This new edition is revised and updated for the new 2008 AS and A2 specifications for AQA and Edexcel. It provides accessible and complete coverage of this period, from the presidential situation in 1890 and the reasons for entering the First World War, to the policies of the New Deal and the impacts of the Second World War. It charts the changing optimism of the time, from the apparent economic stability of the 1920s, the devastation of the Depression, to the optimism under Roosevelt's presidency. Throughout the book, key dates, terms and issues are highlighted, and historical interpretations of key debates are outlined. Summary diagrams are included to consolidate knowledge and understanding of the period, and exam-style questions and tips written by examiners for each specification provide the opportunity to develop exam skills.