Netflix Documentary Review: The Wheelchair President

I am a big history dork so I like to watch documentaries.  It's good to learn something new and interesting while never picking up a book or leaving the couch.  I am fascinated with World War 2 so when I saw this documentary on Netflix I gave it a shot.  It's two 45 minute episodes and it was originally put togehter by the BBC.  The narrator is obviously a British guy so you have to deal with the snooty accent, but its not that bad.  This documentary goes into how FDR had polio at an older age and was never able to walk after his diagnosis. However he was seen as an up and coming politican in the 1920's and if you could not walk, people would see you as weak and not even consider voting for you.  He had to get his legs fitted with iron leg locks to hold him up right so we could speak at political conventions.  People would have to help him walk and he basically had to keep his paralysis a secret from the public in order to have people vote for him. After we wins his 1st term as president in 1932 the documentary goes straightforward to 1944 and shows FDR running for a fourth term.  He was a very, very sick man in 1944 and I can not imagine him winning today being that sick. (I just remeber when Hillary Clinton coughed people were losing their minds.) FDR had polio and a failing heart.  He won the 1944 election and then worked tirelessly until his death to found the United Nations. He wanted to found the United Nations in order to avoid another World War.  (so far. so good) but in order to found the United Nations he needed the backing of Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin.  Two completely opposite people.  Unforunately FDR died in 1945, but because of his death and Stalins relationship with FDR, Russia agreed to found the United Nations with the US and Britain.  It's interesting how FDR and Churchill had a relationship with Stalin, since he was clearly a sociopath, but I guess you can say he was the lesser of two evils compared to Hitler.   Also the documentary talks a good amount about Eleanor Roosevelt.  Apparently it was not a rumour that Eleanor was a lesbian, but at the same time FDR was not loyal as well. Not sure how a guy that is paralyzed is having extramartial sex with two other woman, but it happened. Ladies love power I guess.  Final note: The narrarator says FDR, refered to Eleanor's lesbian companions as "the she-males".  He liked Eleanor's lady friends a lot, but he still called thim that.  In today's world FDR would of been impeached for that choice of words.

Overall don't bother watching it if you don't like history. But if you are a history nerd like myself, especially when it comes to World War 2, give it a watch.

Grade: B-