The New Deal - by Michael Hiltzik (Paperback)

About the Book

Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal began as a program of short-term emergency relief measures and evolved into a truly transformative concept of the federal government's role in Americans' lives. More than an economic recovery plan, it was a reordering of the political system that continues to define America to this day. With this book, writer Michael Hiltzik offers fresh insights into this inflection point in the American experience. He shows how Roosevelt, through force of personality, commanded the loyalty of the fiscal conservatives and radical agrarians alike--yet the same character traits that made him a great leader would sow the seeds of the New Deal's end. Understanding the New Deal may be more important today than at any time in the last eight decades. Conceived in response to a devastating financial crisis very similar to America's most recent downturn--the New Deal remade the country's economic and political environment in six years of intensive experimentation, and provided a model for subsequent presidents who faced challenging economic conditions, right up to the present.--From publisher description.

Book Synopsis

In this bold reevaluation of a decisive moment in American history, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Hiltzik dispels decades of accumulated myths and misconceptions to capture its origins, its legacy, and its genius.In this bold reevaluation of a decisive moment in American history, Michael Hiltzik dispels decades of accumulated myths and misconceptions about the New Deal to capture with clarity and immediacy its origins, its legacy, and its genius.

Review Quotes

"Makes fascinating reading for a nation facing many of the same problems it confronted, and conquered, 80 years ago." -Philadelphia Inquirer

About the Author

Michael Hiltzik is a journalist for the Los Angeles Times and the author of Colossus: The Turbulent, Thrilling Saga of the Building of Hoover Dam. He received the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for articles exposing corruption in the entertainment industry. He lives in Southern California with his wife and two children.