Watching Darkness Fall: FDR, His Ambassadors, and the Rise of Adolf Hitler
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- Author：David McKean
- ISBN：1250206960
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Reviews
Debra Pawlak
，
I was given an advance reading copy （arc） of this book from NetGalley。com in return for a fair review。 Author David McKean put together a fine book about the rise of Hitler as seen through the eyes of four American ambassadors assigned by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt。 McKean details the experiences of William Dodd （Germany）， William Bullitt （France）， Breckinridge Long （Italy） and Joseph P。 Kennedy （England） during the 1930s when Hitler rose to power。 These men had no idea what they were i I was given an advance reading copy （arc） of this book from NetGalley。com in return for a fair review。 Author David McKean put together a fine book about the rise of Hitler as seen through the eyes of four American ambassadors assigned by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt。 McKean details the experiences of William Dodd （Germany）， William Bullitt （France）， Breckinridge Long （Italy） and Joseph P。 Kennedy （England） during the 1930s when Hitler rose to power。 These men had no idea what they were in for as they witnessed firsthand the turbulent events that led to the devastation of Europe。 Their interaction with the U。S。 President and their views make for an interesting read。 Dodd， for example， knew exactly what the Nazis stood for and tried to make known that Hitler was a madman。 At the same time， Long let it be known that he admired Mussolini， while Kennedy remained an isolationist and felt that America should avoid trouble at all cost。 Bullitt thought that France and Germany should be able to negotiate peace。 He faulted Dodd for being in the way。 Dodd was outspoken and knew that there was no negotiating with the Nazis。 Roosevelt himself had his hands full with trying to pull his country out of the Great Depression。 Public sentiment was strong against joining in the international fight。 The president knew， however， that it was only a matter of time before his hand would be forced into the turmoil。 McKean provides a unique look at a very dark time and brings to life four very distinct politicians who witnessed the same things， but who viewed them differently。 Very well written and researched--a must read for anyone interested in World War II。 。。。more
Shirley McAllister
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Hitler's RiseThis story spans the war years of 1933-to 1941 and the Rise of Adolph Hitler in Europe。 It is a story of the inside workings of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt administration and how they handled the rise of Hitler。 It is especially about the four men that president Roosevelt picked to be diplomat's to the four countries in Europe。 William Dodd in Germany， Joseph Kennedy in the United Kingdom， Breckenridge Long in Italy and finally Bullitt who was originally posted to Russia and then Hitler's RiseThis story spans the war years of 1933-to 1941 and the Rise of Adolph Hitler in Europe。 It is a story of the inside workings of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt administration and how they handled the rise of Hitler。 It is especially about the four men that president Roosevelt picked to be diplomat's to the four countries in Europe。 William Dodd in Germany， Joseph Kennedy in the United Kingdom， Breckenridge Long in Italy and finally Bullitt who was originally posted to Russia and then to France。 President Roosevelt often had a personal connection to his appointees and loyalty was expected and received。 He got along will all of them except for Mr。 Dodd who had difference of opinions with but respected。 The problem is that all of his diplomats misjudged Hitler's power and did nothing and wrongly advised FDR that Hitler was less of a threat than he actually was。 That is all except for Mr。 Dodd who warned the president of the threat from Hitler。 Unfortunately his warnings were not heeded。It is the story of each diplomat and how they sit back and watch Hitler take over Europe and are complacent until it is too late。 I believe much research has gone into this book and it was well written。 An interesting history of this period of time and worth reading。 I do recommend it。 Thanks to David McKean， ST。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy of the book， all opinions are my own。 。。。more
Nancy
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David McKean’s insightful history of President Roosevelt’s ambassadors offers a unique view of history through the men who were FDR’s ears and eyes abroad during the rise of Hitler。 On the homefront， Watching Darkness Fall is the story of how FDR contended with American isolationism while knowing that the rise of fascism in Europe meant America would be forced to become involved。FDR had a wonderful insight into human nature that allowed him to inspire loyalty–and manipulate and contain would-be David McKean’s insightful history of President Roosevelt’s ambassadors offers a unique view of history through the men who were FDR’s ears and eyes abroad during the rise of Hitler。 On the homefront， Watching Darkness Fall is the story of how FDR contended with American isolationism while knowing that the rise of fascism in Europe meant America would be forced to become involved。