Eleanor Roosevelt: An Untraditional First Lady

In August 1943, at the height of World War II, first lady Eleanor Roosevelt traveled more than 25,000 miles throughout the Pacific Theater, visiting military bases, hospitals, and remote outposts where American troops were stationed. Author Shannon McKenna Schmidt chronicles the first lady’s extraordinary five-week journey as she flew in unheated transport planes and bombers, dined in mess halls, and even trekked through the jungle on a simulated training mission. Schmidt also traces Roosevelt’s transformation from a shy society matron into one of the most consequential first ladies in American history.