In the 1930s and 40s America was ravaged by unemployment, poverty and conflict. Franklin D Roosevelt led the country through the two great crises of mass unemployment and the Second World War in a style that persuades Patrick Renshaw to call him ‘the most important President of the Twentieth Century’. His New Deal and decisive leadership during the war made him the greatest vote-winner in the nation’s history and on a par with Hitler, Stalin and Churchill as a key figure in twentieth century history. This fresh and vividly written account of FDR’s life covers his early days in one of the nation’s oldest and richest families, and the effect of the polio that ravaged him in his prime. The role of his early political career and his 12-year presidency is investigated, and his fascinating relationship with his wife Eleanor explored.Patrick Renshaw explains how and why FDR came to power and with what effect he exercised it. He argues that FDR used the Second World War to make America the greatest power on earth and that his twelve years in the White House transformed American politics and America’s place in the world. Original interpretations of his life career in relation to his illness and private life make this a fascinating biography.An important addition to the Profiles in Power series, this critical biography views the most significant twentieth century US President from a fresh perspective in the twenty-first. It will be invaluable to all students of American history, specialists on the 1930s and the New Deal, and also to the general reader. Patrick Renshaw is formerly Reader in American History at Sheffield University. He worked for seven years as a journalist before teaching US history for more than 30 years at universities in Britain and America. His previous publications include The Wobblies; The IWW and Syndicalism in the United States, American Labour and Consensus Capitalism 1935-1990, and the Longman Companion to American History 1910-1945.EndorsementIn this splendidly fast-paced, engaging and contextual study Patrick Renshaw makes a compelling case for the greatness of Franklin Roosevelt, whose unique mix of political skill, personal charm, physical courage and persisting luck helped steer the United States through the daunting challenges of the Great Depression and the Second World War. Professor Richard J. Carwardine, St Catherine’s College, Oxford