FDR had a wonderful insight into human nature that allowed him to inspire loyalty–and manipulate and contain would-be adversaries。 For his ambassadors， he chose an academic–Dodd， trusted friends–Bullitt and Long–and a man he owed a political favor but did not trust–Joseph P。 Kennedy， Sr。William Bullitt came from a politically connected， wealthy family。 FDR sent him on several fact finding missions in Europe。 Bullitt charmed FDR’s office wife Missy LeHand， along with numerous other women。 FDR identified him as the right man for ambassador to the Soviet Union; during the war， he was assigned to France and painfully experienced the Nazi takeover of his beloved Paris。William E。 Dodd was a professor of history who spoke German。 “I want an American liberal in Germany as a standing example， FDR told him。 Dodd was appalled by the Nazis and warned of impending war。 His daughter became a Soviet spy！Joseph P。 Kennedy， Sr。 understood money。 FDR offered him government positions as a reward for his support， but Kennedy wanted a cabinet position。 He was offered the ambassadorship to London。 The Kennedy family at first charmed the Brits， but Joe became persona non gratis with his entrenched insistence on American isolationism。 He had no sympathy for the Jews and thought fascism had provided economic stability for Germany and was the future for all democracies–including America。Breckinridge Long was in the Wilson administration and FDR sent him to Italy where he came to admire Mussolini。 As Secretary of State， his inaction to refugees fleeing Nazi persecution was based on national security concerns and his antisemitism， and he suppressed information about the mass murder of Jews。Watching Darkness Fall greatly contributed to my understanding of this critical time。 I found it an interesting study in context of the rise of fascism in the 21st c。I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley。 My review is fair and unbiased。 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
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An interesting assessment of FDR’s ambassadors up to WWII。 McKean paints a brief portrait of each and then analyzes their impact on foreign policy。 I think the most compelling quote was at the beginning of the book when he quotes FDR。 chose ambassadors like a housewife buying apples over the phone。 Trying to ascertain if FDR could have done more to stop Hitler is counterproductive。 What he did or didn’t know is irrelevant。 It’s interesting to read， but I don’t agree with some of the author’s ass An interesting assessment of FDR’s ambassadors up to WWII。 McKean paints a brief portrait of each and then analyzes their impact on foreign policy。 I think the most compelling quote was at the beginning of the book when he quotes FDR。 chose ambassadors like a housewife buying apples over the phone。 Trying to ascertain if FDR could have done more to stop Hitler is counterproductive。 What he did or didn’t know is irrelevant。 It’s interesting to read， but I don’t agree with some of the author’s assertions。 Thanks to St。 Martin’s’ Press and NetGalley for the early read。 。。。more
Jeremy Booty
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Watching Darkness Fall is an insightful work which tells the story of four key ambassadors who served President Roosevelt in the years leading up to WW2， how their opinions shaped those of the President and the nations in which they served。 As McKean points out， this was the last era in which foreign policy was to any significant degree shaped by its ambassadors。 Two out of the four，William Bullitt and Breckinridge Long， were longtime friends and associates of the President; Joseph Kennedy self Watching Darkness Fall is an insightful work which tells the story of four key ambassadors who served President Roosevelt in the years leading up to WW2， how their opinions shaped those of the President and the nations in which they served。 As McKean points out， this was the last era in which foreign policy was to any significant degree shaped by its ambassadors。 Two out of the four，William Bullitt and Breckinridge Long， were longtime friends and associates of the President; Joseph Kennedy self made millionaire and father to a future President， was appointed to avoid appointing him as Secretary of the Treasury;William Dodd， an academic， because he taught about Germany and spoke German fluently。 McKean describes the triumphs and failures of each man。 Kennedy， a shrewd businessman could not get past a purely economic approach to diplomacy and was an ardent appeaser， even after Britain entered the war。 Dodd， an ultimately decent and honorable man， ultimately could not withstand the horror that was Nazi Germany and his powerlessness to prevent it from continuing。 Long simply became infatuated with Mussolini and could not present a true picture of fascism nor give good advice to the President。 His actions as Undersecretary of State to prevent European Jews from finding refuge in the US overshadow any good he may have done either before or after the war。 Bullitt， despite overweening ambition， proved to be the most effective。 He disobeyed orders and helped prevent the destruction of Paris， accurately predicted Hitler’s plan to dismantle Europe。 He could have done more but for his envy of Sumner Welles， a rival and Assistant Secretary of State。 His willingness to expose Welles as being gay led to his exile from real power。All were men of their times， reflecting the racism， anti-semitism and elitism then prevalent。 All but one， Dodd， were as anxious to pursue their own interests as those of the U。S。 Perhaps the most important and interesting parts of the book take us behind the scenes at the White House， including one in which FDR has Joe Kennedy strip to his shorts in the Oval Office。I am an avid reader of books about the pre-war era。 This book is an exceptional contribution to this area of study。 。。。more
