The story of the Roosevelts is usually seen as a tale of two
presidents - Theodore and Franklin - who were distant cousins from
distinct worlds, separated by time and politics. And of two families -
the Oyster Bay and Hyde Park branches - that had little to do with each
other. Now comes an explosive new portrait, The Roosevelts: An American
Saga, which offers a completely unique view of America's longest lasting
and most powerful dynasty. The Roosevelts were one family, an exclusive
elite who began their history intimately related by bonds of love and
ambition. In this brilliant biography, we see for the first time how the
family divided into two branches and began an epic battle for the family
legacy. We see for the first time how the ideals of two presidents were
passed on to members of later generations, ennobling some and crushing
others. The Roosevelts is a rare look at what brought this exceptional
group of people together and what drove them apart. In this riveting
book we see Teddy, the flamboyant politician and Rough Rider, who was
also a "Papa Bear, " passing on an ethos of sacrifice and achievement to
his "cubs." There is Theodore Jr., the "crown prince, " handpicked by
his father to carry on the traditions of Oyster Bay but unable to
complete the mission. And Alice, Teddy's acid-tongued and fiercely loyal
daughter, whose antics became the talk of Washington and who finally
became a caricature, raving against her cousin's New Deal and trying
desperately to preserve her father's legacy. There's als Eleanor,
daughter of Teddy's tragic brother, Elliott, who translated the
unhappiness of her marriage to FDR into political activism, eventually
becoming First Lady of the World. And finally there is Franklin, always
underestimated by Teddy's family, who made an alliance with Eleanor to
become the nemesis of the Oyster Bay Roosevelts and, in the web of
ironies that bind this family together, a truer heir to Teddy than any
of his own children. Filled with dram
