Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the 1971 Francis Parkman Prize from the Society of American Historians, Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom 1940-1945 has long been regarded as a masterpiece of both scholarship and prose. A carefully drawn and vividly illustrated portrait of FDR and his crucial wartime leadership, The Soldier of Freedom is an essential document for understanding both the American war effort and the complicated and charismatic politician behind it.

Based on Burns' exhaustive research into Roosevelt's wartime leadership, this epic work chronicles some of the most tumultuous and pivotal figures and events of the 20th century, including both FDR's unique relationships with our Allies and the vile ideology espoused by the enemy. In addition, Burns provides rare and provocative insight into the powerful forces that have shaped the modern world. On the origins of the Cold War, for instance, he argues that “the decisive turn” came during WWII itself, “at the very time when Anglo-American-Soviet relations were, on the surface, almost euphoric-indeed, partly because they did seem euphoric.”

Equally provocative is Burns' analysis of American policy as the nation prepared for the showdown in the Pacific. What Roosevelt contemplated in 1941, Burns argues, was a virtual replica of his support for Great Britain in the Atlantic, “a slow stepping up naval action…with Tokyo bearing the responsibility for escalation.” Furthermore, he continues, since “the Japanese were probably going to fire the first shot...the question was where the United States could respond, how quickly, and how openly and decisively.”