Sunflower Blog

FDR on the History Channel

The History Channel's series on Franklin D Roosevelt offers a good inside guide to what made him a great President in the 20th Century. Since his terms as Head-in-Chief were before I was born, the several hour series hits the many highlights, with an attitude less invasive than that of today's media, and proved time well spent.

Roosevelt's Fireside chats were the first time people could actually hear the voice of the President. Today we are so deluged with info on all sorts of media fronts, but those fronts didn't even exist a generation ago. The footage in color and black and white is clear, and well woven into the script of so many vital events.

Depression's financial problems were finally overcome by expanding the government so that a great number of people worked for the government, as in the CC Camps, which I remember hearing my step-father speak of like it was another family.

NOT entering into WWII until after Pearl Harbor gave us no choice but to get involved. History books tell facts, but this tv presentation brings meaning to the facts.

Roosevelt's affliction of POLIO, the devastation of which has been forgotten with the advent of vaccines, is covered in the progression of time.

The choice of Truman as VP in his final term, as Roosevelt's health was in such decline, with the pain of illness, weakness, and a drifting mind at Yalta.

The History Channel is worth watching!