William Leuchtenburg talked about his book In the Shadow of FDR: From Harry Truman to Barack Obama (Cornell University Press; 4 ed. December 2009). William Leuchtenburg is the author of five other books on President Franklin Roosevelt. He talked about the continuing relevance of President Roosevelt for assessing executive power and the enduring importance of his name in party politics and policy formulation. He was interviewed on-stage by Jonathan Alter, the author of The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope, published by Simon and Schuster. Mr. Alter also talked about his forthcoming book, The Promise: President Obama, Year One (Simon & Schuster; May 18, 2010), as they discussed the relationships of subsequent presidents to President Roosevelt and compared their first years in office. They also responded to questions from members of the audience.
The program “In the Shadow of FDR: From Harry Truman to Barack Obama,” part of the History and Current Affairs Series at the New York Historical Society, was held March 2, 2010, at 6:30 p.m.