The importance of Franklin D. Roosevelt's thinking on international
relations is self-evident. The truly enormous volume of historical
writing on his views regarding U.S. foreign policy as president is
testament to the momentous period during which he held office. Yet no
consensus has emerged on what these views were: was he an
internationalist or nationalist, passive or active towards world
affairs, predominantly an idealist or realist in his philosophy and even
whether he was an egregious political opportunist. This work offers an
original intervention into this controversial debate by carefully
examining the neglected development of FDR's views in the years before
he became president. Using long-neglected or misread sources from FDR's
early life and career, the work provides a timely clarification of a
period that has, until now, been ignored, misunderstood or covered only
in passing by historians.