Hitler's American Gamble: Pearl Harbor and the German March to Global War
- Downloads：3297
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-09-14 06:51:43
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Brendan Simms
- ISBN：0141991844
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
'History at its scintillating best 。。。 hard-hitting， revelatory and superbly researched' Andrew Roberts， author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny
'A rare achievement 。。。 sure to become an instant classic' John Lewis Gaddis， Yale University
This gripping book dramatizes the extraordinarily compressed and terrifying period between the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and Hitler's declaration of war on the United States。 These five days transformed much of the world and have shaped our own experience ever since。
Simms and Laderman's aim in the book is to show how this agonizing period had no inevitability about it and that innumerable outcomes were possible。 Key leaders around the world were taking decisions with often poor and confused information， under overwhelming pressure and knowing that they could be facing personal and national disaster。 And yet， there were also long-standing assumptions that shaped these decisions， both consciously and unconsciously。
Hitler's American Gamble is a superb work of history， both as an explanation for the course taken by the Second World War and as a study in statecraft and political choices。
'A rare achievement 。。。 sure to become an instant classic' John Lewis Gaddis， Yale University
This gripping book dramatizes the extraordinarily compressed and terrifying period between the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and Hitler's declaration of war on the United States。 These five days transformed much of the world and have shaped our own experience ever since。
Simms and Laderman's aim in the book is to show how this agonizing period had no inevitability about it and that innumerable outcomes were possible。 Key leaders around the world were taking decisions with often poor and confused information， under overwhelming pressure and knowing that they could be facing personal and national disaster。 And yet， there were also long-standing assumptions that shaped these decisions， both consciously and unconsciously。
Hitler's American Gamble is a superb work of history， both as an explanation for the course taken by the Second World War and as a study in statecraft and political choices。
Reviews
Laura Valenziano
，
This book covers the history of World War II from December 6th through December 12， 1941。 In other words， right before and right after Pearl Harbor。 It provides MANY details not covered in other histories which address this time period。 Especially the authors pursue the point that the United States only entered the World War AFTER Hitler declared war on the USA。 Although war against Japan was ensured after the Hawaiian attack there was a lot of public and political opinion against fighting Germa This book covers the history of World War II from December 6th through December 12， 1941。 In other words， right before and right after Pearl Harbor。 It provides MANY details not covered in other histories which address this time period。 Especially the authors pursue the point that the United States only entered the World War AFTER Hitler declared war on the USA。 Although war against Japan was ensured after the Hawaiian attack there was a lot of public and political opinion against fighting Germany and Italy。 I found it completely engaging and very well written！ 。。。more
Malcolm Davis
，
Without doubt one of the best history books I have read。There so many considerations of which I had been unaware。 Not least was the effect the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor had on lend lease。
Sam
，
This was a book that never seemed to end， but having said that， Brendan Simms provides a huge wealth of information regarding events leading up to WW II， and even covers some of the post war events dealing with Harry Truman。 He uses a multi-faceted approach to the story， discussing events occurring in the U。 S。， Britain， Germany， and Japan， and， for extra measure， discusses aspects of the Holocaust and how that was a definitive part of Hitler's plan to keep the U。 S。 out of the war。 I always tho This was a book that never seemed to end， but having said that， Brendan Simms provides a huge wealth of information regarding events leading up to WW II， and even covers some of the post war events dealing with Harry Truman。 He uses a multi-faceted approach to the story， discussing events occurring in the U。 S。， Britain， Germany， and Japan， and， for extra measure， discusses aspects of the Holocaust and how that was a definitive part of Hitler's plan to keep the U。 S。 out of the war。 I always thought Hitler made two fatal mistakes， in 1941， that cost him an eventual European victory: One， attacking his， then， ally， the Soviet Union， and second， unilaterally declaring war on the U。 S。 His discussion details how the U。 S。 and Germany were in a "sort of" undeclared war， in the Atlantic， for at least a year prior to 1941， with Lend-Lease aid going from America to both Britain and Russia; Hitler， meanwhile stewing about it and keeping his U-Boat commanders at bay from torpedoing ships carrying American aid。 