Roosevelt: Soldier of Freedom (Roosevelt #2)

The proposition of this stunning sequel to the celebrated Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox, James MacGregor Burns notes in the Preface, is that Franklin D. Roosevelt "as war leader was a deeply divided man- divided between the man of principle, of ideals, of faith ... and ... the man of Realpolitik, of prudence, of narrow, manageable, short-run goals, intent always on protecting his power and authority in a world of shifting moods and capricious fortune. This dualism cleft not only Roosevelt, but also his advisers ... And it divided the American people themselves, who were vacillating between the evangelical moods of idealism, sentimentalism, and utopianism of one era and older traditions of national self-regard, protectiveness, and prudence of another. 

This is a triumphant biography, and its concluding volume is written with the grace and power that characterizes Mr. Burn's work.