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

by Warren F. Kimball

An authoritative and entertaining portrait of the fateful friendship that was destined to save Western civilization. Drawing extensively on his intimate knowledge of the two men's correspondence, Mr. Kimball shows beyond all doubt how critical their combined leadership was to the eventual Allied victory and how it laid the groundwork for the peace that followed. "A compelling account, as penetrating as it is lively."―Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

Genres: History, Presidents, Nonfiction, War, World War II, Politics, Military History

432 pages, Paperback

First published March 5, 1997

Reviews

[Fred · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a different type of "war" history. It is focused more on the political. It was at times repetitive in making points or questioning the motives or actions of FDR and Churchill. You get a good feel for both men. There is significant involvement with Stalin, but it is not as indepth.

After reading this book I would be interested in knowing more about the political climate in the US along the issues related to the war. They were mentioned as factors for FDR, but were not explored or explained.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rate this book a four, but probably closer to 3.5. Of course its well researched, as is almost any WWII books. My problem was Kimball seemed to stray off point sometimes and added really insignificant ideas along the way. I did appreciate the pull and tug that Churchill and Roosevelt had with Stalin, ultimately giving Eastern Europe away at the end of the war. Recommend for only the diehard World War Two readers.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following the victory of the Allies against the Nazis during WWII, it is easy to assume the inevitability of the Allies victory. However, Kimball shows this was far from so. Kimball’s text slowly recreates the day to day decision-making at the executive level for Britain and the US, Roosevelt and Churchill’s friendship. In doing so, Kimball shows that at no point was victory guaranteed and the war was far from an easy one. Kimball shows how the two leaders grappled with the struggle. In doing so, both leaders put aside their personal priorities, ideological grievances, and domestic issues, like the aftermath of Britain’s empire and their enmity against the USSR, to focus fully on winning the war. What comes out of Kimball’s text is a book that is comprehensive and thoroughly recreates the Allied effort to win the Nazis.

One issue is that Kimball inconsistently interchanges between using Roosevelt/Churchill and the President/Prime Minister even within the same paragraph, which can be confusing at times. The book also could have benefitted from stronger proofreading and editing, due to a few obvious errors here and there (e.g. describing the Neutrality Acts as coming from the period of the 1950s instead of the 1950s.) Another issue is Kimball’s writing style, where Kimball’s writing often isn’t clear. He kinda assumes that the reader is following his logic so he doesn’t explicitly state his point, which is not often clear to the reader.

[kelly]

I read this for my Honors history class on the war correspondence between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. Indeed, this book lacks Stalin's contributions to the war, but it provides a lot of useful information. It is hard to read if you do not usually read history, like myself.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in the politics and diplomacy behind the battles, then this is the WWII book for you. Mr. Kimball focuses on the British/American alliance, but that covers a lot of ground.

[JerryDeanHalleck · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is more or less a summary of the FDR - Churchill relationship in WW II based on the 3 volumes of FDR-Churchill letters and other sources. Kimball defends FDR and Churchill from almost every serious criticism, but his defense of their actions is fact-based and objective. He lays out the criticism and then gives his response.

MacArthur said "FDR never told the truth when a lie would do" and based on this book, its true. The number of times FDR lied to the US public, Churchill, the Chinese, and even his beloved "Uncle Joe" is quite amazing.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, anchored by the incredibly quotable Churchill.