Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 - 1945) was a central figure in world politics during the World War II era. He served as American president for four terms—nearly sixteen years, from 1932 until his death in 1945. During his 1940 election campaign, Roosevelt promoted an agenda of keeping America out of the war. As president, Roosevelt exercised nearly unprecedented influence over national development during his lengthy term in office. During World War II, especially, Roosevelt's influence was felt around the free world. The book cited Roosevelt as both an individual president and as an abstraction of American politics during the war years. The book provides little biographical information about Roosevelt but assumes the reader will have a fairly strong understanding of the man's political career and policies. The book frequently cites Roosevelt as both a political leader, a visionary, and a military leader.