What do you think?
Rate this book
1932: FDR, Hoover, and the Dawn of a New America
An enthralling slice of history with contemporary resonance, this unique account examines the most transformative year in American history -- when a battered nation would emerge from the Great Depression and reinvent itself under the skilled leadership of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
In one vitally significant year in American history, the country would experience turmoil, instability, natural disaster, bubbling political radicalism, and a rise of dangerous forces ushering in a new era of global conflict – and emerge both afresh and revitalized.
At the start of 1932, the nation’s worst economic crisis has left one-in-four workers without a job, countless families facing eviction, banks shutting down as desperate depositors withdraw their savings, and growing social and political unrest from urban centers to the traditionally conservative rural heart of the country.
Amid this turmoil, a political decision looms that will determine the course of the nation. It is a choice between two men with very diferent visions of Incumbent Republican Herbert Hoover with his dogmatic embrace of small government and a largely unfettered free market, and New York’s Democratic Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his belief that the path out of the economic crisis requires government intervention in the economy and a national sense of shared purpose.
Now veteran journalist Scott Martelle provides a gripping narrative retelling of that vitally significant year as social and political systems struggled under the weight of the devastating Dust Bowl, economic woes, rising political protests, and growing demand for the repeal of Prohibition. That November, voters overwhelmingly rejected decades of Republican rule and backed Roosevelt and his promise to redefine the role of the federal government while putting the needs of the people ahead of the wishes of the wealthy.
"The story of the 1932 election is well-known, so I wanted to write a book that explores other lesser-known aspects of that tumultuous year," Martelle says. "In the end, I hope the reader comes away with a feel for what life was like for average Americans as they lived in the shadow of highly dramatic events."
Deftly told, this illuminating work spotlights parallel events from that pivotal year and brings to life figures who made headlines in their time but have been largly forgotten today. Ultimately, it is the story of a nation that, with the help of a leader determined to unite and inspire, took giant steps toward a new America.
In one vitally significant year in American history, the country would experience turmoil, instability, natural disaster, bubbling political radicalism, and a rise of dangerous forces ushering in a new era of global conflict – and emerge both afresh and revitalized.
At the start of 1932, the nation’s worst economic crisis has left one-in-four workers without a job, countless families facing eviction, banks shutting down as desperate depositors withdraw their savings, and growing social and political unrest from urban centers to the traditionally conservative rural heart of the country.
Amid this turmoil, a political decision looms that will determine the course of the nation. It is a choice between two men with very diferent visions of Incumbent Republican Herbert Hoover with his dogmatic embrace of small government and a largely unfettered free market, and New York’s Democratic Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his belief that the path out of the economic crisis requires government intervention in the economy and a national sense of shared purpose.
Now veteran journalist Scott Martelle provides a gripping narrative retelling of that vitally significant year as social and political systems struggled under the weight of the devastating Dust Bowl, economic woes, rising political protests, and growing demand for the repeal of Prohibition. That November, voters overwhelmingly rejected decades of Republican rule and backed Roosevelt and his promise to redefine the role of the federal government while putting the needs of the people ahead of the wishes of the wealthy.
"The story of the 1932 election is well-known, so I wanted to write a book that explores other lesser-known aspects of that tumultuous year," Martelle says. "In the end, I hope the reader comes away with a feel for what life was like for average Americans as they lived in the shadow of highly dramatic events."
Deftly told, this illuminating work spotlights parallel events from that pivotal year and brings to life figures who made headlines in their time but have been largly forgotten today. Ultimately, it is the story of a nation that, with the help of a leader determined to unite and inspire, took giant steps toward a new America.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published November 28, 2023
About the author
Scott Martelle
10 books38 followersA veteran journalist and former member of the Los Angeles Times editorial board, Martelle also writes books primarily about overlooked people and events from history. His newest, though, takes a broader look at a seminal year in American history: 1932: FDR, Hoover, and the Dawn of a New America.
Martelle's journalism and book reviews have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Sierra Magazine, Los Angeles magazine, Orange Coast magazine and other outlets.
