Roosevelt's warrior

by Jeanne Nienaber Clarke

By any measure, Harold Ickes was one of the towering figures of the New Deal. With remarkable energy and a genius for organization, he transformed a tradition-bound, much-maligned Department of the Interior into a progressive and highly respected organization. He was known for his sharp wit and brilliant intellect. He could be crusty, temperamental, and self-righteous. And he was just the kind of tenacious fighter FDR needed. In this political biography of the nation's most influential secretary of the interior, Jeanne Clarke examines Harold Ickes's tenure in the Roosevelt administration and his role as a powerful champion of New Deal policies. She offers an unprecedented examination of the internal conflicts that raged within Roosevelt's bureaucracy and provides new insights into the public career and private life of FDR's "liberal lightning rod." Ickes led the Interior Department for all of Roosevelt's thirteen years in the White House, a tenure longer than any Interior secretary bef