Publishers Weekly
11/14/2022
High school history teacher Gorham debuts with an eye-opening biography of presidential adviser Anna Rosenberg (1899–1983). Born in Budapest, Rosenberg immigrated with her family to New York City in 1912. After high school, she joined the suffragist and labor movements and became the protégé of Tammany Hall boss James Hagan after confronting him over his opposition to women’s suffrage. Eventually, Rosenberg opened her own business as a labor mediator and drew the attention of Eleanor Roosevelt and her husband, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who hired her as an adviser for first his gubernatorial, then presidential campaigns. Installed by Roosevelt as the “Labor Czar of Buffalo” in 1942, Rosenberg developed an influential plan to mobilize women workers to make up for labor shortages that were compromising the war effort. Following D-Day, Roosevelt sent Rosenberg to Europe to interview U.S. servicemen to help them “find places in the civilian economy upon their return,” a mission that led to the creation of the G.I. Bill. In later administrations, Rosenberg helped remobilize the military for the Korean War and counseled President Johnson on creating a more equitable draft during the Vietnam War. Gorham also delves into Rosenberg’s tangles with anticommunist senator Joseph McCarthy and suggests that “sexism and ethnic prejudice” have diminished her place in the historical record. This is a fitting tribute to a trailblazer. (Feb.)Correction: The author's name was misspelled in an earlier version of this review.
From the Publisher
Praise for The Confidante
“This is a must-read for everyone. Christopher Gorham has written a book that is a fascinating look at the years between The Great Depression and The Cold War, and one woman who had a huge impact on all of it. A woman whose name we should all know.” —The Gloss
"The Confidante covers four decades and some of the most future-shaping legislation ever passed by the U.S. government. Through it all, we can see Rosenberg’s fingerprints across the nation’s major events. As a result, Mr. Gorham’s biography is also a mystery. How could we have forgotten such a woman? ...What The Confidante provides, with cinematic color and encyclopedic clarity, is a resurrection of that history.” —The Wall Street Journal
“(Anna Rosenberg’s) immense influence on American politics, multiple wars, and America’s public affairs, long overlooked, is once again brought to the forefront in this wonderfully told book, perfect for readers of history, biography, politics, and feminism.” —Booklist
“An adviser to presidents from Franklin Roosevelt to Lyndon Johnson, Anna Rosenberg (1899-1983) was a prominent national figure whose present obscurity is perplexing. Gorham, a lawyer and American history teacher…. delivers a vivid account of her eventful life. …Even history buffs may be surprised…. A well-deserved first biography.” —Kirkus Reviews
“An eye-opening biography of presidential advisor Anna Rosenberg…. This is a fitting tribute to a trailblazer.” —Publishers Weekly
“Far and away the most important woman in the American government, and perhaps the most important official female in the world.” —LIFE magazine, 1952
“Christopher Gorham’s authoritative new biography will put Anna Rosenberg where she belongs: among the most outstanding yet unsung women of the 20th century.” —Nigel Hamilton, author of the FDR at War trilogy and JFK: Reckless Youth
“Anna Rosenberg was a dynamo of a woman. Christopher C. Gorham's engaging and deeply researched biography The Confidante will leave you with two thoughts: ‘Why did I never hear of this woman before?’ and ‘Thank goodness she's been rescued from obscurity!’" —Kathryn Smith, author of The Gatekeeper: Missy LeHand, FDR and the Untold Story of the Partnership that Defined a Presidency and Gertie: The Fabulous Life of Gertrude Sanford Legendre: Heiress, Explorer, Socialite, Spy
“An outstanding narrative-driven debut that exemplifies why we read history in the first place. Anna Rosenberg's gripping saga should be read by anyone who enjoys a story of achieving success by overcoming long odds.” —Stephen Puleo, author of Dark Tide, The Caning, American Treasures, and Voyage of Mercy
“Rosenberg was a woman who rose to postings that were supposed to be the preserve of men, and she was a patriot who helped us win World War II and protect the home front. Heroine, indeed.” —Larry Tye, author of Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy
"Gorham's biography is a must read for anyone interested in the FDR years and anyone concerned about current crises. The Confidante deserves a wide audience." —Andrew Kersten, author of Labor’s Home Front
AudioFile
Narrator Ann Richardson’s performance will inspire listeners to find out more about this remarkable woman.”
Wall Street Journal
Mr. Gorham’s biography is also a mystery. How could we have forgotten such a woman?”
Kirkus Reviews
2022-11-29
An enthusiastic life of “the first person, man or woman, to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
An adviser to presidents from Franklin Roosevelt to Lyndon Johnson, Anna Rosenberg (1899-1983) was a prominent national figure whose present obscurity is perplexing. Gorham, a lawyer and American history teacher, doesn’t fully explain why she is often forgotten, but he delivers a vivid account of her eventful life. The daughter of Jewish immigrants, Rosenberg thrived in cutthroat Tammany Hall and, as a sideline, established one of America’s first public relations agencies, quickly acquiring the reputation as a problem solver. Still in her 20s, she caught the attention of Roosevelt, who was beginning his rise in New York politics. FDR loved workaholic loyalists who were also entertaining companions during his off hours. Even history buffs may be surprised as Gorham recounts the next 20 years, during which Rosenberg, a member of FDR’s inner circle, became a leading “fixer,” exerting more influence than Cabinet members (whom FDR tended to ignore). Her name appeared regularly in newspaper articles, editorials, and national magazine profiles. According to one journalist, “Mrs. Rosenberg was regarded in Washington as possibly the closest person to President Roosevelt with the exception of Harry Hopkins.” Other than John F. Kennedy, Roosevelt’s predecessors respected her talents, and Gen. George Marshall asked her personally to become assistant secretary of defense, his chief aide. Rosenberg’s sense of justice took precedence over political expediency, and Gorham chronicles her leading role in the creation of the GI Bill and desegregation of wartime industries, the armed forces, and schools. An unabashed liberal with no national constituency, she became a lightning rod for extremists during the McCarthy era. Readers may prefer to skim long sections devoted to attacks by right-wing columnists and congressmen during the 1950s, but they may be pleasantly surprised to learn that today’s extremists are hardly unique in their often baseless attacks.
A well-deserved first biography.
