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The Washington War: FDR's Inner Circle and the Politics of Power That Won World War II
A Team of Rivals for World War II--the inside story of how FDR and the towering personalities around him waged war in the corridors of Washington, D.C., to secure ultimate victory on the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific.
The Washington War is the story of how the Second World War was fought and won in the capital's corridors of power--and how the United States, which in December 1941 had a nominal army and a decimated naval fleet, was able in only thirty months to fling huge forces onto the European continent and shortly thereafter shatter Imperial Japan's Pacific strongholds.
Three quarters of a century after the overwhelming defeat of the totalitarian Axis forces, the terrifying, razor-thin calculus on which so many critical decisions turned has been forgotten--but had any of these debates gone the other way, the outcome of the war could have been far different: The army in August 1941, about to be disbanded, saved by a single vote. Production plans that would have delayed adequate war mat�riel for years after Pearl Harbor, circumvented by one uncompromising man's courage and drive. The delicate ballet that precluded a separate peace between Stalin and Hitler. The almost-adopted strategy to stage D-Day at a fatally different time and place. It was all a breathtakingly close-run thing, again and again.
Renowned historian James Lacey takes readers behind the scenes in the cabinet rooms, the Pentagon, the Oval Office, and Hyde Park, and at the pivotal conferences--Campobello Island, Casablanca, Tehran--as these disputes raged. Here are colorful portraits of the great figures--and forgotten geniuses--of the day: New Dealers versus industrialists, political power brokers versus the generals, Churchill and the British high command versus the U.S. chiefs of staff, innovators versus entrenched bureaucrats . . . with the master manipulator, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, at the center, setting his brawling patriots one against the other and promoting and capitalizing on the furious turf wars.
Based on years of research and extensive, previously untapped archival resources, The Washington War is the first integrated, comprehensive chronicle of how all these elements--and towering personalities--clashed and ultimately coalesced at each vital turning point, the definitive account of Washington at real war and the titanic political and bureaucratic infighting that miraculously led to final victory.
The Washington War is the story of how the Second World War was fought and won in the capital's corridors of power--and how the United States, which in December 1941 had a nominal army and a decimated naval fleet, was able in only thirty months to fling huge forces onto the European continent and shortly thereafter shatter Imperial Japan's Pacific strongholds.
Three quarters of a century after the overwhelming defeat of the totalitarian Axis forces, the terrifying, razor-thin calculus on which so many critical decisions turned has been forgotten--but had any of these debates gone the other way, the outcome of the war could have been far different: The army in August 1941, about to be disbanded, saved by a single vote. Production plans that would have delayed adequate war mat�riel for years after Pearl Harbor, circumvented by one uncompromising man's courage and drive. The delicate ballet that precluded a separate peace between Stalin and Hitler. The almost-adopted strategy to stage D-Day at a fatally different time and place. It was all a breathtakingly close-run thing, again and again.
Renowned historian James Lacey takes readers behind the scenes in the cabinet rooms, the Pentagon, the Oval Office, and Hyde Park, and at the pivotal conferences--Campobello Island, Casablanca, Tehran--as these disputes raged. Here are colorful portraits of the great figures--and forgotten geniuses--of the day: New Dealers versus industrialists, political power brokers versus the generals, Churchill and the British high command versus the U.S. chiefs of staff, innovators versus entrenched bureaucrats . . . with the master manipulator, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, at the center, setting his brawling patriots one against the other and promoting and capitalizing on the furious turf wars.
Based on years of research and extensive, previously untapped archival resources, The Washington War is the first integrated, comprehensive chronicle of how all these elements--and towering personalities--clashed and ultimately coalesced at each vital turning point, the definitive account of Washington at real war and the titanic political and bureaucratic infighting that miraculously led to final victory.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published August 28, 2018
189 people are currently reading
1906 people want to read
About the author
James Lacey
39 books27 followersJames G. Lacey is the Marine Corps University’s Major General Matthew C. Horner Chair of War Studies, where serves as professor and course director for War, Policy, and Strategy, as well as Political Economy at the Marine Corps War College. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from The Citadel and a Ph.D. in Military History from Leeds University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
October 16, 2021
The inside story of how FDR and the towering personalities around him waged war in the corridors of Washington, D.C., to secure ultimate victory on the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific.
As a non-American, this inside story was sometimes too much 'inside', as there were a lot of mentions of persons that I never heard of and that even my American friends might already have forgotten. However, the major key players get their fair share and the description of the grand strategies and American-British rivalries are masterful in showing the backstabbing and infighting that took place behind the scenes. You almost start to wonder how the Allies could have won at all, but luckily despite of (or thanks to?) that is what they did.
As a non-American, this inside story was sometimes too much 'inside', as there were a lot of mentions of persons that I never heard of and that even my American friends might already have forgotten. However, the major key players get their fair share and the description of the grand strategies and American-British rivalries are masterful in showing the backstabbing and infighting that took place behind the scenes. You almost start to wonder how the Allies could have won at all, but luckily despite of (or thanks to?) that is what they did.
April 27, 2020
For a book of such magisterial scope centered around the greatest military conflict in world history, "THE WASHINGTON WAR: FDR's Inner Circle and the Politics of Power That Won World War II" is brilliant. It lays out in considerable detail, the key personalities (military and civilian) and the events in which each of them played out their roles in organizing and managing the war effort -- with President Franklin D. Roosevelt as the lodestar in the national constellation -- from the late 1930s (when it became clear to FDR and several other prominent Americans both within and outside the Roosevelt Administration that another world war was on the horizon and the U.S. needed to be prepared to meet the challenges it was likely to present to the nation) to Roosevelt's death on April 12, 1945 with the certainty of a decisive Allied victory clearly in sight in both Europe and the Pacific.
Two of the best selling points about this book is (1) its easy readability and (2) a list provided by the author of the key personalities with brief personal histories and a summation of the wartime roles they performed. Indeed, the author "takes readers behind the scenes in the cabinet rooms, the Pentagon, the Oval Office, and Hyde Park, and at the pivotal conferences — Campobello Island, Casablanca, Tehran, Yalta — as these disputes raged. Here are colorful portraits of the great figures— and forgotten geniuses— of the day: New Dealers versus industrialists, political power brokers versus the generals, Churchill and the British high command versus the U.S. chiefs of staff, innovators versus entrenched bureaucrats . . . with the master manipulator, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, at the center, setting his brawling patriots one against the other and promoting and capitalizing on the furious turf wars."
I learned so much from reading this book of what really went on in FDR's efforts to build a national consensus for preparedness as Europe edged towards war in 1938 and 1939 (the power and influence of the isolationist wing in the U.S. was considerable; so FDR had to watch every step he made and not appear to be pushing the country towards war) and the difficulties, even after the U.S. entered the war, to organize the country's industrial might to produce the necessary materials and equipment -- as well as train and deploy millions of soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen to the various fighting fronts --- to win the war.
Without a doubt, "THE WASHINGTON WAR" will become the go to resource for anyone who wants to understand how the U.S. managed to successfully prosecute the Second World War in both the military and political spheres. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Two of the best selling points about this book is (1) its easy readability and (2) a list provided by the author of the key personalities with brief personal histories and a summation of the wartime roles they performed. Indeed, the author "takes readers behind the scenes in the cabinet rooms, the Pentagon, the Oval Office, and Hyde Park, and at the pivotal conferences — Campobello Island, Casablanca, Tehran, Yalta — as these disputes raged. Here are colorful portraits of the great figures— and forgotten geniuses— of the day: New Dealers versus industrialists, political power brokers versus the generals, Churchill and the British high command versus the U.S. chiefs of staff, innovators versus entrenched bureaucrats . . . with the master manipulator, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, at the center, setting his brawling patriots one against the other and promoting and capitalizing on the furious turf wars."
I learned so much from reading this book of what really went on in FDR's efforts to build a national consensus for preparedness as Europe edged towards war in 1938 and 1939 (the power and influence of the isolationist wing in the U.S. was considerable; so FDR had to watch every step he made and not appear to be pushing the country towards war) and the difficulties, even after the U.S. entered the war, to organize the country's industrial might to produce the necessary materials and equipment -- as well as train and deploy millions of soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen to the various fighting fronts --- to win the war.
Without a doubt, "THE WASHINGTON WAR" will become the go to resource for anyone who wants to understand how the U.S. managed to successfully prosecute the Second World War in both the military and political spheres. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
September 1, 2021
Two things are apparent at the outset of The Washington War in author James Lacey's list of "The Washington Warriors." First, many of the names are unfamiliar to most readers. Several certainly were to me. Some have never appeared anywhere else in my reading on World War II even though Lacey describes them as "FDR's inner circle." And, second, he pulls no punches, rendering such judgments as "he wasted his talent on revenge plots and petty jealousies" and "a man without friends or the desire to make any." You're not likely to find such characterizations in books by academic historians. And yet, despite the often unflattering comments about the players, it's clear on reading further in the book that Lacey has told a story that is both central to gaining perspective on the war and far too often ignored.
"Wars are won in conference rooms"
As the author notes, "Battles are won on the fighting fronts, but wars are won in conference rooms." Lacey pokes his head into those conference rooms and examines the plans, memorandums, and correspondence among the politicians, the military brass, and the bureaucrats whose nonstop bickering and maneuvering for power shaped the course of World War II. It's a fascinating tale and essential reading for anyone who seeks to understand how the Allies won. Because it's clear in Lacey's telling that the end was never foreordained.
Office politics and bureaucratic wrangling in FDR's inner circle
Most accounts of the Allied victory in the Second World War hinge on the titanic battles at Stalingrad, Midway, Normandy, and in the Atlantic. Lacey draws our attention instead to the "titanic rows" in Washington among the politicians and bureaucrats and military men - arguments that sometimes degenerated into shouting matches involving the American and British Chiefs of Staff, members of Congress, and the ill-prepared and sometimes incompetent bureaucrats heading the government agencies that proliferated under FDR.
"By 1942," Lacey notes, "so many ["alphabet agencies"] had been birthed - WPB, OPA, BEW, NWLB, etc. - that no one had any idea of what all the acronyms stood for, or for that matter what they all did." It's sometimes difficult to see who was calling the shots.
Even Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill come across as erratic at times, with FDR portrayed as "the most Machiavellian of U.S. presidents" and the Prime Minister as obsessively focused on preserving the British Empire. You may wonder as you read all this how on earth the Allies ever won the war - unless you understand that the Axis powers blundered from one strategic error to another and defeated themselves in a war they should never have begun.
Did politics and maneuvering for power hamper the Allied war effort?
However, Lacey brings a charitable perspective to the scene he portrays. "My assumption when I began this book was that such fights hampered the war effort. But the more I delved into the clashes that made up the Washington war, the clearer it became that these titanic rows almost always led to better outcomes than would have prevailed had there been a single man or apparatus directing events." But it's hard to take that view in light of the two years' lost in the struggle to amp up arms production and the Allies' failure even to acknowledge the Holocaust until a third of Europe's Jews were dead.
FDR's inner circle includes unfamiliar names
All the usual suspects figure in Lacey's account of the war behind the scenes. FDR and Churchill. Harry Hopkins. Marshall, King, Leahy, Stimson, Knox, Hull, and Welles. But other, far less familiar names crowd onto center stage, too. Among them were the following:
** Assistant Secretary of War Robert B. Patterson, "one of the great but forgotten men of World War II." Lacey writes, "His single-minded ambition was to increase war production, and he was tough enough to force his will on most, which he did with reckless abandon."
** Director of the Office of Price Administration Leon Henderson, who quickly became "public enemy number one" when he squelched demands for higher prices from business and higher wages from labor.
** Jesse Jones, chair of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. In Lacey's view, he "became a 'one-man bottleneck' whose stranglehold on the release of money was seizing up the nation's nascent mobilization drive."
** General Brehon Somervell, George Marshall's aide, who "ran the logistics for the land and air war in both the Pacific and Atlantic theaters. He was a tough man in a job that required toughness, but his obstinacy almost single-handedly wrecked the nation's nascent mobilization for war."
** William Jeffers, "who came to do a job - rubber czar - accumulated the power necessary to do it, and then gave it up when the job was done."
** Budget director Harold D. Smith, whose "inspectors were so feared that they became known as Roosevelt's Gestapo."
** And "three of the war's most unlikely heroes: Simon Kuznets, Robert Nathan, and Stacy May." Economists and statisticians, they began the job of mapping America's industrial capacity years before the war and produced a game plan that eventually pointed the way toward fulfilling FDR's promise to arm and supply the Allies.
Mobilization was slow
Historians celebrate the extraordinary productive capacity of the American economy in most accounts of the war. In The Washington War, by contrast, Lacey details the chaotic and counterproductive bureaucratic infighting and political meddling that got in the way of mobilization. Power politics in FDR's inner circle prevented the country from fulfilling the promise of the Arsenal of Democracy for more than two years following his storied speech on December 29, 1940. In the author's account, it becomes clear that production of war materiél only went into high gear when former Senator and Supreme Court Justice James F. Byrnes took charge of the Office of War Mobilization in May 1943. In that capacity, Byrnes effectively functioned as deputy president in charge of domestic affairs, freeing up FDR to concentrate on the conduct of the war. Where necessary, he knocked heads together, something the President was never prepared to do.
Surely, more than seven decades after the fact, Lacey got some things wrong. His judgments of individuals may be flawed in some cases. He might have misconstrued the intentions of one or another of the figures he describes as central to the story, and possibly even in most. But the Big Picture he paints is an accurate reflection of the chaotic reality that prevailed in official Washington during the war years. Because FDR wanted it that way. The President made an art of setting up rival power centers around himself - so that no one could gain the power to threaten him. In fact, it's surprising that he finally acquiesced to the appointment of Justice Byrnes to the Office of War Mobilization in 1943. Until it became unavoidably clear that the mobilization was badly lagging, and his own health began growing worse, did he take that step.
About the author
James Lacey teaches at the Marine Corps War College and works as a military analyst for the Institute for Defense Analyses. His publisher notes that "He is a widely published defense analyst who has written extensively on the war in Iraq and the global war on terrorism. He served more than a dozen years on active duty as an infantry officer. Lacey traveled with the 101st Airborne Division during the Iraq invasion as an embedded journalist for Time magazine, and his work has also appeared in National Review, Foreign Affairs, the Journal of Military History, and many other publications. He lives in Virginia.
"Wars are won in conference rooms"
As the author notes, "Battles are won on the fighting fronts, but wars are won in conference rooms." Lacey pokes his head into those conference rooms and examines the plans, memorandums, and correspondence among the politicians, the military brass, and the bureaucrats whose nonstop bickering and maneuvering for power shaped the course of World War II. It's a fascinating tale and essential reading for anyone who seeks to understand how the Allies won. Because it's clear in Lacey's telling that the end was never foreordained.
Office politics and bureaucratic wrangling in FDR's inner circle
Most accounts of the Allied victory in the Second World War hinge on the titanic battles at Stalingrad, Midway, Normandy, and in the Atlantic. Lacey draws our attention instead to the "titanic rows" in Washington among the politicians and bureaucrats and military men - arguments that sometimes degenerated into shouting matches involving the American and British Chiefs of Staff, members of Congress, and the ill-prepared and sometimes incompetent bureaucrats heading the government agencies that proliferated under FDR.
"By 1942," Lacey notes, "so many ["alphabet agencies"] had been birthed - WPB, OPA, BEW, NWLB, etc. - that no one had any idea of what all the acronyms stood for, or for that matter what they all did." It's sometimes difficult to see who was calling the shots.
Even Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill come across as erratic at times, with FDR portrayed as "the most Machiavellian of U.S. presidents" and the Prime Minister as obsessively focused on preserving the British Empire. You may wonder as you read all this how on earth the Allies ever won the war - unless you understand that the Axis powers blundered from one strategic error to another and defeated themselves in a war they should never have begun.
Did politics and maneuvering for power hamper the Allied war effort?
However, Lacey brings a charitable perspective to the scene he portrays. "My assumption when I began this book was that such fights hampered the war effort. But the more I delved into the clashes that made up the Washington war, the clearer it became that these titanic rows almost always led to better outcomes than would have prevailed had there been a single man or apparatus directing events." But it's hard to take that view in light of the two years' lost in the struggle to amp up arms production and the Allies' failure even to acknowledge the Holocaust until a third of Europe's Jews were dead.
FDR's inner circle includes unfamiliar names
All the usual suspects figure in Lacey's account of the war behind the scenes. FDR and Churchill. Harry Hopkins. Marshall, King, Leahy, Stimson, Knox, Hull, and Welles. But other, far less familiar names crowd onto center stage, too. Among them were the following:
** Assistant Secretary of War Robert B. Patterson, "one of the great but forgotten men of World War II." Lacey writes, "His single-minded ambition was to increase war production, and he was tough enough to force his will on most, which he did with reckless abandon."
** Director of the Office of Price Administration Leon Henderson, who quickly became "public enemy number one" when he squelched demands for higher prices from business and higher wages from labor.
** Jesse Jones, chair of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. In Lacey's view, he "became a 'one-man bottleneck' whose stranglehold on the release of money was seizing up the nation's nascent mobilization drive."
** General Brehon Somervell, George Marshall's aide, who "ran the logistics for the land and air war in both the Pacific and Atlantic theaters. He was a tough man in a job that required toughness, but his obstinacy almost single-handedly wrecked the nation's nascent mobilization for war."
** William Jeffers, "who came to do a job - rubber czar - accumulated the power necessary to do it, and then gave it up when the job was done."
** Budget director Harold D. Smith, whose "inspectors were so feared that they became known as Roosevelt's Gestapo."
** And "three of the war's most unlikely heroes: Simon Kuznets, Robert Nathan, and Stacy May." Economists and statisticians, they began the job of mapping America's industrial capacity years before the war and produced a game plan that eventually pointed the way toward fulfilling FDR's promise to arm and supply the Allies.
Mobilization was slow
Historians celebrate the extraordinary productive capacity of the American economy in most accounts of the war. In The Washington War, by contrast, Lacey details the chaotic and counterproductive bureaucratic infighting and political meddling that got in the way of mobilization. Power politics in FDR's inner circle prevented the country from fulfilling the promise of the Arsenal of Democracy for more than two years following his storied speech on December 29, 1940. In the author's account, it becomes clear that production of war materiél only went into high gear when former Senator and Supreme Court Justice James F. Byrnes took charge of the Office of War Mobilization in May 1943. In that capacity, Byrnes effectively functioned as deputy president in charge of domestic affairs, freeing up FDR to concentrate on the conduct of the war. Where necessary, he knocked heads together, something the President was never prepared to do.
Surely, more than seven decades after the fact, Lacey got some things wrong. His judgments of individuals may be flawed in some cases. He might have misconstrued the intentions of one or another of the figures he describes as central to the story, and possibly even in most. But the Big Picture he paints is an accurate reflection of the chaotic reality that prevailed in official Washington during the war years. Because FDR wanted it that way. The President made an art of setting up rival power centers around himself - so that no one could gain the power to threaten him. In fact, it's surprising that he finally acquiesced to the appointment of Justice Byrnes to the Office of War Mobilization in 1943. Until it became unavoidably clear that the mobilization was badly lagging, and his own health began growing worse, did he take that step.
About the author
James Lacey teaches at the Marine Corps War College and works as a military analyst for the Institute for Defense Analyses. His publisher notes that "He is a widely published defense analyst who has written extensively on the war in Iraq and the global war on terrorism. He served more than a dozen years on active duty as an infantry officer. Lacey traveled with the 101st Airborne Division during the Iraq invasion as an embedded journalist for Time magazine, and his work has also appeared in National Review, Foreign Affairs, the Journal of Military History, and many other publications. He lives in Virginia.
June 18, 2019
The Washington War is a fascinating account of how FDR brilliantly managed to bring together American businessman, US politicians, the US military, along with the difficult to deal with foreign Allied leaders (Churchill and Stalin), to create a unified strategy to defeat the Axis and win WWll. This book is an intense rendering of the behind the scene events and impassioned negotiations that lead to the defeat of the Axis powers. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was attuned to public opinion on the war and knew how to work it to gain the support of the populous when he needed it the most. FDR was a leader with great instincts. In a key move, Roosevelt appointed Gen. George Marshall (“Architect of Victory”), as the US Army chief of staff who in an amazing short period of time, created a massive expansion of a small US Army and a navy in disrepair after Pearl Harbor. General Marshall was principal in creating the U.S. war strategy which led to victory over the Axis Powers. This is a must read for history lovers of the World War ll era.
November 7, 2024
By 1940, Franklin Roosevelt was domestically unpopular – enough that he was disinclined to run for re-election, and then the war broke out and everything changed. The Machiavellian machinations that he engineered to be drafted into the nomination, and the subsequent four plus years of his war-time Presidency are the subject of this book, and it is compelling, as fascinating as it is troubling. Lacey is focused in his narrative on the inner workings of the Washington bureaucracies – hence the title - the intra-agency squabbles and feuds, the personalities, the bickering and the jockeying for power and influence, and the inevitable, unavoidable petty conflicts and tensions that often subsumed greater, crucial concerns of national interest and war time necessities. Overseeing it all, pulling the strings and creating much of the chaos, was FDR... an excellent war time leader whose ego-centric personality and idiosyncrasies exacerbated miscommunications, efficiencies, clarity of mission and directions of efforts. It’s an absorbing story.
Roosevelt played his subordinates against each other, with relish. He was secretive, to the point of disruptive – withholding thoughts, communications, letters, discussions important to integrated, coordinated operation of the war time apparatus. Often, his senior advisors (Marshall, Stimson, the JCS, etc.) would learn of critical policy actions second-hand, from third party sources, if at all. FDR relied upon his charm and ambiguity to leave everyone with whom he engaged convinced that he had agreed with them. The result was confusion and misunderstanding, and conflict. His hubris and belief in the powers of his personal charms ultimately led to disaster in dealings with Stalin... the consequences of which are still with us today. FDR’s lack of personal loyalty (he demanded it – he did not return it), lack of actual friends, lack of empathy are striking – when a person, even Churchill! – proved of no further use, FDR discarded them with no concern, with no hesitation or regret. It’s a striking facet of his personality – no friends, no loyalty, nothing except his own best interests.
The strategic decisions, the existential conflicts between domestic concerns (labor, production, manpower necessary to support critical war production) and war prosecution concerns (again, manpower and resources and allocation of efforts) drove much of the effort, and the resolution of these basic conflicts drove the ultimate overwhelming success of the Allies. It was guns or butter on an epic scale, and it lead to much confusion and lack of progress until finally smoothed out by 1943 when FDR finally relented and delegated domestic affairs to one man with the authority to resolve disputes and issues. Until then, it was a mess of overlapping responsibilities, insufficient authority, and general confusion all designed by FDR to insure he, and only he, had final say. This also characterized the war effort throughout – the area in which FDR retained total and sole control – which exacerbated all the inevitable and unavoidable problems that can best be summarized as the historical reality of human nature. Human nature will intrude.
Unquestionably, FDR was an excellent war leader. He identified priorities, set strategy, selected key personnel to prosecute the war, and stayed out of their way. He did set specific strategic goals and the order and means by which to attain them, ultimately, and he did leave his war time leaders to pursue the war without micro-management, unlike Churchill who could not resist. There is an anecdote about General Marshall telling British Chief of Staff Alan Brooke that he saw Roosevelt every six weeks, Brooke replying that he would be happy if he could see Churchill only every six hours. And yet, FDR was so much more complex than that, and his complexities contributed to so much unnecessary chaos and duplication of effort. This is a great read -
Roosevelt played his subordinates against each other, with relish. He was secretive, to the point of disruptive – withholding thoughts, communications, letters, discussions important to integrated, coordinated operation of the war time apparatus. Often, his senior advisors (Marshall, Stimson, the JCS, etc.) would learn of critical policy actions second-hand, from third party sources, if at all. FDR relied upon his charm and ambiguity to leave everyone with whom he engaged convinced that he had agreed with them. The result was confusion and misunderstanding, and conflict. His hubris and belief in the powers of his personal charms ultimately led to disaster in dealings with Stalin... the consequences of which are still with us today. FDR’s lack of personal loyalty (he demanded it – he did not return it), lack of actual friends, lack of empathy are striking – when a person, even Churchill! – proved of no further use, FDR discarded them with no concern, with no hesitation or regret. It’s a striking facet of his personality – no friends, no loyalty, nothing except his own best interests.
The strategic decisions, the existential conflicts between domestic concerns (labor, production, manpower necessary to support critical war production) and war prosecution concerns (again, manpower and resources and allocation of efforts) drove much of the effort, and the resolution of these basic conflicts drove the ultimate overwhelming success of the Allies. It was guns or butter on an epic scale, and it lead to much confusion and lack of progress until finally smoothed out by 1943 when FDR finally relented and delegated domestic affairs to one man with the authority to resolve disputes and issues. Until then, it was a mess of overlapping responsibilities, insufficient authority, and general confusion all designed by FDR to insure he, and only he, had final say. This also characterized the war effort throughout – the area in which FDR retained total and sole control – which exacerbated all the inevitable and unavoidable problems that can best be summarized as the historical reality of human nature. Human nature will intrude.
Unquestionably, FDR was an excellent war leader. He identified priorities, set strategy, selected key personnel to prosecute the war, and stayed out of their way. He did set specific strategic goals and the order and means by which to attain them, ultimately, and he did leave his war time leaders to pursue the war without micro-management, unlike Churchill who could not resist. There is an anecdote about General Marshall telling British Chief of Staff Alan Brooke that he saw Roosevelt every six weeks, Brooke replying that he would be happy if he could see Churchill only every six hours. And yet, FDR was so much more complex than that, and his complexities contributed to so much unnecessary chaos and duplication of effort. This is a great read -
October 20, 2025
The battles of the Washington war were never pleasant, they were always messy, and bad blood often persisted for a lifetime, but in the end they were a precondition of victory.
This is a good book for me to have read after Scorched Earth because it demonstrates that significant flaws need not be fatal. In Washington’s War, The narrative around the progress of the war is muddy, there are errors arounds the British perspective that better scholarship would have been avoided, for example including a well-debunked quote attributed to Churchill on the Munich Agreement.
…but, it doesn’t matter, at least in terms of the core argument. There was a war in Washington about how the …war… was to be fought. Most importantly, Lacey identifies the key constraints affecting US production in terms of raw materials, manpower, organisational control and logistics. There are other books (and this one is better overall), but not enough, in terms of making clear that the United States did not just have to press the weapon producing button on its factories. Particularly illuminating is the point on marrying up what the Army wanted versus what could be produced.
Without going into all of the math, what Kuznets told the Army was that if they asked for the optimal amount for 1943, they would get all they asked for during that year. But if they persisted in asking for 30 percent more than was possible, at least half of what they expected in 1943 would not be delivered until well into 1945 (eighteen to twenty-four months later).
…though communication was key…
But, in a remarkable piece of naiveté, Kuznets went on to recommend, as Nathan had earlier, a joint military-economist board to reconcile strategy with production capacity. How they thought the military would acquiesce to such a power grab beggars belief.
Roosevelt’s method of overlapping responsibilities and opaque reporting requirements get a reasonable airing here, and Lacey’s view does appear to be that personalities mattered. All these constraints and clashes need to be considered against the argument (most recently put in Scorched Earth) that the United States was fighting an imperial war. Elements of the latter probably remain true, but there was less foresight than presented – after all, the United States took some time to accept a landing in France as late as 1944.
For all his great qualities, Marshall was not a great strategist, or even a mediocre one. His fixation on invading northern Europe as soon as possible is an egregious example of his lack of capacity in this regard. Judging from the dismal early performance of American combat forces in North Africa, there is little doubt that if America’s barely trained and combat-inexperienced divisions had been thrown into France in 1942, rather than North Africa, they would have been slaughtered.
If there is a criticism, his initial assertion that it was better how the Western Allies ran the war by committees was better than the vicissitudes of delusional dictatorships is not adequately supported by the substance of the book. More accurately – you must read between the lines to work out Lacey’s point where some better linkages might have been helpful.
Not the most exciting read in terms of “War”, but informative in novel enough ways to understand that nothing proceeded automatically – you had to think about how to arm, ship and fight, and there was never enough resources to do it all at once.
This is a good book for me to have read after Scorched Earth because it demonstrates that significant flaws need not be fatal. In Washington’s War, The narrative around the progress of the war is muddy, there are errors arounds the British perspective that better scholarship would have been avoided, for example including a well-debunked quote attributed to Churchill on the Munich Agreement.
…but, it doesn’t matter, at least in terms of the core argument. There was a war in Washington about how the …war… was to be fought. Most importantly, Lacey identifies the key constraints affecting US production in terms of raw materials, manpower, organisational control and logistics. There are other books (and this one is better overall), but not enough, in terms of making clear that the United States did not just have to press the weapon producing button on its factories. Particularly illuminating is the point on marrying up what the Army wanted versus what could be produced.
Without going into all of the math, what Kuznets told the Army was that if they asked for the optimal amount for 1943, they would get all they asked for during that year. But if they persisted in asking for 30 percent more than was possible, at least half of what they expected in 1943 would not be delivered until well into 1945 (eighteen to twenty-four months later).
…though communication was key…
But, in a remarkable piece of naiveté, Kuznets went on to recommend, as Nathan had earlier, a joint military-economist board to reconcile strategy with production capacity. How they thought the military would acquiesce to such a power grab beggars belief.
Roosevelt’s method of overlapping responsibilities and opaque reporting requirements get a reasonable airing here, and Lacey’s view does appear to be that personalities mattered. All these constraints and clashes need to be considered against the argument (most recently put in Scorched Earth) that the United States was fighting an imperial war. Elements of the latter probably remain true, but there was less foresight than presented – after all, the United States took some time to accept a landing in France as late as 1944.
For all his great qualities, Marshall was not a great strategist, or even a mediocre one. His fixation on invading northern Europe as soon as possible is an egregious example of his lack of capacity in this regard. Judging from the dismal early performance of American combat forces in North Africa, there is little doubt that if America’s barely trained and combat-inexperienced divisions had been thrown into France in 1942, rather than North Africa, they would have been slaughtered.
If there is a criticism, his initial assertion that it was better how the Western Allies ran the war by committees was better than the vicissitudes of delusional dictatorships is not adequately supported by the substance of the book. More accurately – you must read between the lines to work out Lacey’s point where some better linkages might have been helpful.
Not the most exciting read in terms of “War”, but informative in novel enough ways to understand that nothing proceeded automatically – you had to think about how to arm, ship and fight, and there was never enough resources to do it all at once.
May 4, 2019
This book is well written and researched. It details the leadership style of Franklin Roosevelt in the timespan leading up to and then in World War II. He made many mistakes, but quickly moved on. He also had the trend of quickly discarding someone when they were no longer of use to him (normally in the callous way of having someone else do the deed for him). The author's writing style makes this an interesting read while also be informative. I have read a great deal about President Franklin Roosevelt and this time period, but I learned a great many new things that I do not recall reading about prior to this book.
I recomend this book for those looking for more information on the specifics of the behind the scenes debates that led to the United States entrance into World Warr II and thereafter.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook and Twitter pages.
I recomend this book for those looking for more information on the specifics of the behind the scenes debates that led to the United States entrance into World Warr II and thereafter.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook and Twitter pages.
June 24, 2019
Fascinating chronicle of how FDR used his position as President to successfully navigate, and ultimately win, the behind the scenes struggles surrounding the conduct of WWII. He used his instincts to manage public opinion, to select the right people for the right jobs, and to guide those people to be the best they could be.
The more I read about FDR, the more I am convinced that he was one of the greatest Presidents we have had. And this book just adds to that opinion. Well researched and written, the book flows well and keeps you engaged.
Highly recommend to any Presidential political junkie, as well as to students of the conduct of WWII.
The more I read about FDR, the more I am convinced that he was one of the greatest Presidents we have had. And this book just adds to that opinion. Well researched and written, the book flows well and keeps you engaged.
Highly recommend to any Presidential political junkie, as well as to students of the conduct of WWII.
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October 17, 2021I really enjoyed reading The Washington War, It was good to read about what was going on the home front USA and how they geared up the economy to defeat the Axis. I recommend this book to everybody who want’s to know how the home front was vitally important to victory in WWII.
June 12, 2019
A great look into FDR’s inner circle covering how the each got there, there importance to FDR and the war effort and sometimes their downfalls as well. A very good look at it.
May 27, 2021
A book that shows even in the worst of times, politics is still politics. In a way it makes one realize just how amazing it is that the US was able to get as much done during the war as it was. In fighting, backstabbing, and all the usual political games that are played for gaining and holding power are on full display in this book. It seems we were able to achieve the production rates and the building of a world-class Army and Navy in spite of the political leadership in Washington D.C. than because of it.
A scary look at the inner workings of a political system.
A scary look at the inner workings of a political system.
September 8, 2019
Rubber, oil and steel. Three commodities central to the allied war effort in WWII. Overcoming the bureaucratic infighting and conflicting economic priorities in order to maximise availability and optimize allocation is hardly the stuff of a Brad Pitt or George Clooney movie, but in truth, was important to winning the war. This is one example of many episodes the author shares with us in a fascinating view of the corridors of power in the FDR administration during the War. Whilst the commentary on the great battles building up to the defeat of the Axis Powers and on the laying the foundations of the post war era is well crafted and informative, there are many books that do this already. The special contribution of Mr. Lacey is to give us a building pass for Washington during this unique period in American history.
July 7, 2020
This was a VERY good read, especially the first part of it. I have read several books on this subject. This one provided me with a lot of inside information that I have not gotten from previous books.
June 17, 2024
Lacey’s “The Washington War” is a riveting and insightful look into the inner workings of the Roosevelt administration during World War II. Lacey, a renowned military historian, delves deep into the personalities and power struggles that shaped the decisions made by FDR and his closest advisors as they navigated the complexities of the war. One of the most striking aspects of the book is Lacey’s ability to bring to life the key figures in FDR’s inner circle. From the charismatic and enigmatic General George Marshall to the brilliant but abrasive Harry Hopkins, Lacey paints a vivid portrait of the personalities that shaped the course of the war. Through his meticulous research and engaging storytelling, Lacey allows the reader to truly understand the motivations and dynamics at play within the Roosevelt administration. Lacey’s writing is both engaging and informative, making complex political and military strategies accessible to the lay reader. His ability to break down the intricacies of wartime decision-making and explain them in a clear and concise manner is truly impressive. Additionally, his attention to detail and thorough research provide a comprehensive and well-rounded view of the political and military landscape of the time. A compelling aspect of “The Washington War” is Lacey’s exploration of the politics of power within the administration. By examining the rivalries and alliances that existed among FDR’s inner circle, Lacey sheds light on the often tumultuous relationships that shaped the war effort. From the tensions between Marshall and Admiral Ernest King to the influence of FDR’s wife Eleanor, Lacey provides a nuanced and multi-faceted view of the power dynamics at play. Lacey’s engaging writing style, thorough research, and insightful analysis make this book a valuable addition to the library of any history buff. Whether you are a casual reader or a dedicated student of history, “The Washington War” is sure to captivate and inform.
July 17, 2021
Fabulously good. I thought of myself as knowing quite a lot about American history and about the second world war, but this was almost entirely new to me. The title summarizes the topic well: it's about the senior leadership in Washington, FDR and the rung or two below, what they wanted, and how they intrigued to get it.
Inevitably the focus is on president Roosevelt. He emerges here as having both more virtues and more flaws than I had understood. In Lacey's account, he saw the war coming early, and was maneuvering to prepare the US for it. This meant both advocating for intervention, for weapons production and for selling weapons to the allies as soon as the war started. All of this was a risky ambitious thing to do, and it mattered.
Roosevelt was also a schemer, an intriguer, habitually dishonest and prepared to discard people whenever they stopped being useful. He would do things like not tell his own military what he had promised to Churchill, or not tell the Army what he had authorized the Navy to do. This drove his subordinates nuts and it's something I can't imagine most of the other major leaders as doing.
An open question I am left with is why people admired Marshall so much. Approximately everybody in Washington thought he was superb at his job. In contrast, the British thought he was an inept strategist, well out of his depth. Lacey records all of the praise for him, but never does seem to show him achieving uniquely. I suppose I'll need to read a biography of him.
Inevitably the focus is on president Roosevelt. He emerges here as having both more virtues and more flaws than I had understood. In Lacey's account, he saw the war coming early, and was maneuvering to prepare the US for it. This meant both advocating for intervention, for weapons production and for selling weapons to the allies as soon as the war started. All of this was a risky ambitious thing to do, and it mattered.
Roosevelt was also a schemer, an intriguer, habitually dishonest and prepared to discard people whenever they stopped being useful. He would do things like not tell his own military what he had promised to Churchill, or not tell the Army what he had authorized the Navy to do. This drove his subordinates nuts and it's something I can't imagine most of the other major leaders as doing.
An open question I am left with is why people admired Marshall so much. Approximately everybody in Washington thought he was superb at his job. In contrast, the British thought he was an inept strategist, well out of his depth. Lacey records all of the praise for him, but never does seem to show him achieving uniquely. I suppose I'll need to read a biography of him.
June 7, 2022
Timely reading – the questions of how to support a war in which one is not a belligerent and how to rapidly change the economy to meet new and enlarged needs are topical as we contemplate the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the accelerating climate crisis.
Lacey has written an engaging narrative of both the bureaucratic struggles in Washington and the negotiations with America’s allies, complemented by the developments on the fronts as necessary (but not more, which is to be appreciated in the interest of brevity and focus). He sheds light on the issues of winning the administration and the public for American involvement in the war, on the long struggles to get production on track (key for the solution: instead of putting businessmen at the top of the production offices, FDR eventually chose a politician (James F. Byrnes) who could prioritize, give orders, and navigate the interconnected environment of politics, the military, business, and labor), and, finally, the strategic disputes over main enemies (Germany first vs. Japan first), the methods within a theater (early landing in northern France vs. peripheral attacks in North Africa and then Italy) and the timing of offensives (what to do with the troops in the Mediterranean before the landing in France?). As the book is focused on what “won World War II”, it does not concern itself much with the issues that were chief on FDR’s mind in the last two years of the war – how to win the peace.
A helpful list of protagonists in the beginning of the book and ample period photos round out a very worthwhile read.
Lacey has written an engaging narrative of both the bureaucratic struggles in Washington and the negotiations with America’s allies, complemented by the developments on the fronts as necessary (but not more, which is to be appreciated in the interest of brevity and focus). He sheds light on the issues of winning the administration and the public for American involvement in the war, on the long struggles to get production on track (key for the solution: instead of putting businessmen at the top of the production offices, FDR eventually chose a politician (James F. Byrnes) who could prioritize, give orders, and navigate the interconnected environment of politics, the military, business, and labor), and, finally, the strategic disputes over main enemies (Germany first vs. Japan first), the methods within a theater (early landing in northern France vs. peripheral attacks in North Africa and then Italy) and the timing of offensives (what to do with the troops in the Mediterranean before the landing in France?). As the book is focused on what “won World War II”, it does not concern itself much with the issues that were chief on FDR’s mind in the last two years of the war – how to win the peace.
A helpful list of protagonists in the beginning of the book and ample period photos round out a very worthwhile read.
November 28, 2025
Before military forces could reach the battlefields of World War II, they had to have a plan to defeat the Axis forces. In "The Washington War," author James L. Lacey brings us behind the scenes to witness some fierce battles among our allies and even among ourselves as to how and where the war would be fought.
Within Washington's corridors of power, insiders included presidential adviser Harry Hopkins, Secretary of State Cordell Hull, Secretary of War Henry Stimson, Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles, Army Chief of Staff George Marshall, and a host of other political, business and military leaders vying for President Franklin Roosevelt's attention. All played their part in determining the course of the war.
After the U.S. entered the war in late 1941, strategies were put forth on how best to strike back. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill proposed striking Germany through the "soft underbelly" of the Mediterranean while Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin was clamoring for the Allies to open a second front. Each had their own agendas.
The rest, they say, is history but how that history happened is neatly laid out in "The Washington War," a must-read for political aficionados and students of World War II.
Within Washington's corridors of power, insiders included presidential adviser Harry Hopkins, Secretary of State Cordell Hull, Secretary of War Henry Stimson, Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles, Army Chief of Staff George Marshall, and a host of other political, business and military leaders vying for President Franklin Roosevelt's attention. All played their part in determining the course of the war.
After the U.S. entered the war in late 1941, strategies were put forth on how best to strike back. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill proposed striking Germany through the "soft underbelly" of the Mediterranean while Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin was clamoring for the Allies to open a second front. Each had their own agendas.
The rest, they say, is history but how that history happened is neatly laid out in "The Washington War," a must-read for political aficionados and students of World War II.
July 4, 2022
A great book, providing a history of the interaction of politics, strategy, and economics in Washington during WWII. The author, noted historian James Lacey, expands on his previous books to tell the political story behind the creation of the Arsenal of Democracy and the strategic direction of the war. Lacey does a great job describing the political environment, the motivation of the various actors, and the economic realities they faced. By covering all three, Lacey provides a very realistic portrait of Washington during the War. The story centers on President Roosevelt’s melding of strategic outlook with political inclinations. Lacey also introduces a wide range of other politicians, military leaders, and bureaucrats from America and her allies. The book does a good job explaining how the Anglo-American war effort relied on a process of compromise vice individual talent. Lacey describes America’s development of a “system of expertise” amongst an array of military and political leaders. A great book for understanding the intersection of policy, strategy, and resourcing. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of America’s leadership in WWII.
August 7, 2019
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. The “Washington war” of James Lacey’s title was the complex series of battles within the U.S. bureaucracy over America’s conduct on World War II. In breathtaking and thorough detail, Lacey takes us through all the fighting and difficulties of winning a war and provides the reader a really interesting look at FDR as a presidential leader that allowed and to a certain extent encouraged this human free for all of ambition, pride, and self-interest as long as it served the greater good of defeating the Axis powers.
Well written and researched, I would recommend this book for those looking for more information on the specifics of the behind the scenes debates that led to the United States entrance into World Warr II and thereafter.
Well written and researched, I would recommend this book for those looking for more information on the specifics of the behind the scenes debates that led to the United States entrance into World Warr II and thereafter.
February 10, 2020
An inside look at power and politics
This book is well researched and forms a tapestry of events during WWII and the personalities involved that fought
and resolved this conflagration. Parts and pieces of these years are covered in greater detail in many other books as
well as in biographies of the primary figures. However this gives a plausible narrative of the whole in which many questions
are answered. Born in 1943, I grew up not understanding how much of this could have happened as history taught us and
books recorded personal biases without explaining the how and why. This book fills that gap.
This book is well researched and forms a tapestry of events during WWII and the personalities involved that fought
and resolved this conflagration. Parts and pieces of these years are covered in greater detail in many other books as
well as in biographies of the primary figures. However this gives a plausible narrative of the whole in which many questions
are answered. Born in 1943, I grew up not understanding how much of this could have happened as history taught us and
books recorded personal biases without explaining the how and why. This book fills that gap.
May 25, 2025
With such a huge scope, it is amazing to read a book so riveting about action the conference rooms, meetings and hallways. The book tells the overlooked story of how the war started and eventually won through economic might and navigating through the different personalities that got the job done (or was a stumbling block). It brought to the fore many names who would’ve otherwise been lost to history that contributed no small part in the effort. With all the intrigue and subterfuge, it’s amazing how much they got done in such a time before the world was connected the way it is today.
October 24, 2020
Intriguing look at Roosevelt's Washington from 1938 to his death in 1945. One is introduced to the famous, infamous, and not-so-famous politicians, military men, bureaucrats, and advisors who surrounded and tried to influence the President in the period leading up to the start of WWII though to almost the victory over Germany. Especially noteworthy are the parts about the civilian side of the war.
May 19, 2023
Love history and found this book a different view of Roosevelt and the men surrounding him as world war impacted his third and fourth terms. Seen not as heroic as some versions, not as manipulative as others. So much related to who served him, influenced him and those he used and dispensed with. Made him more human, fallible but certainly the best we could have hoped for at that pivotal time in US history.
November 23, 2024
Although I have read a lot about WWII and felt I knew much about that conflict and how if was conducted, I still learned quite a bit by reading this very interesting account. FDR's cabinet and other heads of the alphabet agencies were the focus of this book, with much detail about how he managed them or did not manage them. I recommend this book to people interested in learning more about 20th Century American history.
September 12, 2020
4.75 rounds to 5. This could have been a seminal book except for a significant omission - Admiral William Leahy. Leary’s role in many of the cited events and his influence with Roosevelt cannot be overlooked in this discussion. More than one considered him the most powerful flag officer during WWII. As is, it is a great work
August 20, 2021
I enjoyed being able to pick and choose my chapters without losing the overall thread of the books purpose, and this book was excellent at providing that ability. That said, I only skimmed through 2-3 chapters, and enjoyed the entirely of the rest of the chapters. I listened to this book, and it had an very good narrator.
October 10, 2019
Fascinating read. Gives keen insight into the power struggles and personality conflicts of US and British (and Stalin) leaders prior to and during WWII. What a grand effort it took to get the US production force (and military) mobilized and ready to fight. Its scale is nearly incomprehensible.
June 12, 2020
FDR’s Team
Great read that lays out FDR’s Team as they prepare for and execute a world war. Interesting the role of domestic politics in the President’s approach to many issues facing the nation leading up to entry into combat.
Great read that lays out FDR’s Team as they prepare for and execute a world war. Interesting the role of domestic politics in the President’s approach to many issues facing the nation leading up to entry into combat.
January 11, 2021
Well crafted
Well crafted assimilation of numerous memoirs and documents to tell the story of "how the sausage was made" in Washington prior to and during the FDR administration and WWII.
Well crafted assimilation of numerous memoirs and documents to tell the story of "how the sausage was made" in Washington prior to and during the FDR administration and WWII.
June 10, 2021
Excellent Read
This is an excellent read. It is well documented, written, and continuously captivating. Needs to be read a few times to be able to absorb all of the information which it contains.
This is an excellent read. It is well documented, written, and continuously captivating. Needs to be read a few times to be able to absorb all of the information which it contains.
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