Martelle's journalism and book reviews have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Sierra Magazine, Los Angeles magazine, Orange Coast magazine and other outlets.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 7, 2023
Sometimes you need to stick to what works. 1932 by Scott Martelle is a book where good writing cannot overcome excessive scope. Martelle is telling the story of Hoover vs. FDR and I am pretty sure we all know how that worked out. I found that Martelle's writing style is easy to follow and there are some great tidbits in here along with interesting side characters.
However, the problem is that side characters get way too much real estate in this book when compared to some of the other topics. For instance, we get about a chapter and a quarter on Fr. Cox who seems like someone I would like to know more about. However, he disappears for 95% of the book. The same with someone like Milo Reno. I also found some subjects could have been skipped altogether. There is way too much space taken up with Hoover and FDR's path to nomination. We know how it ends. The Bonus Army chapters are very interesting but then it feels like Martelle speeds through the Dust Bowl and racial unrest.
Ultimately, it felt like Martelle had a great list of ingredients, but got the proportions wrong.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Kensington Books.)
However, the problem is that side characters get way too much real estate in this book when compared to some of the other topics. For instance, we get about a chapter and a quarter on Fr. Cox who seems like someone I would like to know more about. However, he disappears for 95% of the book. The same with someone like Milo Reno. I also found some subjects could have been skipped altogether. There is way too much space taken up with Hoover and FDR's path to nomination. We know how it ends. The Bonus Army chapters are very interesting but then it feels like Martelle speeds through the Dust Bowl and racial unrest.
Ultimately, it felt like Martelle had a great list of ingredients, but got the proportions wrong.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Kensington Books.)
March 30, 2024
Basically a dull book that sheds no new light on 1932. This is a chapter in a larger book on the great depression but doesn't shed any new light on what we already now. Not to mention, it is slow and doesn't keep the reader engrossed.
If you know anything about the Great Depression you can pass on this.
If you know anything about the Great Depression you can pass on this.
November 29, 2023
1932: FDR, Hoover, and the Dawn of a New America. Scott Martelle. Citadel Press, 2023. 407 pages.
Authors use phrases like "Dawn of a New America" and "turning point" in subtitles all the time, but some authors fail to prove their case. In 1932, Scott Martelle succeeds in laying out evidence that shows the significance of the presidential election between President Herbert Hoover and New York Governor Franklin Roosevelt, and he's written an excellent book about the candidates and the election.
Hoover and Roosevelt represented two different approaches to politics. Hoover was the traditionalist, believing voters would choose his record of administrative competence and conservative leadership over a naive, unproven upstart just spouting off platitudes. He saw campaigning as beneath him. Like nominees before him, he did not appear at the nominating convention and never really displayed a desire for the presidency. He played hard to get, "Well, if you really, really want me to be your president, I guess I will." For a large chunk of American history, it was considered unseemly to campaign for yourself; the candidates relied on surrogates to sling the political mud. On the other hand, FDR was one of the most politically astute politicians in history, in my mind second only to Lincoln among US presidents, and every waking moment for over a decade was spent preparing for his presidential campaigns. Rags to Riches orphan exemplar Hoover was seen as aloof, cold, uncaring and out of touch with average Americans, while privileged millionaire FDR convinced the poorest farmers that he understood their plight, and he won black voters over despite blocking all civil rights and anti-lynching legislation and even though blacks were often excluded from New Deal benefits. FDR's new political style changed presidential politics forever.
Martelle also does a great job of putting the election into the context of 1932. Many forces came together, creating a "perfect storm" that led to the transition: the Great Depression, the farming crisis, the Bonus Army, the Scottsboro Boys case, labor riots, the rise of socialism and communism, the KKK. I learned things from reading the book about each one, and Martelle weaves all of the threads together to tell a compelling story.
Authors use phrases like "Dawn of a New America" and "turning point" in subtitles all the time, but some authors fail to prove their case. In 1932, Scott Martelle succeeds in laying out evidence that shows the significance of the presidential election between President Herbert Hoover and New York Governor Franklin Roosevelt, and he's written an excellent book about the candidates and the election.