Aaron Brown
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Fascinating historical perspective， well researched and written， exploring an angle on Hitler's rise which isn't often scrutinized or written about。 Recommended。 Fascinating historical perspective， well researched and written， exploring an angle on Hitler's rise which isn't often scrutinized or written about。 Recommended。 。。。more
Erik Snell
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I received an "advance reader" copy of this book through a giveaway on Goodreads。 This is however a book that I would have read on my own eventually。If you are fairly new to the opening politics of World War II this is a good book for you。 This is an interesting overview of how events were twisting and changing in Europe as seen through the eyes of the U。S。 State Department。 Starting from a unique vantage point helps to keep things grounding without unfurling the reader across every knock and cr I received an "advance reader" copy of this book through a giveaway on Goodreads。 This is however a book that I would have read on my own eventually。If you are fairly new to the opening politics of World War II this is a good book for you。 This is an interesting overview of how events were twisting and changing in Europe as seen through the eyes of the U。S。 State Department。 Starting from a unique vantage point helps to keep things grounding without unfurling the reader across every knock and cranny of the changing political landscape in Europe。 This approach helps especially for a reader just starting on this topic who is looking to safely dip their toe in the water without drowning。 Keeping the perspective on the Americans also helps to solidify this as an introduction to the topic by starting with the point of view American readers can best understand。 This book also does a good job of introducing the players without anyone feeling lost or forgotten。 You won't finish the book feeling like you know everything about them but come the last page they are more than just random names who's only difference is the letters in each name's spelling。 I read a lot of history and normally I do prefer my books to be deeper than this one。 However， often times I find having a good kiddie ride to get me started helps me best understand a topic long term and makes it easier to dive into deeper and longer reads that really pile on the information。In the end if you are not just starting off on this topic you may find this a little too pedestrian。 It is well written and easy to follow but aside from some new characters the topic stays fairly surface level。 This book really does serve as a great introduction for someone getting ready to start a deep dive into the European politics that setup World War II。 One minor quibble I could add is a quick review of the title and the message it presents to a reader。 This promise is half accomplished。 While as I said this primarily serves as an introduction there could still probably be a little bit more time spent on analyzing why "darkness" is a sufficient descriptive noun to be used。 We all know going in who the "bad guys" are。 In some ways I think the author may have taken a little bit too much advantage of that。 As readers we don't need to be convinced that the rise of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy can adequately be described as "darkness。" However the why and what was being missed at the same time is an important part of this story。 I am not saying it's ignored at all。 I would just like to start the argument that perhaps more could have been done。 When you're juggling writing an introduction versus writing a thorough master course on the topic this is a tough area to get just right。 How much can you put in before you've done too much？ I don't think it's far enough to one side where we would all agree necessarily but in my opinion I would have like to see a little bit more of an introduction into what was happening that the ambassadors were or were not seeing。 In the end this book can be enjoyed no matter whether you're diving in as a rookie or an expert。 But， the rookies will probably enjoy it a lot more because it will pique their interest to want to learn more instead of just leaving them hungry and wishing they had gotten more。 。。。more
Juli