As this was going on， Hitler ramped up his genocidal activities against Europe's Jews， accusing the Worldwide Jewish conspiracy against Germany for its problems; he then decided to essentially hold Europe's Jews hostage against the U。 S。 going to war against Germany。 Feeling that the U。 S。 would not declare war on Germany， with millions of Jews under his thumb， Hitler decided to play a waiting game， hoping that eventually Roosevelt （FDR） would declare war on him。 Obviously Hitler was not a good student of American civics， oblivious to the fact （or ignoring it） that U。 S。 presidents cannot declare war。。。only Congress has that power。 FDR， meanwhile was also in a quandry， wanting to increase help to the British and Russians， but most of this nation was still isolationists。 Then， sadly， a miracle occurred。。。December 7， 1941。 The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the U。 S。 into World War II as an active belligerent， but only partially。 The U。 S。 was officially active， in WW II， but only in the Pacific。 Hitler wanted to honor his part of the tri-partite pact， with Italy and Japan， but the pact was only if one of the three （Germany， too） was attacked， not the attacker。 Simply put， four days after Pearl Harbor， Hitler had finally had enough of FDR， and he declared war on the U。 S。， formerly putting the U。 S。 into the conflict in both Europe and the Pacific。 The book kinda carries on; in other words， he probably could have quit after Hitler's declaration of war， on the U。 S。， but he keeps it going for about another 75 pages or so。 But， please don't read that in the wrong way。。。it's great information， and the book contains great information。 I thought I had most of the answers as to how we got into the war， but reading Simms's book， I was wrong and learned a lot。 If you're a World War II buff， this is really a good book， just about 530 pages of good book。 I strongly recommend it。 。。。more
Stephen Brown
，
Simms and Laderman clearly articulate Hitler's twisted world view and his erroneous calculations for invading Russia and declaring war on the US。 It also reveals Japan's miscalculation about attacking Pearl Harbor and Japanese misgivings about attacking the United States。 They demonstrate how racial prejudice led British and Americans to underestimate Japan's military prowess and how it was so costly to the British。 Some American and British observers convinced themselves that Germans were flyi Simms and Laderman clearly articulate Hitler's twisted world view and his erroneous calculations for invading Russia and declaring war on the US。 It also reveals Japan's miscalculation about attacking Pearl Harbor and Japanese misgivings about attacking the United States。 They demonstrate how racial prejudice led British and Americans to underestimate Japan's military prowess and how it was so costly to the British。 Some American and British observers convinced themselves that Germans were flying in some planes that hit the naval base and observed swastikas on them。 Not mentioned in the book is that aviation observers in the 1930s were aware that the engines in Mitsubishi built planes were of very high quality as were the planes themselves。 The book is stunningly well-researched from primary and secondary multinational sources。 。。。more
Holly Ites
，
As a forever student of WWII， I have always wondered about two of Hitler's catastrophic strategic blunders， the invasion of Russia and the declaration of war against the US just four days after Pearl Harbor。 The book provided lots of information to help explain those decisions， but I am left with the only true explanation being hubris， which is probably as accurate as any other。 While he misjudged the effectiveness blitzkrieg would have in a country as vast as Russia， I think his biggest mistake As a forever student of WWII， I have always wondered about two of Hitler's catastrophic strategic blunders， the invasion of Russia and the declaration of war against the US just four days after Pearl Harbor。 The book provided lots of information to help explain those decisions， but I am left with the only true explanation being hubris， which is probably as accurate as any other。 While he misjudged the effectiveness blitzkrieg would have in a country as vast as Russia， I think his biggest mistake was underestimating the relationship between the United States and Britain which， upon his declaration of war against the US， immediately combined their leadership and personnel in a mutual and joint effort to not only attack， but supply Russia with what it needed in armament and supplies for its western counterattack。 Had his paranoia and racism not kept him from forming a similar relationship with Italy and Japan， the outcome could have been entirely different。 。。。more
Jill Cordry
，
I've read a lot about the Second World War， but never the lead up to these days and their consequences。 Fantastic。 I've read a lot about the Second World War， but never the lead up to these days and their consequences。 Fantastic。 。。。more
Brad Lucht
，
ExcellentOutstanding research describing the days leading up to and immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor。 Roosevelt essentially out maneuvered Hitler， allowing the President to silence the America First crowd upon Hitler's declaration of war。 ExcellentOutstanding research describing the days leading up to and immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor。 Roosevelt essentially out maneuvered Hitler， allowing the President to silence the America First crowd upon Hitler's declaration of war。 。。。more