Hoover and Roosevelt represented two different approaches to politics. Hoover was the traditionalist, believing voters would choose his record of administrative competence and conservative leadership over a naive, unproven upstart just spouting off platitudes. He saw campaigning as beneath him. Like nominees before him, he did not appear at the nominating convention and never really displayed a desire for the presidency. He played hard to get, "Well, if you really, really want me to be your president, I guess I will." For a large chunk of American history, it was considered unseemly to campaign for yourself; the candidates relied on surrogates to sling the political mud. On the other hand, FDR was one of the most politically astute politicians in history, in my mind second only to Lincoln among US presidents, and every waking moment for over a decade was spent preparing for his presidential campaigns. Rags to Riches orphan exemplar Hoover was seen as aloof, cold, uncaring and out of touch with average Americans, while privileged millionaire FDR convinced the poorest farmers that he understood their plight, and he won black voters over despite blocking all civil rights and anti-lynching legislation and even though blacks were often excluded from New Deal benefits. FDR's new political style changed presidential politics forever.
Martelle also does a great job of putting the election into the context of 1932. Many forces came together, creating a "perfect storm" that led to the transition: the Great Depression, the farming crisis, the Bonus Army, the Scottsboro Boys case, labor riots, the rise of socialism and communism, the KKK. I learned things from reading the book about each one, and Martelle weaves all of the threads together to tell a compelling story.
December 23, 2023
The Great Depression had been undermining American confidence for a couple of years and President Hoover was learning the hard way that his engineering approach to problems and communication was no longer playing well in the country. Veterans of the Great War were marching on Washington in a chaotic band of thousands known as the Bonus Expeditionary Force to protest reparations scheduled to be paid more than a decade in the future. A compelling Presidential candidate, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, distant cousin of former president Teddy Roosevelt, had some interesting ideas about how to pull the nation out of its economic and cultural funk. Meanwhile, in Europe, changes in Germany were heralding some very bad things on the horizon...
Author Scott Martelle has produced an intriguingly intertwined narrative of America in this pivotal year between the Great Depression and the beginnings of WWII by picking and choosing key events to track. The most eye-opening was the Bonus Expeditionary Force and how the gov't seemed to be complacent about agreeing to millions in back pay, but unwilling to pay any of it, even as the veterans were often the worst hit by the Depression.
The problem with "1932" is that there's no conclusion. No final chapter that wraps up some of the events and their consequences, no closure, even one that offered "two years later, this would be resolved" or "seventy-five years later, the grandchildren of veterans still await their full recompense". In fact, the early reader ebook I was sent literally just switches between paragraphs from a brief comment on Roosevelt's inaugural day to a first person commentary by the author without as much as a page break or new header. Disconcerting, to say the least. Adding a concluding paragraph would improve this otherwise quite interesting historical analysis of America in 1932. If I could wish for a bit more, perhaps occasional snippets about what was happening elsewhere in the world that year would have been nice too; outside of Germany, what about India? Africa? China and the Asian nations?
Author Scott Martelle has produced an intriguingly intertwined narrative of America in this pivotal year between the Great Depression and the beginnings of WWII by picking and choosing key events to track. The most eye-opening was the Bonus Expeditionary Force and how the gov't seemed to be complacent about agreeing to millions in back pay, but unwilling to pay any of it, even as the veterans were often the worst hit by the Depression.
The problem with "1932" is that there's no conclusion. No final chapter that wraps up some of the events and their consequences, no closure, even one that offered "two years later, this would be resolved" or "seventy-five years later, the grandchildren of veterans still await their full recompense". In fact, the early reader ebook I was sent literally just switches between paragraphs from a brief comment on Roosevelt's inaugural day to a first person commentary by the author without as much as a page break or new header. Disconcerting, to say the least. Adding a concluding paragraph would improve this otherwise quite interesting historical analysis of America in 1932. If I could wish for a bit more, perhaps occasional snippets about what was happening elsewhere in the world that year would have been nice too; outside of Germany, what about India? Africa? China and the Asian nations?
December 23, 2023
Scott Martelle, 1932 FDR, Hoover and the Dawn of a New America
Kensington Books, Citadel Nov 2023.
