Theodore Roosevelt was hearty, frank, freindly, and bold - a president so popular that many Americans believed they knew him personally. Through the force of his personality and excitement of his adventuring, he wove the presidency into the fabric of daily life as no other president had done. Nearly a century later he is remembered as the most colourful chief executive. The author uses primary sources and recent scholarship to capture the excitement and controversy of Roosevelt's White House years. Theodore Roosevelt was the first to personalize the modern presidency, he argues. He then used his popular appeal to address a number of fundamental, controversial questions: What is the proper role of government in regulating the economy? What is the best relationship between government and the business community? To what extent should the nation pursue a policy of social justice? What are the responsibilities that accompany world power? The author examines the successes and failures of Roosevelt's administration and analyzes Roosevelt's influence on national politics.