Laurent Franckx
，
One of the big traps in the study of history is to look at the past and to think that the way things developed was more or less unavoidable， simply because we know the final outcome。 This is certainly the case with World War Two， where generations have been taught that "the French surrendered after a few weeks， but the British bravely fought on， because they correctly anticipated that one day the US would join the war on their side"。 Well， when you grow up， you learn that the US actually only jo One of the big traps in the study of history is to look at the past and to think that the way things developed was more or less unavoidable， simply because we know the final outcome。 This is certainly the case with World War Two， where generations have been taught that "the French surrendered after a few weeks， but the British bravely fought on， because they correctly anticipated that one day the US would join the war on their side"。 Well， when you grow up， you learn that the US actually only joined the war because they were attacked first， but even then most of us see a direct road leading from Pearl Harbour to D-Day。 The reality is rather different: even after Pearl Harbour， the US only got involved with the war in Europe after Hitler moved first against the US。Simms and Ladermann take us on a day by day， almost hour per hour account of what happened between Pearl Harbour and Hitler's fateful decision to take on the most powerful country in the world， through the eyes of people who were direct eyewitnesses of the events。 They don't limit themselves to the perspective of the great and mighty， but also let us peek into the lives of ordinary citizens all over the world。 And， once you look at the events without the benefit of hindsight， you understand that the first days after the attack， people had concerns that we have forgotten to consider from our perspective。 Would the US completely end Lend Lease support to the UK and the USSR？ Would the USSR declare war on Japan？ Would the USSR allow US bombers to take off from Vladivostok to bomb Japan？ Would Vichy France join the war on the side of the Axis？ Would Thailand resist the Japanese invasion？ Would Japan directly attack the West Coast of the US？ Was Germany involved in the preparation of the attack against Pearl Harbour？ The best thrillers are the ones where you know the outcome right from the beginning but you still cannot put away the book。 Simms and Ladermann have written a real page-turner， which conveys very well the extreme pressure that people must have experienced back then。One important warning: if you are not familiar with the overall history of World War Two， you may be overwhelmed a bit by the huge number of names and events in the book。 。。。more
ENRIQUE E COTES
，
Hitlers American GambleThis is a most read historical account of the inevitable entrance of the United States into World War II。 The main focus is around the attack on Pearl Harbor and its aftermath。 I enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it to those interested in the most violent war that had affected the World
Jeff Francis
，
Brendan Simms’s and Charlie Laderman’s “Hitler’s American Gamble: Pearl Harbor and Germany’s March to Global War” posits that the several days following Pearl Harbor were massively formative to what came after。 Not exactly a radical declaration， but HAG sets itself apart by claiming that those days were not defined so much by Japan vs。 the U。S。， but by Germany vs。 the U。S。“It had been a momentous day， and arguably the most important twenty-four hours in history，” the authors write in “Thursday， Brendan Simms’s and Charlie Laderman’s “Hitler’s American Gamble: Pearl Harbor and Germany’s March to Global War” posits that the several days following Pearl Harbor were massively formative to what came after。 Not exactly a radical declaration， but HAG sets itself apart by claiming that those days were not defined so much by Japan vs。 the U。S。， but by Germany vs。 the U。S。“It had been a momentous day， and arguably the most important twenty-four hours in history，” the authors write in “Thursday， Dec。 11， 1941” （Love them weekdays in the chapter titles！）。 This mostly refers to Germany’s declaration of war on the U。S。， which the authors persuade was not a foregone conclusion， and could’ve gone other ways。 Yes， if you’re one of those alternate-scenario War types， there's some stimulating s--t within。 As a World War II book， “Hitler’s American Gamble” is a strange mix: there are parts on Pearl Harbor， the Holocaust， military history， naval warfare， etc。 But it mostly focuses on behind-the-scenes diplomatic maneuvering （a naked Winston Churchill flashing Franklin Roosevelt is funny）。 So， agree with the hypothesis or don’t。 Even though “Hitler’s American Gamble” doesn’t especially break new ground， it is a worthwhile read。 。。。more
Haley
，
This is a great book that any WWII buff is going to enjoy。 Especially those who are more interested in the politics that led to some decisions during such a bloody war。I got this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。
Stuart Miller
，
