"Woodrow Wilson was a man of words. Overcoming dyslexia, he finally learned to read at the age of ten, and then went on to spend much of his early life writing about politics and practicing oratory on the empty benches of his father's Presbyterian churches. Academic studies of the American Constitution and Congress (which he considered the most important branch of the federal government) established his reputation for original and insightful political thinking, which in turn led to his appointment to the presidency of Princeton and, eventually, to his nomination for the presidency of the United States. His term would be marked by his intellectual approach to government and the compromises demanded by practical politics." "H. W. Brands offers a clear, well-informed, and timely account of Wilson's unusual route to the White House, his campaign against corporate interests, his struggles with rivals at home and allies abroad, and his temporary decline in popularity following the rejection by Congress of his League of Nations. Wilson emerges as a fascinating man of oratorical power, penetrating thought, and inspiring ideals."--Jacket.