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Watching Darkness Fall tells the story of the rise of the Third Reich from the perspectives of Joseph Kennedy， William Dodd， Breckinridge Long and William Bullitt， US foreign ambassadors under FDR。 David McKean， a former ambassador himself， lays out the history in an interesting， very detailed， informative way。 I read this book slowly， stopping frequently to look things up so I understood the who， what and whys behind the early days of the Reich。 I've read a lot about this era over the years， bu Watching Darkness Fall tells the story of the rise of the Third Reich from the perspectives of Joseph Kennedy， William Dodd， Breckinridge Long and William Bullitt， US foreign ambassadors under FDR。 David McKean， a former ambassador himself， lays out the history in an interesting， very detailed， informative way。 I read this book slowly， stopping frequently to look things up so I understood the who， what and whys behind the early days of the Reich。 I've read a lot about this era over the years， but still managed to learn many new facts from this book。 This isn't a quick read -- there is a lot of detailed information。 But it's well worth reading for those interested in what occurred。 This is the first book I've read by David McKean。 I'm definitely going to check out his other books。 I like his writing style and he definitely knows his subject well！ Detailed historical accounts can get a bit dry， but McKean kept it interesting throughout。 Very informative！**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St。 Martin's Press。 All opinions expressed are entirely my own。** 。。。more
Patricia Doyle
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In 1934 the waffling began with Roosevelt， his European ambassadors and diplomats regarding Hitler。 Would the U。 S。 accept a Europe ruled by Hitler？ … let European nations fight each other？ … let Russia defeat Germany？ … stay out of the European mess？ Roosevelt’s focus was on badly needed domestic programs， while underestimating the rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany。 Nothing much was done internationally until the United States was attacked in 1941 by Japan at Pearl Harbor。 Roosevelt was adept at In 1934 the waffling began with Roosevelt， his European ambassadors and diplomats regarding Hitler。 Would the U。 S。 accept a Europe ruled by Hitler？ … let European nations fight each other？ … let Russia defeat Germany？ … stay out of the European mess？ Roosevelt’s focus was on badly needed domestic programs， while underestimating the rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany。 Nothing much was done internationally until the United States was attacked in 1941 by Japan at Pearl Harbor。 Roosevelt was adept at appointing positions based on campaign contributions。 The bigger the contribution， the better the position。 （That’s not much different than today I guess。） Some diplomats were effective， some not so much。 Side note: I never was a Joseph Kennedy fan， and after reading this， I find him despicable。It took me awhile to get through Watching Darkness Fall because it is loaded with details， interesting details。 The author shows similarities to today’s state of affairs; is today just history repeating itself。Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book。 Well done， Mr McKean。 。。。more
Laura Valenziano
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I really enjoyed this book！ Although I have read many books on WWII， and the U。S。 Ambassadors from that time are familiar to me， this book contains more in-depth information。 In particular the personalities of William Dodd， Joseph Kennedy， and William Bullitt are clearly revealed。 I had never thought about how their perspectives influenced FDR until reading this book。 It is very well written and captured my attention from the start！
Casey Wheeler
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This book covers the time period from about 1935 until the bombing of Pearl Harbor。 It is about Roosevelt’s way of operating with his Secretary of State and his Ambassadors to England， France and Germany leading up to World War II。 It is well written and researched。 I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in World War II or Franklin Roosevelt。I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Ga This book covers the time period from about 1935 until the bombing of Pearl Harbor。 It is about Roosevelt’s way of operating with his Secretary of State and his Ambassadors to England， France and Germany leading up to World War II。 It is well written and researched。 I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in World War II or Franklin Roosevelt。I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley， Goodreads， Amazon， Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog。 。。。more
Liz
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I received this in exchange for an honest review in a first reads giveaway。 This is an excellently written book that details the relationship that FDR had with four crucial ambassadors during the six years before the start of the Second World War。 The author gives a detailed explanation of the personality and background of each man and illustrates the problems that they dealt with well。 All in all a very sold book。
Teresa
