Edsforth's book is the third volume to be published in Blackwell's series Problems in American History. If this volume is anything to go by it promises to be an excellent series. From the introduction, which outlines the New Deal's importance and place in US history, to the brief but useful chapter notes, this is a lucid and stimulating read.

The first four chapters of the book set the context for the New Deal by reminding us just how close American capitalism was to collapse. In many ways this is the most interesting section. It is easy to forget what the Depression really meant to ordinary Americans trying to survive in a country with no federal welfare system. The depths of suffering and desperation are vividly brought to life. More importantly Edsforth shows the response of these people was not so pacific as many other author's imply. The chronology of unrest in the Appendix is a sobering reminder that it was not only in Germany there was fighting on the streets in the 1930s.

The following seven chapters take us through the New Deal in a roughly chronological order. What FDR, his cabinet and the 'Brains' Trust' was trying to achieve, how they did it and the problems they faced are all clearly explained. Even the 'hard' economics of issues like the banking and currency reforms are made comprehensible. Edsforth also covers the problems with the Supreme Court, and explains well the growing divisions among the liberal and conservative branches of the Democratic Party. The level of detail is challenging enough for undergraduates, but easily intelligible to good A level students.

Edsforth's admiration for Roosevelt and what he achieved seems clear and the book is no worse for that. Roosevelt is one of the most important of all US presidents and in this book we are reminded of, the sheer scale of his achievements. That the New Deal failed to solve the Depression cannot detract from this. Here, however, is the one weakness of the book: the section on the legacy of the New Deal is a mere two pages long. I'd like to have read more about the New Deal's long and short-term impact. But, this is a minor criticism of an excellent book. 1 found it both interesting and informative and I will certainly be ordering a few copies for the college library.