArthur's Reputation: Côte de Châtillon, October 14-16, 1918
1089:
926:
394:"Robert H. Ferrell, presidential historian and Truman biographer, dies at 97"
219:
152:
148:
1074:
Reminiscences of Conrad S. Babcock: The Old U.S. Army and the New, 1898-1918
1067:
Inside the Nixon Administration: The Secret Diary of Arthur Burns, 1969-1974
945:
Banners In the Air: The Eighth Ohio Volunteers and the Spanish-American War
572:
137:
1057:
In the Company of Generals: The World War I Diary of Pierpont L. Stackpole
556:
955:
Monterrey Is Ours!: The Mexican War Letters of Lieutenant Dana, 1845-1847
775:
594:
246:
183:, and also wrote books about half a dozen other 20th-century presidents.
172:
66:
710:
639:
564:
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368:"Dunn on Ferrell, 'The Dying President: Franklin D. Roosevelt 19441945'"
825:
Collapse at Meuse-Argonne: The Failure of the Missouri-Kansas Division
919:
234:
931:
The Diary of James C. Hagerty: Eisenhower in Mid-Course, 1954-1955
867:
Unjustly Dishonored: An African American Division in World War I
654:"History: The Dying President: Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1944–1945"
352:
995:
The Kansas City Investigation: Pendergast's Downfall, 1938-1939
843:
Presidential Leadership: From Woodrow Wilson to Harry S. Truman
861:
Grace Coolidge: The People's Lady in Silent Cal's White House
622:
Cassedy, James H. (March 1999). "Review: Robert H. Ferrell,
988:
FDR's Quiet Confidant: The Autobiography of Frank C. Walker
920:
Dear Bess: The Letters from Harry to Bess Truman, 1910-1959
768:
Peace in Their Time: The Origins of the Kellogg-Briand Pact
978:
Holding the Line: The Third Tennessee Infantry, 1861-1864
210:
1043:
Meuse-Argonne Diary: A Division Commander in World War I
1029:
A Soldier in World War I: The Diary of Elmer W. Sherwood
1009:
A Colonel in the Armored Divisions: A Memoir, 1941-1945
831:
Five Days in October: The Lost Battalion of World War I
427:"Robert H. Ferrell, Authority on Truman, Is Dead at 97"
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305:
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31:
The Dying President: Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1944–1945
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Truman in the White House: The Diary of Eben A. Ayers
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Off the Record: The Private Papers of Harry S. Truman
806:
The Dying President: Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1944-1945
693:
The Dying President: Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1944–1945
624:
The Dying President: Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1944–1945
484:
The Dying President: Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1944–1945
333:
The Dying President: Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1944–1945
124:
The Dying President: Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1944–1945
18:
The Dying President: Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1944–1945
1016:
In the Philippines and Okinawa: A Memoir, 1945-1948
294:
144:to take over as president after Roosevelt's death.
784:Choosing Truman: The Democratic Convention of 1944
750:
330:
1002:A Youth in the Meuse-Argonne: A Memoir, 1917-1918
776:Ill-Advised: Presidential Health and Public Trust
194:Ill-Advised: Presidential Health and Public Trust
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513:
511:
849:America's Deadliest Battle: Meuse-Argonne, 1918
698:The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society
482:Kallina Jr., Edmund F. (Summer 1999). "Review:
837:Harry S. Truman and the Cold War Revisionists
736:
691:Litoff, Judy Barrett (Spring 1998). "Review:
508:
477:
475:
245:Reaction to the book was positive. Historian
151:and Roosevelt's cardiologist in 1944–45, Dr.
1126:Books about presidents of the United States
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481:
454:Register of the Kentucky Historical Society
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281:Register of the Kentucky Historical Society
268:Journal of the American Medical Association
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27:1998 book by historian Robert Hugh Ferrell
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799:The Strange Deaths of President Harding
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199:The Strange Deaths of President Harding
131:about the cardiovascular illness which
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1022:The Autobiography of Harry S. Truman
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545:Bulletin of the History of Medicine
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672:10.1001/jama.280.5.482-JBK0805-5-1
520:"For F.D.R., 'Fatigue' Was Lethal"
140:and a failure to properly prepare
25:
1152:
1131:Books about Franklin D. Roosevelt
938:Fighting Soldier: The AEF in 1918
813:The Presidency of Calvin Coolidge
177:U.S. foreign policy and diplomacy
163:Ferrell, a professor emeritus at
971:Grace Coolidge: An Autobiography
489:The Florida Historical Quarterly
337:. University of Missouri Press.
256:The Florida Historical Quarterly
951:Napoleon Jackson Tecumseh Dana
628:Presidential Studies Quarterly
366:Dunn, Dennis J. (April 1998).
262:Presidential Studies Quarterly
13:
1:
1116:Biographies about politicians
287:
1136:History books about politics
392:Schudel, Matt (2018-08-23).
127:is a 1998 book by historian
77:University of Missouri Press
7:
1050:Argonne Days in World War I
518:Chang, Laura (1998-07-14).
186:
10:
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1106:American political books
1121:Books about politicians
1055:Pierpont L. Stackpole,
792:Harry S. Truman: A Life
228:Bethesda Naval Hospital
1101:American history books
1096:1998 non-fiction books
1048:Horace Leonard Baker,
909:The Eisenhower Diaries
666:(5): 482. 1998-08-05.
993:Rudolph H. Hartmann,
819:Truman and Pendergast
557:10.1353/bhm.2007.0038
1111:American biographies
1014:William S. Triplet,
1007:William S. Triplet,
1000:William S. Triplet,
905:Dwight D. Eisenhower
372:H-Pol, H-Net Reviews
1072:Conrad S. Babcock,
1041:William M. Wright,
1027:Elmer W. Sherwood,
276:Judy Barrett Litoff
272:more than a year."
129:Robert Hugh Ferrell
32:
1034:Hugh S. Thompson,
976:Flavel C. Barber,
432:The New York Times
327:Ferrell, Robert H.
165:Indiana University
30:
1083:
1082:
760:As primary author
753:Robert H. Ferrell
603:Los Angeles Times
599:"His Secret Life"
423:Sandomir, Richard
344:978-0-8262-1171-2
251:Los Angeles Times
249:, writing in the
241:Critical response
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119:
115:978-0-8262-1171-2
93:Publication place
49:Robert H. Ferrell
16:(Redirected from
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215:J. Edgar Hoover
205:wrote Ferrell.
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169:U.S. presidency
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597:(1998-07-26).
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551:(2): 386–406.
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138:World War II
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247:John Lukacs
197:and 1996's
173:World War I
67:Non-fiction
1090:Categories
997:(1999)<
677:2019-01-18
608:2019-01-18
529:2019-01-18
438:2018-08-23
405:2018-08-26
377:28 January
288:References
877:As editor
278:, in the
235:Holocaust
213:director
133:Roosevelt
73:Publisher
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640:27551974
581:23830787
573:17844721
565:44452112
502:30150565
466:23382654
353:97045797
329:(1998).
187:Synopsis
55:Language
58:English
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101:Pages
63:Genre
659:JAMA
569:PMID
379:2019
349:LCCN
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