Reviewed by Pennell Paugh
May 15, 2023 (San Diego) -- Craig Nelson makes a convincing argument that Franklin Delano Roosevelt not only saved America from the Great Depression, but was also responsible for the U.S. winning World War II in his new novel V is for Victory, which will be released May 23.
Most scholars agree that industry was the deciding factor in the war, but Nelson, who wrote bestselling books, Pearl Harbor and Rocket Men, scrutinizes the idea with an expert’s eye. FDR’s administration created an explosive expansion of industry, national infrastructure, and government-business cooperation. Using FDR’s phenomenal managerial talent, he overwhelmed our enemies with weapons, despite jealousies, back-fighting and lack of communication between America’s Army, Navy and private enterprise.
Nelson reminds the reader that FDR took office to overcome unemployment, poverty, and starvation. Unsure how to act, he tried lots of programs. Fortunately, many worked. Reading the book, pages fly by. I could imagine a narrator of an old news reportage in the 1940s, spouting facts in quick succession. To give an idea of his writing style, here is an excerpt:
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