Forged in War: Roosevelt, Churchill, and the Second World War

In Forged in War: Roosevelt, Churchill, and the Second World War, Warren F. Kimball studies the two men as both historic figures and products of the historical moment they occupied. He analyzes the philosophy behind the diplomacy and conveys the urgency and fragility of wartime leadership. Roosevelt and Churchill certainly respected and relied on one another, but they also locked horns over strategy and postwar objectives, each working to win the war as he positioned his own nation for the power shift that would inevitably follow the fighting. The two leaders' relationship also pivoted around their dealings with Joseph Stalin, whom they alternately danced in and out of the strategic loop. Each believed he understood the enigmatic Russian leader. Kimball focuses on their personalities, egos, ulterior motives, and side deals, even touching on FDR's chronic health problems and Churchill's notorious love of drink. With a volume of letters and diaries at his disposal, he provides us with a fascinating look at two of the century's most influential statesmen.