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
Scott Martelle has chosen a format which quickly draws the reader into the year in which Americans chose their President, the Democratic Party’s Franklin Delano Roosevelt, over Herbert Hoover the Republican Party candidate. The complexity of the events of 1932, public and party, are fully explored so that a remarkable history is unfolded. An American history, a Democratic Party history, and a history of the Republican Party. To maintain a reader’s interest in these events, while writing such a thorough and dense account is a large ask. Martelle has accomplished this, perhaps because of the format, but also because his account of events is so deftly honed that their serious and complex nature becomes almost a story. This is the story of a year in America that introduced a new vision for an America reeling from the Depression. The courage of the political figures who wage their battles within their parties and in the public race for the presidency live alongside that of the groups who sought to determine the outcome, and the voters who chose a different economic plan for America.
There are some poignant events such as the veterans’ political action taking trains (or being denied the journey) to make their political points to candidates, and the work of agricultural communities to save farms and livelihoods. Other, more well-known stories are those associated with prohibition and the women’s groups varying viewpoints. Their arguments for and against prohibition make interesting reading as does the discussion about the likelihood that the vote for the president would be based on this issue – did Party affiliation or commitment override a moral issue? For many, it did. The black American vote was also complex, a diary reading demonstrating that Republican opposition to slavery remained an issue for some, whether a majority of black Americans were moving towards support for the Democratic Party. Other diary entries also make fascinating reading.
What continually stands out in this book is Martelle’s capacity for laying out the arguments in interest groups, the debates about leadership in the political parties and the ideas and issues that informed the voters. The complexity remains but is clarified under Marelle’s capable hand. However, the simple last citation, “Cabinet Sworn in at White house”, New York Times, March 5, 1933 is a fitting end to this story of fortitude on the part of both political adversaries, the use to which the population put their democratic vote, and the preparation of an era that gave a new aspect of economic policy gravitas.
Kensington Books, Citadel Nov 2023.
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
Scott Martelle has chosen a format which quickly draws the reader into the year in which Americans chose their President, the Democratic Party’s Franklin Delano Roosevelt, over Herbert Hoover the Republican Party candidate. The complexity of the events of 1932, public and party, are fully explored so that a remarkable history is unfolded. An American history, a Democratic Party history, and a history of the Republican Party. To maintain a reader’s interest in these events, while writing such a thorough and dense account is a large ask. Martelle has accomplished this, perhaps because of the format, but also because his account of events is so deftly honed that their serious and complex nature becomes almost a story. This is the story of a year in America that introduced a new vision for an America reeling from the Depression. The courage of the political figures who wage their battles within their parties and in the public race for the presidency live alongside that of the groups who sought to determine the outcome, and the voters who chose a different economic plan for America.
There are some poignant events such as the veterans’ political action taking trains (or being denied the journey) to make their political points to candidates, and the work of agricultural communities to save farms and livelihoods. Other, more well-known stories are those associated with prohibition and the women’s groups varying viewpoints. Their arguments for and against prohibition make interesting reading as does the discussion about the likelihood that the vote for the president would be based on this issue – did Party affiliation or commitment override a moral issue? For many, it did. The black American vote was also complex, a diary reading demonstrating that Republican opposition to slavery remained an issue for some, whether a majority of black Americans were moving towards support for the Democratic Party. Other diary entries also make fascinating reading.
What continually stands out in this book is Martelle’s capacity for laying out the arguments in interest groups, the debates about leadership in the political parties and the ideas and issues that informed the voters. The complexity remains but is clarified under Marelle’s capable hand. However, the simple last citation, “Cabinet Sworn in at White house”, New York Times, March 5, 1933 is a fitting end to this story of fortitude on the part of both political adversaries, the use to which the population put their democratic vote, and the preparation of an era that gave a new aspect of economic policy gravitas.
January 27, 2024
I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
This is not the story of the year leading up to the election of FDR that everyone "knows." Granted the philosophy of the Hoover administration of non-intervention and dependence on protectionist tariffs at the beginning of the Great Depression probably lengthened the suffering for Americans as well as contributed to the pressures overseas that lead to the rise of the Nazi and Fascist movements leading to WWII. But the thought that the markets would correct themselves was part of the economic dogma that most politicians in America believed in.