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The research done for this story was exhaustive， intense and well done。 It reads like a history book， of which can be understandable for the content it covers。 I learned so much more about President Roosevelt than I had ever dreamed of。 The book covers 4 diplomats assigned to represent the United States in Western European cities in the 1930/40’sParts of this book made me angry， I have come to despise some politicians due to the last several years and the current events happening in the USA at t The research done for this story was exhaustive， intense and well done。 It reads like a history book， of which can be understandable for the content it covers。 I learned so much more about President Roosevelt than I had ever dreamed of。 The book covers 4 diplomats assigned to represent the United States in Western European cities in the 1930/40’sParts of this book made me angry， I have come to despise some politicians due to the last several years and the current events happening in the USA at this time。 But it appears politicians weren’t any better back in the 1920’s， 1930’s and 1940’s。 Having your country provide you housing， lavish parties， esteem， power and then bragging about it while the working man back in the states were writing the checks。 Having to be told to work eight hours a day 5 days a week， seriously？ They had to be ordered to do that？I also found it despicable after President’s Roosevelts death they didn’t even have the character to defend him， he placed them in those positions， trusting the information they provided would assist him in his decision process。 If they would have taken their positions seriously， WWII could， or would have been avoided with Hitler being stopped years earlier。 It is a gripping historical dialogue。Received an ARC from St。 Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my unbiased review – This one comes in with 4****。 。。。more
Deborah Rice
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I read a courtesy copy through NetGalley。 An interesting look at the U。S。 ambassadors to Europe before and during World War II。 McKean explores their relationships to each other， to FDR， and to the leaders of the England， France， Germany， Italy， and to a certain extent， the Soviet Union。 It examines the events leading up to the war， and how the ambassadors reported and reacted to them。
Joseph J。
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Won in a Goodreads giveaway。 While much has been made of Abraham Lincoln's forming a "Team of Rivals" among his cabinet， that term has not been applied to Franklin D。 Roosevelt。 Certainly， FDR himself was often hard to categorize and lock into a position。 In Watching Darkness Fall， David McKean portrays an interesting mix of backgrounds， personalities and ambitions among FDR's ambassadors as Hitler and Nazism spread across Europe。 From his own wasp social set FDR drew upon Sumner Welles for Unde Won in a Goodreads giveaway。 While much has been made of Abraham Lincoln's forming a "Team of Rivals" among his cabinet， that term has not been applied to Franklin D。 Roosevelt。 Certainly， FDR himself was often hard to categorize and lock into a position。 In Watching Darkness Fall， David McKean portrays an interesting mix of backgrounds， personalities and ambitions among FDR's ambassadors as Hitler and Nazism spread across Europe。 From his own wasp social set FDR drew upon Sumner Welles for Undersecretary of State and William Bullitt as first Ambassador to Stalin's Soviet Union， and later France。 Also， for Italy， there was Breckenridge Long。 For Berlin， as Hitler ruthlessly consolidated power， FDR sent the academic William Dodd。 And finally， and most famously， or infamously， the Irish Catholic self made Joseph P。 Kennedy to London and the Court of St。 James， with his wife Rose and retinue of nine photogenic children。 All had their faults。 Welles' personal behavior would today be the stuff of The National Enquirer， but of course in those times interracial sex and homosexual behavior were each scandalously career ending and on the books illegal。 Bullitt loved the good life: fine wine， women including FDR's devoted personal secretary Missy LeHand， and palatial digs。 Stalin recognized that weakness。 His vision on Hitler， the Nazis and Fascists and the threat to Europe and the World was an improving 20-20。 Dodd was right on as to Hitler， but not in tune with American and Capitol Hill isolationism of the time， and he seemed not to comprehend Constitutional boundaries and restraints。 In Italy， Long was impressed by Il Duce， but of course so was FDR initially， while rightly seeing Hitler as a madman。 Long's political and moral myopia would have tragic consequences for the Jewish people later from within his State Department post。 And finally there was Joe Kennedy， at once admiring but distrustful of FDR， while slavishly devoted to appeasement of Hitler among the Cliveden set and as promulgated by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain of Munich infamy。 Kennedy's views were defined by economic interests， a lack of moral grounding， and ambition tempered with fear for his sons。 Kennedy and FDR play a real cat and mouse game， while Bullitt's simpering over familiarity with FDR does not ultimately save him in this diplomatic dance of personalities and ambitions。 This is a richly absorbing account of American politics and personalities as the darkness of Hitler descends upon Europe and the world。 And， at this time in our nation as we see the limits of our foreign reach， we are reminded that the United States has always been instinctively an isolationist people。 Dodd， Bullitt， and FDR in turn came to see the need to breach that wall of division from the world。 。。。more
Emiley M。
