Janeway dutifully navigates the ideological differences that developed among the New Dealers and the ways in which the Democratic Party later moved away from their crowd. But this book is far more interesting and original as a biographical study of what human beings will do to acquire great power and try to hold onto it-especially after their time has passed... ... Read moreJaneway's volume is almost a kind of "New Deal Confidential."... Janeway's book is a reminder that even monument makers can have feet of clay.
Michael Beschloss New York Times Book Review The Fall of the House of Roosevelt is a fascinating personal perspective on the New Deal and its aftermath. Michael Janeway's book is an elegant contribution to political as well as to personal history.
Arthur Schlesinger Jr. A smart mix of family and social history by the son of a New Deal brains-truster... A fine effort to restore [New Dealers] to the textbooks, and a lively, highly readable work of history. Kirkus Reviews With both eloquence and a sense of regret, Janeway describes an era in which both the populace and the elites generally assumed that government and governmental activism were positive forces of good... this well-written and valuable examination of the evolution of our body politic is very worthwhile. Booklist Son of Eliot Janeway-financial adviser to FDR and other prominent Democrats through the end of the 20th century-Janeway recalls those days in a personal and insightful narrative. He deftly weaves tales of his father's deal making from the New Deal to the Great Society, with personal reflections about his father's private life during those years... this book is recommended for history and political science collections in academic and public libraries. Library Journal [The Fall of the House of Roosevelt's] elegiac tone, its penetrating insights and its evocation of a world when politics truly mattered should find a warm welcome among readers eager to define a new American Century.
Ted Widmer Chicago Tribune [A] bittersweet family memoir and a fresh interpretation of the New Deal.
Christopher Caldwell New York Times [A]n engaging book.
William Lasser The New Leader Janeway has given us a wide-ranging, well-considered, deeply researched and engaging study of Democratic Party developments in the FDR years and succeeding regencies. His thoughtful and penetrating review of the operations of party stalwarts furnishes potent cause for concern to anyone interested in the future of the Democratic Party and of the country.
John S. Monagan Washington Times Containing new material and written from a particularly privileged vantage point,The Fall of the House of Roosevelt is a valuable contribution to New Deal history.
Merle Rubin Los Angeles Times At the heart ofFall of the House of Roosevelt is a thoughtful man's attempt to understand his enigmatic father, and the portions of the book focusing on this pursuit are the author's best work.
Kimberly Marlowe Hartnett Seattle Times/Post Intelligencer earlier American liberalism springs back to life in a remarkable new book,The Fall of the House of Roosevelt
Robert Fulford National Post Toronto Janeway's personal memories of these men and his unique access...allow him to make an important contribution to the study of the exercise of power during the New Deal...Highly recommended. All levels and libraries. Choice With fresh detail and affecting vignettes, rendered in beautiful, evocative prose, Janeway captures the New Dealer's keenness for action.
David Greenberg American Prospect For its insights, balanced tone, and thorough research, this accessible volume will provide stimulating analysis for those readers in the twenty-first century.
Lewis L. Gould The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society Gracefully written narrative... it makes many wise observations about American politics during and after the age of Roosevelt.
Alonzo L. Hamby H-New Deal This book offers a useful portrait of an era that may seem less complex but really wasn't.
Bruce M. Stave American Historical Review Show Less