World War II historians， professional or otherwise， will be intrigued by this account of what world leaders did or said， publicly and behind the scenes， on the fateful days of December 6-11， 1941。 By examining a broad range of documents and archives， the authors convincingly demonstrate that after-the-fact histories often were written as though what happened on these days was somehow inevitable or foreordained--which is far from the truth。 As a day-by-day account of nearly 400 pages， chock full World War II historians， professional or otherwise， will be intrigued by this account of what world leaders did or said， publicly and behind the scenes， on the fateful days of December 6-11， 1941。 By examining a broad range of documents and archives， the authors convincingly demonstrate that after-the-fact histories often were written as though what happened on these days was somehow inevitable or foreordained--which is far from the truth。 As a day-by-day account of nearly 400 pages， chock full of many key players， and spanning the globe， this is probably not for the casual reader。 。。。more
Redpoet
，
Interesting book about an interesting period of history。 Although， author thinks these few days may have made major differences in the world in which we live。 I’m not sure sure。 Still what went on here was a period about which I knew almost nothing。
Woodstock Pickett
，
The authors focus on a miniscule part of the history of the middle years of the 20th century - from just before the attack on Pearl Harbor to December 11， 1941 when Hitler declared war on the United States。 Their research was extensive， and their telling of those days almost evolves minute by minute， and moves back and forth across the globe， from Berlin to London to Washington to Hawaii to Tokyo and Singapore。 Although this historical period is one I enjoy reading about and have read about over The authors focus on a miniscule part of the history of the middle years of the 20th century - from just before the attack on Pearl Harbor to December 11， 1941 when Hitler declared war on the United States。 Their research was extensive， and their telling of those days almost evolves minute by minute， and moves back and forth across the globe， from Berlin to London to Washington to Hawaii to Tokyo and Singapore。 Although this historical period is one I enjoy reading about and have read about over the years， the detail in this book， almost mind numbing detail， wore me down and I took it back to the library。 I do rate it reasonably high， under the circumstances！ 。。。more
Ivor Armistead
，
This is a thoroughly researched and comprehensive account of the days just before and after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor when the question of whether and to what extent the United States would become a direct combatant in the Second World War was far from certain。 Well written and fast paced， “Hitler’s American Gamble” examines and explains the web of relationships， politics， personalities and events that brought the United States into the war。 I have read many histories and biographies r This is a thoroughly researched and comprehensive account of the days just before and after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor when the question of whether and to what extent the United States would become a direct combatant in the Second World War was far from certain。 Well written and fast paced， “Hitler’s American Gamble” examines and explains the web of relationships， politics， personalities and events that brought the United States into the war。 I have read many histories and biographies relating to World War II， but this book is full of important reminders and new insights about the events of late 1941 that are remarkably relevant to current events。 。。。more
Tiffany
，
Every now and again I realize that some historical narrative I was taught in school was WAY too simplistic and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is one of those。 I've read a few different things over the years that have helped me add more perspective and this is a good addition to the question of why exactly Japan decided to attack when they did and why Germany declared war when they did。 An interesting sidenote mentioned several times in this book is how sheer racism led many to underestimate Every now and again I realize that some historical narrative I was taught in school was WAY too simplistic and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is one of those。 I've read a few different things over the years that have helped me add more perspective and this is a good addition to the question of why exactly Japan decided to attack when they did and why Germany declared war when they did。 An interesting sidenote mentioned several times in this book is how sheer racism led many to underestimate Japan and believe Germany must have helped Japan with the attack。 。。。more
Dryan1066
，
Critical few days in history。 Told exceptionally well
Jim Milway
，
A solid and thorough account of the days after Pearl Harbor up to Hitler's declaration of war on the U。S。 People wonder why did Hitler declare war on U。S。 after the Japanese bomber Pearl Harbor。 He had enough on his plate with Russia and North Africa。 And Britain wasn't finished off。 He had promised the Japanese that he would declare war on U。S。 if Japan were attacked - so he wasn't treat-bound to declare war。The book explains what drove Hitler to this crazy act。 I won't spoil it - but it was a A solid and thorough account of the days after Pearl Harbor up to Hitler's declaration of war on the U。S。 People wonder why did Hitler declare war on U。S。 after the Japanese bomber Pearl Harbor。 He had enough on his plate with Russia and North Africa。 And Britain wasn't finished off。 He had promised the Japanese that he would declare war on U。S。 if Japan were attacked - so he wasn't treat-bound to declare war。The book explains what drove Hitler to this crazy act。 I won't spoil it - but it was a somewhat logical conclusion form his worldview and premises。Interesting way of telling the story - events told one day at a time and from each of the important venues。 。。。more