This book exposes other issues in the United States that guaranteed the election of anyone but Hoover in 1932. Forgotten in the mix was the bottoming out of farm prices (leading to unrest with farmers in the heartlands), the extreme dissatisfaction across the country of Prohibition, and a peaceful revolt by veterans of the Great War looking to move payment of their war service bonuses up by more than a decade in order to keep the largely unemployed masses fed. Add to that the discontent of unemployed workers stirred up by socialist and communist organizers, Americans were ready to cast aside decades of Republican rule (halted only by the three-way race victory of Woodrow Wilson in 1912) and take a chance on the "New Deal" (with no specifics given during the campaign) over the continuation of "Hoovervilles" (homeless shantytowns) across the US.
The 1932 campaign also featured a candidate that loved to campaign (FDR) and one who wished to avoid campaigning altogether. One candidate that was an elite socialite that spoke in terms of helping the common man, the other, one who could bring relief to the masses (he was the head of the American Relief Association, the organization that distributed food in post-war Europe) but lead the nation thinking that the rich would lead us out of the economic woes of 1932.
This is a well researched book which takes time to bring us even the forgotten historical figures that played a role in the organized opposition to the conditions of the day. I found that the interspersed diaries added little to understanding the history (as opposed to the equally interspersed newsreels). But be forewarned: If you are looking to read a glorification expose of FDR or a humiliation sketch of Hoover, there are many pages devoted to neither, but to the issues and the characters that the spotlight of history no longer shines. And this is where Scott Martelle's book shines.
This is not the story of the year leading up to the election of FDR that everyone "knows." Granted the philosophy of the Hoover administration of non-intervention and dependence on protectionist tariffs at the beginning of the Great Depression probably lengthened the suffering for Americans as well as contributed to the pressures overseas that lead to the rise of the Nazi and Fascist movements leading to WWII. But the thought that the markets would correct themselves was part of the economic dogma that most politicians in America believed in.
This book exposes other issues in the United States that guaranteed the election of anyone but Hoover in 1932. Forgotten in the mix was the bottoming out of farm prices (leading to unrest with farmers in the heartlands), the extreme dissatisfaction across the country of Prohibition, and a peaceful revolt by veterans of the Great War looking to move payment of their war service bonuses up by more than a decade in order to keep the largely unemployed masses fed. Add to that the discontent of unemployed workers stirred up by socialist and communist organizers, Americans were ready to cast aside decades of Republican rule (halted only by the three-way race victory of Woodrow Wilson in 1912) and take a chance on the "New Deal" (with no specifics given during the campaign) over the continuation of "Hoovervilles" (homeless shantytowns) across the US.
The 1932 campaign also featured a candidate that loved to campaign (FDR) and one who wished to avoid campaigning altogether. One candidate that was an elite socialite that spoke in terms of helping the common man, the other, one who could bring relief to the masses (he was the head of the American Relief Association, the organization that distributed food in post-war Europe) but lead the nation thinking that the rich would lead us out of the economic woes of 1932.
This is a well researched book which takes time to bring us even the forgotten historical figures that played a role in the organized opposition to the conditions of the day. I found that the interspersed diaries added little to understanding the history (as opposed to the equally interspersed newsreels). But be forewarned: If you are looking to read a glorification expose of FDR or a humiliation sketch of Hoover, there are many pages devoted to neither, but to the issues and the characters that the spotlight of history no longer shines. And this is where Scott Martelle's book shines.
January 30, 2024
The book "1932" is the story of a presidential election set against a backdrop of the events and circumstances leading to the outcome of that election. By 1932, the great depression was in its third year and had long cast a shadow across all walks of life in the United States. With no end in sight, the great depression left many in dire straits and motivated many to take to the streets to protest and seek change. Veterans who served in world war 1 sought out early payment for their service bonuses, scheduled to be paid out in the mid 1940s. Farmers were taking heavy losses from the collapse of agricultural prices and sought for a price floor on their products. Meanwhile, the prohibition experiment had been ongoing for nearly a decade and a half and those rejecting prohibition had reached critical mass. Organizations calling for the repeal of the 18th amendment and the end of prohibition had come out full force.
