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The Author

Paul M. Sparrow is a writer, historical consultant, and the former Director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. Before moving to the FDR Library he was a Deputy Director and Senior Vice President at the Newseum in Washington, DC. Sparrow began his career at KPIX-TV in San Francisco, and became an Emmy Award-winning television producer and executive. A graduate of UC Santa Cruz, Sparrow earned an MFA from the Center for Contemporary Music at Mills College.

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A dramatic narrative that brings President Roosevelt, his allies, and his adversaries to life during his fight to transform America from an isolationist nation into the world’s first superpower.

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Schedule of Events

America Sings Broadway

With Tina Maria Casamento

Lewes SummerScape

August 5,

Lewes Library Pavillion, 7:00 pm

History Book Festival Keynote

Interview with Scott Anderson author of

King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution: A Story of Hubris, Delusion

and Catastrophic Miscalculation

and

Ben Macintyre author of

Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War’s Most Extraordinary Spy

September 25,

Cape Henlopen High School Theater, 7:00 PM

Jane Goodall's Legacy

A Fireside Chat with Linda Berdine

October 4, 5:00 PM

Lewes Public Library

Codebreakers, Part 1: Bletchley Park and the Brits who Broke the Code

A Fireside Chat with Fred Dylla

October 25, 5:00 PM

Lewes Public Library

Coming Soon

Common Sense in the Age of Trump:

A Guide to Keeping Our Republic

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Media

Gertrude Polk Brown Lecture

Filton Historical Society - March 31, 2026

https://youtu.be/XrRjQDqlHFM?si=jLHyCwpHlKaOgTW3\

We In Lewes Podcast - March 26, 2026

https://www.weinlewes.com/episodes/8pt9p7rt9mkdahx-e7gcj-e3mra-lwb5k-yhcc8-xfkh6-anpaw-ppcn

Keynote address at Roosevelt Reading Festival

Awakening the Spirit of America | C-SPAN.org

Paul Sparrow in Conversation with Harold Holzer

at the Roosevelt House at Hunter College

https://youtu.be/IvaX3NVNg_c?si=ktfOc48udkWixbcZ

Sharon McMahon podcast "Here's Where it Gets Interesting"

https://sharonmcmahon.com/podcast/awakening-the-spirit-of-america-with-paul-sparrow

"Chatter" podcast with David Priess

https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/chatter--fdr--charles-lindbergh--and-presidential-libraries-with-paul-sparrow

Diane Rehm podcast - "On My Mind"

'The Spirit of America' vs. 'America First': Revisiting FDR's war of words with Charles Lindbergh - Diane Rehm

A Behind the Scenes Look at FDR's Ship Model Collection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znARC2vFS5I&t=15s

CSPAN Q & A with Brian Lamb

https://www.c-span.org/video/?429540-1/qa-paul-sparrow

Conversation with Michael Beschloss and Susan Dunn

https://www.c-span.org/video/?461149-7/historians-susan-dunn-michael-beschloss-president-franklin-roosevelt