A dramatic narrative that brings President Roosevelt, his allies, and his adversaries to life during his fight to transform America from an isolationist bystander into the world’s first superpower.
Franklin Roosevelt awoke at 2:50 a.m. on September 1, 1939 to the news that Germany had invaded Poland, signaling the start of World War II. For years the president had warned that Hitler’s fascist regime posed an existential threat to democracy. But the American public remained stubbornly isolationist as fascist sympathizing groups, egged on by right wing media stars promoting anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, plotted to overthrow the president. Newly elected Prime Minister Winston Churchill pleaded with Roosevelt to send arms and supplies to Britain as they fought for their very survival.
The situation was dire. Drawing on his popularity after leading the country out of the Great Depression and his skill as an inspiring speaker, FDR advocated unwavering su