Peter
，
Not much。 WW2 101。
David Wurster
，
Fair or not， I found myself annoyed and critical as I read this book。 The main content of the book covers less than a week in December 1941 between the attack at Pearl Harbor and the declaration of war against the United States by Hitler on December 7th。 The portion of the book is in chronological order， hour by hour in excruciating detail。 The last chapter covers the rest of the war at breakneck speed; the Normandy campaign is covered in one sentence。I did learn some things。 The strength of the Fair or not， I found myself annoyed and critical as I read this book。 The main content of the book covers less than a week in December 1941 between the attack at Pearl Harbor and the declaration of war against the United States by Hitler on December 7th。 The portion of the book is in chronological order， hour by hour in excruciating detail。 The last chapter covers the rest of the war at breakneck speed; the Normandy campaign is covered in one sentence。I did learn some things。 The strength of the anti-interventionalists in America is covered well。 The divergent attitudes and self-interest of the leaders on all sides was reported in a nuanced way。 Still， I found enough fault in the presentation that I looked forward to finishing the book and going on to something more enjoyable。 A few specific grievances include:1。 There were no maps at all in spite of the text discussing geographical events throughout。2。 The list of acronyms gave answers in German without a translation。3。 The strict chronological organization did not appeal to me。Obviously， a great deal of research went into this book。 I think a good editor might have greatly improved the appeal of the book by insisting on a reorganization early in its development。 。。。more
Barbara
，
I didn’t see Hitler’s decision to declare war on the United States so much as a gamble as the title suggests but more of an inevitability。 Having said that， I found the “every day” details in the storytelling of the five days between the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and Hitler’s declaration of war against the United States to be a fascinating read。 Yes， much of the politics has been hashed elsewhere; what I honed in on were the little details which put a human face on the policies。 It’s a ver I didn’t see Hitler’s decision to declare war on the United States so much as a gamble as the title suggests but more of an inevitability。 Having said that， I found the “every day” details in the storytelling of the five days between the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and Hitler’s declaration of war against the United States to be a fascinating read。 Yes， much of the politics has been hashed elsewhere; what I honed in on were the little details which put a human face on the policies。 It’s a very readable and accessible account。 。。。more
The White Tiger
，
Thesis: Hitler's decision to declare war on the United States was a shocking， world-altering decision that was not necessarily predestined to occur because of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor despite what popular collective memory believes。Style: Hitler's American Gamble is a narrative history following a detailed chronological account of the days immediately preceding Hitler's declaration of war on the United States。 The story jumps from place to place too frequently。Thoughts: This book does Thesis: Hitler's decision to declare war on the United States was a shocking， world-altering decision that was not necessarily predestined to occur because of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor despite what popular collective memory believes。Style: Hitler's American Gamble is a narrative history following a detailed chronological account of the days immediately preceding Hitler's declaration of war on the United States。 The story jumps from place to place too frequently。Thoughts: This book does not clearly articulate WHY Hitler chose to declare war on America。 The war declaration appears to be already made and it is just a matter of timing in Simms and Laderman。 While the timing was a key issue and interesting to unravel， the factors that weighed on Hitler's mind when making the decision are not clearly articulated， at least not as well as in Klaus H。 Schmider's Hitler's Fatal Miscalculation: Why Germany Declared War on the United States。 Simms' and Laderman's research is incredibly thorough and presented in a manner that captures the zeitgeist of the times similar to Paul Jankowski's All Against All: The Long Winter of 1933 and the Origins of the Second World War， 。。。more
Jim Swike
，
Great topic as the title indicates。 I thought I would learn more about the gamble。 Maybe， you will feel differently。 Enjoy！
Marsha Valance
，
