During the early stages of World War II, England was the only country standing in the way of the total domination of Europe by Nazi Germany.
During these dark days in which civilization seemed to be hanging in the balance, the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, rallied his people. Vowing to fight the fascist aggression of the Nazis on land and sea, Churchill staved off what appeared to be certain defeat.
But the doughty prime minister knew he would need the help of the United States if Germany was to be defeated. President Franklin D. Roosevelt could see that a German victory in Europe would be disastrous for Western Civilization, but the American people had little taste for another major war in Europe.
However, the tranquility of isolation felt by the United States ended with the Japanese attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941. This caused a new set of concerns and by Christmas 1941, Winston Churchill steamed across the stormy Atlantic Ocean on the battleship Duke of York to meet with the president of the United States. This book is the account of this important visit and the decisions made by two countries to stop the spread of totalitarianism.
Both leaders had overcome difficult problems in their lives. Winston Churchill’s father never had much confidence in the young man. Rather than defeating him, this caused the young Englishman to develop toughness in the face of difficulty.
Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) had been stricken with polio as a young man and had to rebuild his life from a wheelchair. FDR had been elected president in the worst economic depression in the history of the country, and had to rally the country throughout these hard years. The perseverance developed by both men would soon be needed.
Now together, these two heads of state needed to convince the United States Congress to support an alliance between Great Britain and the United States to fight the evils of fascism. On Christmas Eve, Winston joined Franklin for the lighting of the national Christmas tree. Later that evening, FDR joyfully carved a turkey at the Christmas Eve dinner for the British leader, but both men knew this serious issue would soon come to a head when Churchill addressed the United States Congress.
Could Churchill convince the Congressional representatives to support the great alliance between the two countries? Without this agreement, the Nazi and Japanese threats could not be adequately repulsed. Finally, Churchill began speaking before the members of Congress as millions of American citizens listened on the radio.
What speech did Churchill give? How was it received by Congress and the American people? Why do words and ideas shape the actions and decisions of people and entire nations? Why can nations usually not stand isolated from world events? To find out, go to the library and check out this excellent title, "Franklin and Winston: A Christmas That Changed the World."
Douglas Wood has told the story of the American and British Alliance in this compelling account. The pictures are attractive and the text is interesting. The friendship between these two great leaders is inspiring, and I hope you get a chance to go to the library and check out this fine book.