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The second war to end all wars is looming and Franklin D。 Roosevelt has been elected as the president of the United States。 Bowing to a need for ambassadors in Europe， Roosevelt appoints a cadre of men with a range of diplomatic skills to be his eyes and ears in the years leading up to the Third Reich。 In Watching Darkness Fall， author David McKean lends weight to the subject by virtue of his own experience in the diplomatic corps and in a well-written and easy to follow narrative， gives readers The second war to end all wars is looming and Franklin D。 Roosevelt has been elected as the president of the United States。 Bowing to a need for ambassadors in Europe， Roosevelt appoints a cadre of men with a range of diplomatic skills to be his eyes and ears in the years leading up to the Third Reich。 In Watching Darkness Fall， author David McKean lends weight to the subject by virtue of his own experience in the diplomatic corps and in a well-written and easy to follow narrative， gives readers a new look at an important historical moment。 A wonderful asset to anyone's library， this is a well-researched， informative look at an important and terrifying piece of history。 。。。more
Sam
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A great perspective on the lead-up to WWII through the eyes of American ambassadors in Europe。
Judy
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This is an interesting and well researched account of Franklin Roosevelt's presidency as it relates to four of his ambassadors serving in Europe in the years leading up to and including World War II。 William Bullitt was the U。S。 Ambassador first to Russia and then to France。 Joseph Kennedy， Sr。 was serving in London， William Dodd in Berlin and Breckinridge Long in Rome。 Of the four men， only William Dodd was able to accurately predict the death and destruction that Adolph Hitler and the Third Re This is an interesting and well researched account of Franklin Roosevelt's presidency as it relates to four of his ambassadors serving in Europe in the years leading up to and including World War II。 William Bullitt was the U。S。 Ambassador first to Russia and then to France。 Joseph Kennedy， Sr。 was serving in London， William Dodd in Berlin and Breckinridge Long in Rome。 Of the four men， only William Dodd was able to accurately predict the death and destruction that Adolph Hitler and the Third Reich was about to unleash on the European continent。 The book also discloses the politics and negotiations that underlie many of the major decisions that are made which affect the country and its relationships with other countries。 It was a very eye-opening account of this important period of history。Thank you to Goodreads and St。 Martin's Press for this book which I received in a giveaway。 。。。more
Susan Walker
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Interesting story of FDR and WWII。 It gives the reader a up close look at the US government during WWII。
AC
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Decades after WWI， the US people， and most of the US government， truly believed in Woodrow Wilson's insane and unworkable isolationism stance。 I understand the wish to not be dragged into some war that's not yours to fight， but the US and everyone else on the planet have been globalists almost as soon as （most of） the map had been tentatively finalized。 Backbiting Ambassadors too interested in their own machinations on higher office don't help。Watching Darkness Fall is primarily the story of FDR Decades after WWI， the US people， and most of the US government， truly believed in Woodrow Wilson's insane and unworkable isolationism stance。 I understand the wish to not be dragged into some war that's not yours to fight， but the US and everyone else on the planet have been globalists almost as soon as （most of） the map had been tentatively finalized。 Backbiting Ambassadors too interested in their own machinations on higher office don't help。Watching Darkness Fall is primarily the story of FDR - both a Wilsonian politician and charged with pulling the U out of the Great depression - and four of his Ambassadors， posted to offices in Europe。 Of the four included in this book， only one seemed to understand the threat posed by Hitler in Germany， and the great conflagration he would cause: William Dodd。 He warned FDR， early and often， that Hitler was going to be a problem to our allies （especially Great Britain and France） and potentially the world at large。 The others - Breckenridge Long in Italy， William Bullitt in Russia and subsequently in France， and Joseph P。 Kennedy - either heaped praise on a fascist while acting like a tourist （Long）， wrote what amounted to love letters to FDR （seriously！） and constantly painted a pretty picture for him， even while things were falling apart， and had the audacity to think he could speak for the US or French（！） government when the leaders fled France， all the while angling for a job as head of the war department （Bullitt）， or were anti-Semites， particularly uninterested in the plight of Jews in Germany （Long and Kennedy）。It isn't an easy read， particularly to start; there are names and history and political dealings thrown at the reader in order to set the stage。 Presumably anyone reading this would have a basic understanding of the runup to WWII。 If you do not， it will likely be fairly rough sailing， at least until all the characters are in place。Once that's complete， however， it's easy to see - through letters， diaries， newspapers， and official government issues - just how ready some were to allow Europe and possibly even Russia go up in flames because no one really wanted to hear any bad news from abroad， much less help our own allies fight against a maniac。 It's especially troubling to read Bullitt's missives。 He was grossly unqualified and unprepared for the duty he accepted。 Equally disgusting was Long， who deliberately held up visas for those fleeing to the US， especially Jews and even children， and Kennedy， who urged FDR to make people with Hitler。The book ends rather abruptly， but by that point， I was tired of all of them and quite glad of it。Five stars， no doubt in my mind。Thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the reading copy。 。。。more
