Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Rendezvous with Destiny

Frank Freidel. Back Bay Books, $26.99 (710pp) ISBN 978-0-316-29261-0

Freidel portrays FDR as a decisive visionary who rescued the nation's economy and defended democracy on a worldwide basis, disputing opponents who perceive him as shallow, incompetent and dictatorial. ``This is as fine a one-volume biography of the 32nd president as we are likely to get,'' said PW. Photos. (Apr.)

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