"A lifelong crusader for society's powerless, Senator Paul Douglas championed reform and helped to bring civil rights issues to the forefront of mid-twentieth-century American politics. During his eighteen years in the U.S. Senate, his advocacy of liberal causes brought him national recognition. In the eyes of many, Douglas embodied the very ideals of the "Great Society."".

"Covering the full span of Douglas's life - from his youth and early work at Hull House In Chicago to his leadership in the Senate - Crusading Liberal illuminates the life and times of the man Martin Luther King, Jr., called "the greatest of all senators.""--BOOK JACKET.