Michael Hassel
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Watching Darkness Fall; FDR， His Ambassadors and the Rise of Adolf Hitler by David McKean。I found this book very interesting as it tells the story of the period from 1933-1941 in the build-up to WW II in Europe through the eyes and reports of four key US ambassadors in Europe。 （1） William Dodd in Germany; （2）Breckenridge Long in Italy; （3） William Bullitt 1st in Russia then in France and （4） Joseph P Kennedy in the UK。 Although they were ambassadors， their personalities as well as Franklin Roos Watching Darkness Fall; FDR， His Ambassadors and the Rise of Adolf Hitler by David McKean。I found this book very interesting as it tells the story of the period from 1933-1941 in the build-up to WW II in Europe through the eyes and reports of four key US ambassadors in Europe。 （1） William Dodd in Germany; （2）Breckenridge Long in Italy; （3） William Bullitt 1st in Russia then in France and （4） Joseph P Kennedy in the UK。 Although they were ambassadors， their personalities as well as Franklin Roosevelt’s management style meant they reported to him and not the State Dept。 This of course did not improve the overall situation。 In other books that I have read， the same occurred with our Foreign Officers in China。 Adding to the complexity were two key factors which were new to me: （1） FDR did not have confidence in his political strength to do the right thing。 He was constantly second guessing himself and putting forward “America First” policies to hold on to votes instead of directly leading public opinion to the dangers of not preparing and supporting European efforts against Hitler and （2） dealing directly with his ambassadors mentioned above who were not of one mind。 Dodd correctly saw Hitler for what he was， Long – a strong believer in Mussolini and anti-semite enjoyed himself immensely in Italy （3） Bullitt who rebelled against authority and fought a bitter internal battle to get ahead with a cabinet position in Washington and （4） Kennedy who also was an anti-semite and American First believer。 And yet， FDR when necessary， made perfect decisions such as the Lend-Lease Act to get around the Neutrality Act that he signed three times to keep America out of the war。 In addition， I suppose not a surprise there were affairs going on with women by some of the above and all too much money spent on lavish Embassy parties which I can see accomplish nothing。 Have things changed today in the State Department？ I am not sure and this book has wetted by appetite to learn more about the role of ambassadors today in regions of importance。 。。。more
Christy Martin
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Watching Darkness Fall by David McKean is one of the most interesting and readable accounts I have seen of the years and events in Europe that preceded the U。S。 involvement in World War II。 This fascinating account is based on the letters written to President Franklin Roosevelt by ambassadors to the European countries that were being affected by the Natzi regime and is an interesting look at their relationship with Roosevelt， Mussolini， Hitler， and other power brokers of that time period。 Isolat Watching Darkness Fall by David McKean is one of the most interesting and readable accounts I have seen of the years and events in Europe that preceded the U。S。 involvement in World War II。 This fascinating account is based on the letters written to President Franklin Roosevelt by ambassadors to the European countries that were being affected by the Natzi regime and is an interesting look at their relationship with Roosevelt， Mussolini， Hitler， and other power brokers of that time period。 Isolationist politics were much in evidence as the country and the world was reeling from the Great Depression。 Americans were literally starving to death as Hitler began his climb to power in the aftermath of World War I and the blowback from the Treaty of Versailles。 Under the leadership of FDR the country gradually began to realize that the threat was not just to Europe but was coming to America thru its backdoor in the Pacific as well as threats to the free waters and trade routes all over the globe。 Reading this book makes the time period come to life and one gets a glimpse of not just Roosevelt and the ambassadors， but his wife Eleanor and the other major players in the politics and personal pursuits of a man that was president during some of our country's darkest hours。 Read #WatchingDarknessFall。 It is an excellent study of leadership and our world in a time of crisis。 Thanks to #WatchingDarknessFall#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
William Liyuan
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Engrossing— I finished the book in a single sitting as soon as it arrived。 A fantastic new perspective of the events leading up to America’s involvement in the Second World War。
Sheila
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