franklin and winston a portrait of a friendship jon meacham

To meet with Roosevelt, Churchill recalled years later, 'with all his buoyant sparkle, his iridescence,' was like 'opening a bottle of champagne'-a bottle from which the tippling Churchill desperately needed a good long pull through 1940 and '41, as the Nazis savaged Europe and tortured British civilians with air attacks. Throughout, Meacham highlights Roosevelt's and Churchill's shared backgrounds as sons of the ruling elite, their genuine, gregarious friendship, and their common worldview during staggeringly troubled times.

Thus he has considerable new ground to break, new anecdotes to offer and prescient observations to make. Meacham uses previously untapped archives and has interviewed surviving Roosevelt and Churchill staffers present at the great men's meetings in Washington, Hyde Park, Casablanca and Tehran. Indeed, Roosevelt and Churchill each believed firmly that the 'English-speaking peoples' represented the civilized world's first, best hope to counter and conquer the barbarism of the Axis.

And both were committed to the Anglo-American alliance. Both men were privileged sons of wealth, and both had forebears (in Churchill's case, Leonard Jerome) prominent in New York society during the 19th century. It was the first of what will doubtless be many collaborations between the two institutions.(editor, Voices in Our Blood), delivers an eloquent, well-researched account of one of the 20th century's most vital friendships: that between FDR and Winston Churchill. The event was cosponsored by the White House Historical Association and the National Churchill Library and Center, and was introduced by Association President Stewart D. A splendid reception in the courtyard behind the Decatur House followed, attended by (among others) one of the “Racing Presidents” mascots from the Washington Nationals baseball team: Abraham Lincoln. Meacham stressed that the warmth between the two leaders helped convince the President to commit to support the Allies and circumvent the unwieldy military and civilian bureaucracies.Īfter a fascinating (and quite humorous) talk, Meacham took questions from the audience and signed copies of the book. To watch a complete video of the event, please CLICK HERE. The presentation was based on Meacham’s 2003 bestseller Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship.

to listen to author and former Newsweek editor Jon Meacham discuss the relationship between President Franklin D. On June 7, more than 200 people gathered at the historic Decatur House on Lafayette Square in Washington, D.

Franklin and winston a portrait of a friendship jon meacham