Chronicles the epic 1915 libel case in which Theodore Roosevelt, weighing a last presidential run, turned on former allies to challenge corruption in the political party that made him.

"The bestselling authors of Lincoln's Last Trial take readers inside the courtroom to witness the epic 1915 case in which Theodore Roosevelt, weighing one last presidential run, defended his integrity and challenged the political system. 'No more dramatic courtroom scene has ever been enacted,' reported the Syracuse Herald on May 22, 1915 as it covered 'the greatest libel suit in history,' a battle fought between former President Theodore Roosevelt and the leader of the Republican party. Roosevelt, the boisterous and mostly beloved legendary American hero, had accused his former friend and ally, now turned rival, William Barnes of political corruption. The furious Barnes responded by suing Roosevelt for an enormous sum that could have financially devastated him. The spectacle of Roosevelt defending himself in a lawsuit captured the imagination of the country, and more than fifty newspapers sent reporters to cover the trial. Accounts from inside and outside the courtroom combined with excerpts from the trial transcript give us Roosevelt in his own words and serve as the heart of [this book]. This was Roosevelt's final fight to defend his political legacy, and perhaps regain his fading stature. He spent more than a week on the witness stand, revealing hidden secrets of the American political system, and then endured a merciless cross-examination. Witnesses, including a young Franklin D. Roosevelt and a host of well-known political leaders, were questioned by two of the most brilliant attorneys in the country. Following the case through court transcripts, news reports, and other primary sources, Dan Abrams and David Fisher present a high-definition picture of the American legal system in a nation standing on the precipice of the Great War, with its former president fighting for the ideals he held dear."-- Adapted from dust jacket.