Textbooks routinely include brief accounts of Huey Long. They describe Long's challenge to Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) from "the left," and mention a folksy style. They neglect, however, to describe the content of Long's agenda and the meaning of his message. In that they also miss a chance to make clear the stakes in FDR's political balancing act.

Historians look at Long and his political views and pushes for reform in the social and political context of the Great Depression, FDR's presidency, and the New Deal. By taking Long together with the world he campaigned in, historians avoid caricaturing Long.

Primary sources reveal a charismatic man who used every method available to him to get out his message—from television to radio, from popular song to the publishing industry. Whether preparing to campaign for presidency or encouraging the public to form his "Share Our Wealth" societies, Long carefully manufactured and maintained his public image as he pursued his political goals.