Short Synopsis
With a searching new analysis of primary sources, NBCC Award winner James Tobin reveals how FDR's fight against polio transformed him from a callow aristocrat into the energetic, determined statesman who would rally the nation in the Great Depression and lead it through World War II.

Full Synopsis
When polio paralyzed Franklin Roosevelt at the age of thirty-nine, people wept to think that the young man of golden promise must live out his days as a helpless invalid. He never again walked on his own. But in just over a decade, he regained his strength and seized the presidency.

This was the most remarkable comeback in the history of American politics. And, as author James Tobin shows, it was the pivot of Roosevelt's life—the triumphant struggle that tempered and revealed his true character. With enormous ambition, canny resourcefulness, and sheer grit, FDR willed himself back into contention and turned personal disaster to his political advantage. Tobin's dramatic account of Roosevelt's ordeal and victory offers central insights into the forging of one of our greatest presidents.

"Constant's style highlights Tobin's elegant prose, which brings out FDR's determination and frustration, from which the public was often shielded." ---AudioFile

"Tobin's balanced and detailed approach offers a well-rounded look at a slice of F.D.R.'s life generally obscured from popular accounts, and it makes for fascinating reading." ---Publishers Weekly Starred Review

"This powerful book offers a vivid account of how Roosevelt's fight for personal recovery lit his path to the White House. I could hardly put it down." ---James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom

"In Tobin's elegant and moving book, the story of FDR's rise from polio victim to president feels remarkably intimate. The Man He Became reveals the extraordinary inner strength and determination that allowed Roosevelt not just to triumph over a personal tragedy but to inspire an entire nation when it needed it most." ---Candice Millard, author of The River of Doubt

Publishers Weekly Review