In 1932, the early seeds that would eventually lead up to World War 2 were being planted and would not "bear fruit" for another 4 to 5 years.
With all of this as the backdrop events within 1932, Franklin Roosevelt sought to unseat the presidential incumbent, Herbert Hoover as a change agent.
The book "1932" provides context of all of these events from multiple perspectives: the main narrative is traditional historical storytelling. Sprinkled in the chapters are diary entries and newsreel transcripts that provides the reader first hand accounts of the mood and perspectives of the "everyday" person living through these events. The actual year 1932 was not a tumultous time in and of itself, but rather, another year in a series of years of tumultuous times and could be marked as a pivot from the depression era to the World War 2 era with the eventual election of Franklin Roosevelt as that change agent.
In 1932, the early seeds that would eventually lead up to World War 2 were being planted and would not "bear fruit" for another 4 to 5 years.
With all of this as the backdrop events within 1932, Franklin Roosevelt sought to unseat the presidential incumbent, Herbert Hoover as a change agent.
The book "1932" provides context of all of these events from multiple perspectives: the main narrative is traditional historical storytelling. Sprinkled in the chapters are diary entries and newsreel transcripts that provides the reader first hand accounts of the mood and perspectives of the "everyday" person living through these events. The actual year 1932 was not a tumultous time in and of itself, but rather, another year in a series of years of tumultuous times and could be marked as a pivot from the depression era to the World War 2 era with the eventual election of Franklin Roosevelt as that change agent.
February 2, 2024
The 1932 election was the third most consequential election in our history, much of today's laws, politics, and economic policies continue to be shaped by the New Deal. So I was looking forward to reading about the inside stories nuts and bolts of the campaign for the Democratic nomination and then the general election. But the book turned out to be more of a narrative of America in 1932 than the campaigns. Which isn't necessarily bad. There were excellent chapters detailing the unrest caused by the Depression and the different responses; the Bonus army march for promised veteran's benefits, Father Cox's march from Pittsburg to Washington DC to demand more jobs and financial assistance, the beginning of the Farmer's Union and resulting strikes. Efforts such as these were outside the normal political channels and one reason much of it dissipated is that Franklin Roosevelt channeled that frustration and hope into his campaign-and then into his implemented New Deal.
But I would have enjoyed learning more about the politics; I had assumed that Roosevelt swept into the nomination due to popular will but this book tells of Al Smith defeating FDR in the Massachusetts primary, of John Nance Garner defeating FDR in the California primary as well as other primaries. I would have liked to have learned more about the issues and reasons for that as well as the machinations including the deal to make Garner Vice President. But this was still a good book
But I would have enjoyed learning more about the politics; I had assumed that Roosevelt swept into the nomination due to popular will but this book tells of Al Smith defeating FDR in the Massachusetts primary, of John Nance Garner defeating FDR in the California primary as well as other primaries. I would have liked to have learned more about the issues and reasons for that as well as the machinations including the deal to make Garner Vice President. But this was still a good book
December 7, 2023
Sometimes one year represents more than just the passage of time. In the case of 1932, the nation had hit rock bottom. Farms were being foreclosed on. The middle class, who. never thought they would be faced with going without or being hungry found themselves in a state of collapse and panic. The old order, the one which stood for playing by the rules was being shoved aside, at least temporarily, by a new one. Citizens who never would have dreamed of breaking the law or calling for revolution found themselves leading strikes, stymying bank foreclosures and violently interfering with big business.
The US was a nation on a knife's edge and Martelle does a good job in capturing the atmosphere. Subjects like the farmer's strikes and the Bonus Army are often reviewed in a superficial way in histories of the era, but Martelle looks at these subjects closely and gives the reader a closer view of how desperate we really were.
