The Four Freedoms: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Evolution of an American Idea

author: Jeffrey A. Engel
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2015/12/21
date added: 2020/08/22
shelves: non-fiction-history
review:
'The Four Freedoms: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Evolution of an American Idea' by editor Jeffrey A. Engel is a series of essays examining one of the most popular presidential speeches of the twentieth century. I found it compelling and interesting reading.

In 1941, in order to get the US engaged in the war in Europe, President Franklin Roosevelt designed a speech to spur the American people into understanding what was at stake. With fascists in Europe making different definitions of freedom, FDR simplified freedom into four definitions: 1) Freedom of Speech, 2) Freedom of Religion, 3) Freedom from Want, and 4) Freedom from Fear. The speech was so popular that artistic representations were made, the most famous being those by Norman Rockwell.

The essays in the book each highlight one of the four freedoms, as well as setting a tone for why the speech was given, and where we are now in relation to them. Context is fully given as well as thoughtful explorations of where we've fallen short, or where the ideas fell a bit on the overly broad side. Most interesting might the essay on free speech which does a good job of looking at where speech was before and after the speech, but I also appreciated the one which set the tone for the era and times that prompted it.

It's a powerful speech and really powerful ideas. The writers represented have done a very good job of being mostly fair-minded in their approach to how history has treated these four freedoms. I really enjoyed the chance to read this.

I received a copy of this ebook from Oxford University Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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