From Publishers Weekly
Robert H. Jackson was one of the ultimate FDR insiders. Nominated by Roosevelt to the Supreme Court as an associate justice in 1941, Jackson had previously served the president as attorney general, solicitor general and in other posts. More importantly from the standpoint of this book, FDR and Jackson were great personal friends: poker pals who had known and respected each other since their days as young Democrats exploring the possibilities of Albany politics. Thus Jackson's never-before-published memoir (unearthed only recently by St. John's University Law School professor Barrett) is a rare find. Written not long before Jackson's untimely death in 1954, these superbly eloquent chapters provide intimate glimpses of Roosevelt operating on many different levels. Through Jackson's informed lens, we are shown FDR as president, politician, lawyer, commander-in-chief, administrator, populist leader and companion. Jackson's account is not only of infinite value for the new light it sheds on "that man," but also for unique glimpses of Harold Ickes, Tommy "the cork" Corcoran, Harry Hopkins and other New Deal stalwarts. A foreword by noted historian Leuchtenburg does a thorough job of setting Jackson's prose in historical context. Of equal value are the contributions of Jackson biographer Barrett, who has artfully illuminated Jackson's text with necessary and unobtrusive notations. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Robert H. Jackson was one of the giants of the Roosevelt era: an Attorney General, a still-revered Supreme Court Justice, and, not least important, one of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's close friends and advisers. His intimate memoir of FDR, written in the early 1950s before Jackson's untimely death, has remained unpublished for fifty years. Here is that newly discovered memoir. Written with skill and grace, this is truly a unique account of the personality, conduct, greatness of character, and common humanity of "that man in the White House," as outraged conservatives called FDR. Jackson simply but eloquently provides an insider's view of Roosevelt's presidency, including such crucial events as FDR's Court-packing plan, his battles with corporate America, his decision to seek a third term, and his bold move to aid Britain in 1940 with American destroyers. He also offers an intimate personal portrait of Roosevelt -- on fishing trips, in late-night poker games, or approving legislation while eating breakfast in bed, where he routinely began his workday. We meet a president who is farsighted but nimble in attacking the problems at hand; principled but flexible; charismatic and popular, but unafraid to pick fights, take stands, and, when necessary, make enemies. That Man is not simply a valuable historical document, but an engaging and insightful look at one of the most remarkable men in American history. In reading this memoir, we gain not only a new appreciation for Roosevelt but also admiration for Jackson, who emerges as both a public servant of great integrity and skill and a wry, shrewd, and fair-minded observer of politics at the highest level.

FROM THE CRITICS

The New York Times

That Man displays none of the affectations of intimacy, the straining for a seat at the table, that cheapen so many presidential memoirs past and present. Jackson's relationship with Roosevelt was genuinely close and candid. One of the delights of this book is a memo that Jackson dictated for his files in late 1937, after a 10-day yachting trip with Roosevelt and a handful of advisers. Jackson offers a rare glimpse of F.D.R. at ease, back before presidential vacations became a sort of public theater, performed in denim workshirts in front of photographers. On the yacht, Roosevelt ''was away from curious eyes,'' Jackson recalls. ''We were completely isolated.'' Roosevelt mixes martinis and takes his men sightseeing but is never far from his work -- he combs through pages of news, reads the mail that is dropped twice daily by naval plane and considers ways to keep Fiorello La Guardia, the mayor of New York, out of the governor's mansion. ''In fishing contests, playing cards and conversation,'' Jackson writes, Roosevelt ''was and wanted to be an equal. He asked no favors and granted none. He played the game on its merits. He was able to avoid all pose.'' — Jeff Shesol

The Washington Post

The publication of this slender but meaty book is that rare and happy event: a voice speaking to us from the past, a voice we had not expected to hear and that brings the past to life as not even the best of historians can do. The voice is that of Robert H. Jackson, whom William E. Leuchtenburg accurately describes in the first sentence of his introduction as "the most important figure of the 20th century no one has ever heard of," yet one who "deserves, even commands our attention." It is perhaps too much to hope that this book will restore him to the eminence he once enjoyed, but at least it brings him out from the shadows. — Jonathan Yardley

Publishers Weekly

Robert H. Jackson was one of the ultimate FDR insiders. Nominated by Roosevelt to the Supreme Court as an associate justice in 1941, Jackson had previously served the president as attorney general, solicitor general and in other posts. More importantly from the standpoint of this book, FDR and Jackson were great personal friends: poker pals who had known and respected each other since their days as young Democrats exploring the possibilities of Albany politics. Thus Jackson's never-before-published memoir (unearthed only recently by St. John's University Law School professor Barrett) is a rare find. Written not long before Jackson's untimely death in 1954, these superbly eloquent chapters provide intimate glimpses of Roosevelt operating on many different levels. Through Jackson's informed lens, we are shown FDR as president, politician, lawyer, commander-in-chief, administrator, populist leader and companion. Jackson's account is not only of infinite value for the new light it sheds on "that man," but also for unique glimpses of Harold Ickes, Tommy "the cork" Corcoran, Harry Hopkins and other New Deal stalwarts. A foreword by noted historian Leuchtenburg does a thorough job of setting Jackson's prose in historical context. Of equal value are the contributions of Jackson biographer Barrett, who has artfully illuminated Jackson's text with necessary and unobtrusive notations. (Sept.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

While conducting research for a biography on Robert H. Jackson, Franklin D. Roosevelt's solicitor general, attorney general, and appointee to the U.S. Supreme Court, Barrett (law, St. John's Univ.) discovered Jackson's unfinished manuscript on the president dating from the early 1950s. Here, he supplements that text with excerpts from Jackson's unpublished autobiography and oral interviews. Though most of the narrative lacks Jackson's usual eloquence, there are flashes of it. In discussing FDR as a politician, lawyer, commander in chief, administrator, economist, and human being, Jackson indirectly reveals himself. He was essentially a lawyer, while FDR was a politician despite his law degree. The president encouraged the electoral entrance of his decade-younger protege, but Jackson admits his happiest days during the Roosevelt administration were spent as the solicitor general, his least political position. Barely mentioned in the editor's endnotes and biographical sketches is Jackson's subsequent self-destruction as the leading candidate for the chief justiceship to replace Harlan Fiske Stone. Nonetheless, Jackson viewed FDR and Charles Evans Hughes as the two greatest men of his era. His insights into FDR's personality confirm those presented in the best biographies of the president. Highly recommended for academic libraries with presidential and judicial collections.-William D. Pederson, Louisiana State Univ., Shreveport Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews