Book #14 Completed! "One Chirstmas in Washington" by David Bercuson and Holger Herwig

Sorry - This review is not funny like my other ones. I guess I could tell a joke or something but I don't know any :( It is more of a history lesson - so learn something!

Oh wait, I did think of a joke: What does the last man on earth say when he walks into a bar? See the end for the punchline :)

It was early December 1941. The country was still in the grips of an era of isolationism that had permeated the political landscape since the end of World War I. Franklin D. Roosevelt was president and had just won at third term in office - much to the consternation of many in the country since he had broken the unwritten rule from the days of George Washington and run for more than two terms. The country, having been in the troughs of the Great Depression, was slowing recovering economically - in due part to the social programs instituted by the FDR regime and the "lend/lease" program that the United States had entered into with Great Britain and the Soviet Union. For those who are unaware - President Roosevelt had entered into an agreement with the other member countries of what would be come to known as the Allies in which the United States would produce military equipment and lend or lease this material to them in their fight against Nazi Germany. When the war was over, it was understood that those countries would return the material or payback the United States for their cost. Not everyone was on board with this plan due in large part to the general consensus of the population that what was happening in Europe was the sole business of the countries over there and that the US should not get involved (hence the era of isolationism).

On so, on a Sunday afternoon - December 7th to be exact - the leaders in Washington began to get reports of an air-raid attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor Hawaii. As the afternoon became evening, the reports began to clarify and the world learned that Pearl Harbor had been attacked by 353 dive bombers from the Empire of Japan. The USS Arizona, USS Utah, and USS West Virginia lay at the bottom of the harbor - making a watery grave for over two thousand sailors. The Japanese had also attacked other strategic targets this same day in the Pacific rim and had effectively shown their intentions of being the dominant power in this region. The country was furious on this attack on a US naval base in a US territory (remember that Hawaii did not become a state of the union until 1959). The country clamored for war, which is exactly what Roosevelt asked of Congress the next day. True to form of being completely bat s**t crazy - Hitler declared war on the United States later in the week and it was game on for essentially the entire world. A true world war had broken out once again.

Great Britain had been at war with Germany for over 18 months to this point and were getting mopped up by the Germans. London was a regular target of German bombers and the prevailing feeling was that the United Kingdom may not be able to withstand the German onslaught without help from the United States. The only saving grace for Great Britain was that Hitler has done something infinitely stupid and turned against Stalin by attacking the Soviets - with winter coming. Somewhere in the top rules for war should be "you never engage in a land war with Russia during the winter". Stupid stupid man. Anyway, Hitler's army came within 30 miles of Moscow when the Soviets staged a counterattack - pushing the Nazi's back and inflicting heavy losses for both sides. In addition, Spain was resistant to joining the foray on one side or another which allowed the British to still have access to the Mediterranean Sea - a devastating loss if they could not. Standing in the way of the British getting the help they so desperately needed was the public opinion of the United States and the strong desire not to get involved again in something that was "Europe's business".

The attack on Pearl Harbor caused great pain and suffering for American's but privately, Winston Churchill was delighted. This meant that the United States would now have to join the war - and join it fully and completely, meaning hope for Great Britain. As soon as the news hit, he began arraigning travel (which was not as easy as hopping on the 7:25 British Air flight from London) to Washington DC in order to meet with FDR and begin the planning stages for the war. This meeting that occurred in Washington DC during the Christmas and New Year's holidays of 1941-1942 is what this book is about.

This holiday meeting became known by code name "Arcadia". I dated a girl once who went to Arcadia High School in Phoenix. That is just a random fact for your amusement. Anyway, I learned some really fun things in this book: a carton of cigarettes cost 1.29 back then, the battleship "The Duke of York" - which brought Churchill to Washington weighed 37K tons which is like 1/2 of the smallest cruise ship I have ever been on, the limo that FDR used was a bulletproof version that the Treasury department seized from Al Capone, etc. Just terribly fascinating.

Oh and FDR and Churchill were total drunks and I do like my drunks! Churchill drank with every single meal (this does include breakfast yes). He was not fond of FDR's creations because they were mixed drinks and Churchill liked his booze: "uncontaminated with non-alcohol ingredients". Why you ask was this meeting important? Well, to this point the British had been fighting for almost two years and came with the intention of the United States acting as some sort of supplier of men and equipment with full intentions of taking the lead role in the war. FDR and General George Marshall (of the Marshall plan fame of the reconstruction of post war Europe) had other plans. They wanted a unified command for the war effort that had the United States in a lead role. After much consternation, the British relented and the United States became the major player in the planning and execution of the war - a monumental shift in global politics which marked the end of the rule of the British empire and the beginning of US dominance in world affairs. Furthermore, out of this meeting was the development of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and the framework for the United Nations. For those of an economics persuasion - this was to global politics much as Brettonwoods had been to economic theory.

The authors do a fantastic job of putting the reader into the story and one really gets the feeling of being there and experiencing the emotions: anger, mistrust, and finally cooperation that occurs among the Americans and the British. The characters are brought to life and one can easily see themselves sitting in the corner of the executive office watching FDR pour orange blossoms, smoking his cigarette while Churchill puffed on a Cuban cigar and complained about it not being straight scotch whiskey. It is a terribly fascinating and well put together glimpse into a slice of the past. As such, this book gets:

Vroom, Vroom, Vroom, Vro (3 1/2 Vroom's on the motorcycle scale of awesomeness"

"Drink, I'd like another bartender please" - OK its not that funny but you are not that funny either so :P