The US was a nation on a knife's edge and Martelle does a good job in capturing the atmosphere. Subjects like the farmer's strikes and the Bonus Army are often reviewed in a superficial way in histories of the era, but Martelle looks at these subjects closely and gives the reader a closer view of how desperate we really were.
November 14, 2023
In 1932, America was mired in its worst economic crisis, with massive unemployment and rampant bank failures. The nation stood at a crossroads. While President Hoover supported small government and free markets, Governor Franklin Roosevelt proposed robust government intervention to combat the Great Depression. This book explores how in that pivotal election year, FDR's vision of national purpose and policy reforms redefined America at its darkest economic hour.
This engrossing and compassionate book is more about people than politics. It includes diary excerpts that help immerse the reader in the time period. What surprised me is how recognizable the Democratic and Republican parties are 91 years later. The audio narration was well done and added to the enjoyment of the book.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This engrossing and compassionate book is more about people than politics. It includes diary excerpts that help immerse the reader in the time period. What surprised me is how recognizable the Democratic and Republican parties are 91 years later. The audio narration was well done and added to the enjoyment of the book.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
December 10, 2023
1932 is written by Scott Martelle. This was a pivotal year in the history of the United States. The USA went through turmoil, instability, natural disaster, bubbling political radicalism, and a rise of dangerous forces ushering in a new era of global conflict. The author did careful research to bring this year in our history to life. My grandmother was 12 in 1932 - and I will always remember her telling me about the banking crisis and ultimate collapse to the US emerging out of the Great Depression.
I appreciate the author's writing style. This is geared toward all readers especially those with a love of history. We see the difference in what President Hoover had in mind for America - to what FDR wanted to do to fix it. I enjoyed reading this book.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.
I appreciate the author's writing style. This is geared toward all readers especially those with a love of history. We see the difference in what President Hoover had in mind for America - to what FDR wanted to do to fix it. I enjoyed reading this book.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.
November 16, 2023
I always seem to learn something new when I read a history book. I think I know the overall story of this era, but I learned new details about the severity of frustrations of the American public, farmers, police, and others during the Great Depression.
I also liked the storytelling style that Mr. Martelle used. In between sections of telling the book's story, he had "newsreels" that told about events going on around the world and in America. He also used diary entries from everyday people to show the public's views of the tumultuous period from the start of the Great Depression to the presidential transition from Herbert Hoover to Franklin Roosevelt.
Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I also liked the storytelling style that Mr. Martelle used. In between sections of telling the book's story, he had "newsreels" that told about events going on around the world and in America. He also used diary entries from everyday people to show the public's views of the tumultuous period from the start of the Great Depression to the presidential transition from Herbert Hoover to Franklin Roosevelt.
Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Read
January 21, 2024Great research into the Bonus Expeditionary Force march on DC and how they self policed the movement to remove radicals and Communists and how train crews/companies and fellow veterans and guardsmen assisted them with food and shelter, and transporting them accross the country. Shows Hoover as stubborn about the banks and the farmers, letting them fail is what he thought capitalism is all about - what, are there no poorhouses? better to reduce the overpopulation......FDR seen as politically astute and willing to take a bold approach to the problem.
February 4, 2024
Scott Martelle has written a comprehensive, compelling book detailing the importance of the year 1932 in American politics and history. It tells of a time when the United States was faltering due to the Great Depression not only economically but when many were questioning the government itself. It includes diary excerpts which add even more layers to this fascinating and must read chapter in American history.
I received this ARC as part of a Goodreads Giveaway. This is my honest and voluntary review.
I received this ARC as part of a Goodreads Giveaway. This is my honest and voluntary review.
February 12, 2024
Easy to read and good overview of the US in 1932. Mainly covers the election and a few high-profile events of the times that contributed to the outcomes, but I found it informative and interesting while also educating. As always, I learned things I didn’t know. Selfishly, I like that he even included a sentence or two about the Alabama tornados in March of 1932 that directly affected my family. Would recommend for those interested in American history, specifically elections, FDR, the Depression, Dust Bowl, or the late 20s/early 30s.