In their thrilling， authoritative study， "Hitler's American Gamble"， Brendan Simms & Charles Laderman retell the story of how the 5 crucial days （December 7-11， 1941） in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack shaped both World War II itself & the postwar world。 In their thrilling， authoritative study， "Hitler's American Gamble"， Brendan Simms & Charles Laderman retell the story of how the 5 crucial days （December 7-11， 1941） in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack shaped both World War II itself & the postwar world。 。。。more
Tom
，
Engrossing but repetitive， and a little contradictory: trying to emphasize the importance of these decisions while making the case that it didn’t matter in the end。 Also， the story of why Hitler made the decision he did was a bit weak， given it was billed as the headline event of the book， and better coverage of the Japanese and Russian perspective would have been nice。 To me it was a reminder of the importance of Lend-Lease and of FDR's political skills。 Engrossing but repetitive， and a little contradictory: trying to emphasize the importance of these decisions while making the case that it didn’t matter in the end。 Also， the story of why Hitler made the decision he did was a bit weak， given it was billed as the headline event of the book， and better coverage of the Japanese and Russian perspective would have been nice。 To me it was a reminder of the importance of Lend-Lease and of FDR's political skills。 。。。more
Charles
，
Hitler’s Misjudged Calculation Ensured Allied VictoryAfter Pearl Harbor， America’s war with Japan’s Axis allies， Germany and Italy， was automatic。 No， it wasn’t。 Authors Brendan Simms and Charlie Laderman set the record straight in a riveting account of the five days in 1941 between the Japanese attack on December 7 through December 11 when Hitler declared war on the United States。Americans and British were so racist and disdainful of the Japanese as backward Asians that many assumed that Hitler Hitler’s Misjudged Calculation Ensured Allied VictoryAfter Pearl Harbor， America’s war with Japan’s Axis allies， Germany and Italy， was automatic。 No， it wasn’t。 Authors Brendan Simms and Charlie Laderman set the record straight in a riveting account of the five days in 1941 between the Japanese attack on December 7 through December 11 when Hitler declared war on the United States。Americans and British were so racist and disdainful of the Japanese as backward Asians that many assumed that Hitler’s Germany had orchestrated the attack on Pearl Harbor and on British possessions in Asia。 Some thought that the Japanese attack planes must have been piloted by Germans and some even claimed to have seen the Nazi Swastika on attacking aircraft。In fact， Hitler was as surprised as Americans about the Pearl Harbor attack。 And while the Axis alliance called for Germany and Italy to come to Japan’s aid if Japan was attacked， there was no such obligation if Japan started a war。 Furthermore， as Robert Sherwood， FDR’s speechwriter observed， “The Nazis were honor bound by their pledges to the Japanese， but they had not shown much inclination to let such bourgeois-democratic considerations interfere with their own concepts of self-interest。”The authors brilliantly recount the five days of uncertainty during which it was unclear whether the United States would sharply reduce its supply of war materials to Britain and Russia， and redirect such production to the Pacific to counteract Japanese aggression。 Almost hour by hour the authors shift the narrative about calculations at the leadership level in the U。S。， Britain， Germany， the Soviet Union， and Japan。Hitler expected that the U。S。 for the foreseeable future would be distracted by Japan and kept from interfering in Europe。 American war supplies were being sent in increasing quantities to Britain and Russia and although the U。S。 was not a formal belligerent， its Navy was protecting convoys half way across the Atlantic。 The news of Japanese success also came at a welcome time as Germany was experiencing setbacks for the first time on the Russian front and in North Africa。Churchill would write， in his history of World War II， that the news of Pearl Harbor brought America into the conflict and that， “We had won after all。” But that was hardly his thought at the time， as he worried that America would avoid formal war with Germany and devote its full military production to fight Japan。 Indeed， the immediate action of the United States was to halt shipment of war materials headed to Britain — and even to unload some supplies from ships about to sail — until the U。S。 military could assess its immediate needs in the Pacific。Shifting to the scene in London in the days following Pearl Harbor， the authors provide a vivid portrayal of Churchill’s agony as he feared the U。S。 would continue to postpone a declaration of war against Germany and would sharply reduce support of Britain and the Soviet Union。 Indeed， FDR dodged the question for five days as he assessed domestic opposition to war with Germany。 Churchill made repeated attempts to come to Washington to meet with FDR but was rebuffed， adding to the Prime Minister’s anxiety。 FDR， for his part， was looking over his shoulder at the isolationist sentiment that he still faced and worried that a visit by Churchill would be seen as undue influence as America assessed its military needs in the Pacific。The Japanese had given the Germans little indication of their plans to declare war on the United States and no forewarning of the attack on Pearl Harbor。 But now， in Tokyo， there was sudden concern that Japan would face America alone。 This was complicated by Berlin’s desire for the Japanese to attack the Soviet Union and confront Stalin with a two-front war。 Japan had its hands full and declined to do that。 But it was eager for America to be forced to fight a two-ocean conflict。 In the immediate aftermath of Pearl Harbor， there was desire in Tokyo as well as in London and Moscow for Germany and the United States to be at war。Many readers， this one among them， will be surprised at the continued strength of the isolationist sentiment in America even after Pearl Harbor。 Montana Senator Burton Wheeler stated there was no reason for the United States to immediately declare war on Germany and Italy。 This was also the position taken by Senator Hiram Johnson of California and Senator Arthur Vandenberg of Michigan， never mind America First leaders such as Robert Wood and Charles Lindberg。Finally， on December 11， in a 90-minute tirade that catalogued the dictator’s complaints against FDR and against Jews， Hitler declared war on the United States。 A side melodrama was Mussolini’s attempt to upstage Hitler by timing his declaration of war against the United States some 15 minutes before Hitler spoke。Even after Germany and Italy declared war on the United States， former President Herbert Hoover and presidential candidate Norman Thomas did not feel discredited in their non-interventionist beliefs by Japan’s attack， but instead observed that they had predicted that FDR’s embargoes on Japan and supply to Britain would drag America into war。 Vandenberg wrote in his diary， “We insisted that this course would lead to war and it has done exactly that。”With Hitler’s declaration of war， anti-interventionist resistance was completely broken。 Congressional approval of of war against Germany and Italy was unanimous， following a similar action on December 8 against Japan。Authors Simms and Laderman have succeeded admirably in capturing the drama and uncertainty that prevailed over this critical five-day period。 The entry of the United States in a truly world war can seem， eighty years later， as inevitable。 But that was certainly not the case as perceived at the time and the progression of the war — indeed its final outcome — might have been different if Britain and Russia received limited assistance to fight Germany as America threw its full resources against the Japanese。 。。。more
Jules Traugot
，
EnlighteningI gained a greater understanding of the various factors that lead to declaration of war by Hitler's Germany against the US as well as the decision by the Japanese。 The book clarifies the misunderstandings， prejudices and risks were part of the process the individual， Axis and Allied United Nations made leading up to and after formal declarations of war。 EnlighteningI gained a greater understanding of the various factors that lead to declaration of war by Hitler's Germany against the US as well as the decision by the Japanese。 The book clarifies the misunderstandings， prejudices and risks were part of the process the individual， Axis and Allied United Nations made leading up to and after formal declarations of war。 。。。more
John Ryan
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This book mostly deals with less than a week – the time between Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and when Germany declared war on the United States。 And in doing so， the reader better understands the pressure on key players， the lack of understanding of where the parties – and enemies but also allies – were and the impact of actions players took to win a world war。 This book gives a better understanding on how much pressure was on Roosevelt – on Churchill and even on the Axis powers。 By 1941， the This book mostly deals with less than a week – the time between Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and when Germany declared war on the United States。 And in doing so， the reader better understands the pressure on key players， the lack of understanding of where the parties – and enemies but also allies – were and the impact of actions players took to win a world war。 This book gives a better understanding on how much pressure was on Roosevelt – on Churchill and even on the Axis powers。 By 1941， the Nazi’s had a population of 290 million people under their control – more than the United States and urban Brittan combined。 The incredible research and details makes what looks like black and white in many history books much more detailed， more questionable， and more conflicting than what is universally understood。 Brittan’s didn’t like Americans and Americans didn’t trust Brittan。 Germany’s Nazi’s spoke about creating an Aryan nation yet was allied with Japanese。 Churchill didn’t trust Roosevelt and Roosevelt held his cards close to his chest， not letting even his aides know his next move。 Roosevelt had to deal with the “America First” movement， even when the leaders of the movement understood that Hawaii was attacked。 It was not a perfect world even before the world。 While what Hitler was doing was horrific， the world was much of the haves and have nots， something that Germany used to press their case。 As Japan was on the brink of attacking American and Hitler was nearly ready to attack the United States， the white men dominated East Asia with the English， the Dutch and Vicky French colonies。 More so， Mao was a minor communist player in northwest China and German cities were nearly untouched。 Jews were under attack but still present in Europe。 How different this place would be in a few years。The other thing that was shocking was the lack of information principals had during WWII。 Simms and Laderman expose the lack of information Roosevelt had on how horrific the attack had been on Hawaii， when Churchill learned of the attack， he thought it was Pearl River in China， and Hitler learned of the attack through the enemies channel， BBC。 When Mrs。 Roosevelt was flying out to San Francisco after the attack， she heard that San Francisco was attacked yet she continued to fly out there only to learn that the city had not been attacked。 Most importantly， the book casts WWII as a struggle between established power and their hungry challengers。 There was also a racial component， outlining the unfair treatment that Japanese felt for years。 Friends of yesterday could be foes of tomorrow; nothing could be taken for granted。 When Japan attacked the United States， even some of their top lieutenants， thought it was a mistake。 The same was true when Hitler declared war against the United States。 We will not fully know what their populations were thinking because， unlike the United States or England， there were no polls， free press or random interviews。 The details in this book were amazing， although at times it moved very slowly。 The world was truly in suspense whether Hitler was going to declare war against the United States。 Brittan， even Churchill， was left wondering if Roosevelt was going to bring the United States into the war against the Nazi’s。 No one expected Japan to take on the United States – and many “Japanese elite” thought it was the wrong move。 Roosevelt thought that Japan were pawns of Hitler。 These facts and mystery of war reminded me of the best documentary I ever saw， The Fog of War Leaders making decisions based on their assumptions of the war that were often not correct。 The authors did an amazing job citing letters and journal entries from major figures to share what people were thinking at the time。Simms and Lademan point out repeatedly that Hitler used the European Jews as “hostages” by Hitler in his fight with the United States， saying that as the war was cast with the largest superpower， the massive elimination of people who were Jewish went to unprecedented levels。 This is the one portion of the book that I didn’t agree。 Even this book covers how Jews is Eastern Europe were being ruthlessly massacred and European Jews were gathered， and cremations were built。 It seems to me that Hitler and his antisemitic goons had a plan outlined in Hitler’s book and would move forward regardless。 What was interesting is， once again， reading an account of how few neighbors spoke up or argued or fought against the massive killing of their neighbors。 On December 4， 1941， the Chicago Tribute – the owner a major opponent of intervention – broke the story of Roosevelt’s War Plan。 That reporting set off so many actions – including Democratic Montana Senator Wheeler launching an investigation into the president’s plan， the White House scrambling for a purpose of the plan， and Hitler knowing that his suspicions were right。 It was interesting how Roosevelt and Churchill bonded – during a three week visit from Churchill at the White House。 The two and aides met at night for drinks and card games – and solidarity。 The authors cited one fairly well-known story about how Roosevelt strolled into Churchill’s White House bedroom， finding him naked from a bath。 Churchill evidently put out his arms and said something like， as the leader of Brittan had nothing to hide from the President of the United States。 Their relationship forever changed。 The Allies were able to coordinate better， muscled by American’s dedication of manufacturing resources to the war effort。 The Axis powers never coordinated since Hitler resisted， was not strategic， and the relationships had never bonded。 That – and American’s manufacturing dominance – won the war by the democratic nations。 This well documented book contributes to anyone’s knowledge of not just WWII but the assumptions made by leaders to determine actions， often not correct in any future war。 。。。more
CASPER HILEMAN
，
December 7th， 1941， Pearl harbor guarantees the United States will enter a conflict in the Pacific。 Halfway around the World in Berlin， the attack would be a pleasant surprise to the megalomaniacal leader of the newly risen German Empire Adolf Hitler。 Already in a low-grade conflict in the Atlantic Ocean Hitler would ham-handedly lead his nation through his charge d' affairs Hans Thomsen to war on December 11th。 This was the great blunder among many blunders committed by Hitler and the greatest December 7th， 1941， Pearl harbor guarantees the United States will enter a conflict in the Pacific。 Halfway around the World in Berlin， the attack would be a pleasant surprise to the megalomaniacal leader of the newly risen German Empire Adolf Hitler。 Already in a low-grade conflict in the Atlantic Ocean Hitler would ham-handedly lead his nation through his charge d' affairs Hans Thomsen to war on December 11th。 This was the great blunder among many blunders committed by Hitler and the greatest gift to the free world。 This is the story of those five days。 。。。more
Herbert Lasky
，