The Sailor

"Schmitz rightly observes that the last major book covering the entirety of FDR's foreign policy appeared forty years ago. This subject is particularly fitting for a new treatment, and Schmitz's assessment of Roosevelt as a consistent internationalist who was crucial in leading America to the path it adopted in the years after 1945 is persuasive. This is a story that needs to be retold, and the author is particularly well-equipped to tell it."—Steven Casey, author of The War Beat, Europe: The American Media at War against Nazi Germany

"With his considerable analytical talents, intellectual depth, and decades of scholarship, David Schmitz brings clarity to our understanding of the illusive FDR. Many have tried, Schmitz succeeds, and the result is definitive. The Sailor breaks new ground by portraying Roosevelt as a true progressive internationalist who shaped the next three-quarters of a century of policy. Lucky for the United States to have both a visionary and pragmatic admiral who navigated the nation to the sane ground of internationalism."—Thomas W. Zeiler, professor of history and international affairs at University of Colorado Boulder

"In this superb study, David Schmitz convincingly shows that FDR thought more seriously about foreign affairs and pursued his goals more consistently than his detractors and even some of his admirers thought. Guided by his faith in American values and an astute understanding of national security, Roosevelt kept a skilled hand on the tiller as he steered towards a more peaceful world. This highly readable study is ideal for use in undergraduate courses, but scholars will find much here that is new and thought-provoking."—Marc Gallicchio, Villanova University, author of Unconditional: The Japanese Surrender in World War II