Overview
āOne of the most influential women in the country's public affairs for a quarter of a century.ā āThe New York Times
As Franklin Delano Rooseveltās special envoy to Europe in World War II she went where the president couldnāt go. She was among the first Allied women to enter a liberated concentration camp, and stood in the Eagleās Nest, Hitlerās mountain retreat, days after its capture. She guided the direction of the G.I. Bill of Rights and the Manhattan Project. Though Anna Rosenberg emerged from modest immigrant beginnings, equipped with only a high school education, she was the real power behind national policies critical to America winning the war and prospering afterward. Astonishingly, her story remains largely forgotten.
With a disarming mix of charm and Tammany-hewn toughness, Rosenberg began her career in public relations in 1920s Manhattan. She became friends with Eleanor Roosevelt, who recommended Anna to her husband, who was then running for Governor of New York. As FDRās unofficial adviser, Rosenberg soon wielded enormous influenceāno less potent for being subtle. Roosevelt dubbed her āmy Mrs.
Fix-It.ā Her extraordinary career continued after his death.
By 1950, she was tapped to become the assistant secretary of defenseāthe highest position ever held by a woman in the US militaryāprompting Senator Joe McCarthy to wage an unsuccessful smear campaign against her. In 1962, she organized John F. Kennedyās infamous birthday gala, sitting beside him while Marilyn Monroe sang. Until the end of her life, Rosenberg fought tirelessly for causes from racial integration to womenās equality to national health care.
More than the story of one remarkable woman, The Confidante explores who gets to be at the forefront of history, and why. Though she was not quite a hidden figure, Rosenbergās position as āthe power behind,ā combined with her status as an immigrant and a Jewish woman, served to diminish her importance. In this inspiring, impeccably researched, and revelatory book, Christopher C. Gorham at last affords Anna Rosenberg the recognition she so richly deserves.
āFar and away the most important woman in the American government, and perhaps the most important official female in the world.ā āLIFE magazine, 1952
āA fitting tribute to a trailblazer.ā āPublishers Weekly
āWonderfully toldā¦perfect for readers of history, biography, politics, and feminism.ā āBooklist
āA well-deserved first biography.āāKirkus Reviews
This book title, The Confidante (The Untold Story of the Woman Who Helped Win WWII and Shape Modern America), ISBN: 9780806542003, by Christopher C. Gorham, published by Kensington (February 28, 2023) is available in hardcover. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
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