March 1, 2024
Scott Martelle’s 1932 is a well written book, taking the reader through the year with a political and economic viewpoint. The book touched on a number of significant events, including farming and banking issues, the movement to overturn Prohibition, presidential candidates, and the Bonus Army. At times I wished for more detail and insights with public reaction to events, but appreciated the newsreel summaries and diary entries.
Good book. I will be reading some of the author’s past works soon.
Good book. I will be reading some of the author’s past works soon.
May 30, 2024
I did not originally care for this book, as it seemed a mere rehash of other books offering nothing new. That opinion changed, however, as I continued reading. By intertwining chapters dealing with events other than the election into the narrative, Martelle has written a most interesting book that brings the entirety of 1932 into focus. you begin to realize, as you read, that this was a year in which events other than the election were important to the people and influenced, no doubt, how they voted. It is a very good and well written book.
October 14, 2023
This novel described the state of the Union in the United States of America win 1932 from labor movements to the economic crisis, prohibition to racism. It is describing the social, political, and economic environment of 1932 going into the 1933 election. In some of the chapters the narrative is very smoothy and in others the facts bog down the story too much. Overall it is a fine telling of a pivotal moment in American history.
January 12, 2024
Thanks to Kensington book for this giveaway!
I don't typically read history books but I did enjoy this book. Most people have a general idea of what happened during a certain period in history but this book really delved into the details. I learned things that I have never heard about before; the Bonus Army March was interesting. And also reading about the nitty gritty of a presidential campaign. Well researched and really painted a visual picture.
I don't typically read history books but I did enjoy this book. Most people have a general idea of what happened during a certain period in history but this book really delved into the details. I learned things that I have never heard about before; the Bonus Army March was interesting. And also reading about the nitty gritty of a presidential campaign. Well researched and really painted a visual picture.
March 2, 2024
I have to say that this book disappointed me. I really love books about elections and am a very big fan of FDR, I was really looking forward to such an impactful election year being analyzed and written about. This just didn't do the history of 1932 justice. It had interesting and important facts, but it wasn't woven together well to tell an actual story. The storyline felt quite choppy and oftentimes very boring.
November 25, 2023
A well researched and informative history book about an important year in the USA history as it's the year when the chosen president will start a program to fight Depression and to change the country.
I learned a lot and was impressed by the description of the Depression
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I learned a lot and was impressed by the description of the Depression
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
November 26, 2023
Scott Martelle expertly weaves meticulous historical research with diary entries and newsreel stories to create a very thorough and well-rounded account of one of the most formative years in our country's history. 1932 is an excellent and entertaining read, a history book that reads like a novel.
I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 29, 2024
Interesting to get such depth on such a critical time period, although the parallel storylines seemed to detract a little bit from there being any singular plot to focus on. I thought he did a good job tying some of the stories together, but the writing could have been less disjointed.
I came away from it with a newfound respect for Hoover’s intellect and Roosevelt’s persona.
I came away from it with a newfound respect for Hoover’s intellect and Roosevelt’s persona.
July 25, 2024
Great review of a critical year. Author weaves the macro view of the year, worst of the Great Depression, FDR first presidential campaign with diary entries from people across the country, from North Carolina to Ogden Utah. Some of the diary entries are so interesting, you are left wondering what happened to these people. A epilogue on that would have made this a better book.
January 14, 2024
A look at one of the toughest years in America's history. A well written book that provides many different angles of how the government look at people from veterans, auto workers and miners just to name a few. Worth the time to read.
March 4, 2024
This took me a month because it was inescapably boring. I actually admire the author for writing in a contemporary style, I just think the subject focus was just not as interesting for me as I thought it would be. But I hate abandoning books more than I dislike being bored.
August 1, 2024
A good account of the year, but half way through the author gives up on a rounded account of events of 1932 to focus on the presidential election. The story of Hoover is very telling. He was a brilliant administrator but lacked any political skills. Also, the details of the veterans benefits march is thorough and fascinating.
January 1, 2024
Received from GOODREADS giveaway....thanks!
A good reading book, author did well .
I recommend it.
A good reading book, author did well .
I recommend it.
March 15, 2024
Interesting history of US preceeding FDR's election and the Great Recession.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews