Stanley Weintraub (1929–2019)

Beginning on December 21, 1941, two weeks after Pearl Harbor, and ending on January 1, 1942, Pearl Harbor Christmas centers on Winston Churchill's Christmas visit to Franklin Roosevelt, but covers much more. Weintraub is a master at discovering fascinating details, which keep the tale of negotiations between Roosevelt and Churchill and their various subordinates from becoming dull. Showing that already, by December 1941, the world was at war, Weintraub keeps the reader apprised of events in the Pacific and on the Russian front, as well as how the war was beginning to affect the home front in the U.S.
Researching and writing over 60 years after the end of World War II, Weintraub has had access to many facts unknown to most people at the time they occurred. Although I had read enough already about "Dugout Doug" MacArthur to consider him no hero, Weintraub's depiction of MacArthur's constant lies to his superiors about what was actually happening in the Philippines was shocking to read about -- the author has his doubts about Churchill as well.
In December 1941, my mother was a senior in high school; she would go on to work in the local shipyard after graduation. My father, who had joined the National Guard at 16, was in the Army, since FDR had Federalized the Guard in summer 1940. He was stationed on an island off Portland, Maine, as a coast artilleryman; he would later serve in the Pacific Theater. Reading this book helped me to understand a bit of what it was like for them to live through that time. Highly recommended.… (plus d'informations)

I have read and enjoyed all of Stanley Weintraub's "Christmas War Books" (more than once!). They are not deep and detailed military histories, but they are of interesting subjects and make nice holiday reading for military history buffs (like myself) or by those who just want to get some insight about the subject.

"Washington's Christmas Farewell" begins in late 1783 in New York City, where Washington is with the last of his army waiting for the final departure of the remaining British Army (and those Royalists who plan on leaving with them) so he can can leave and be home in Mt Vernon by Christmas, for the first time in many years.

Weintraub writes of the many receptions held for Washington on his long journey down to Virginia, of his very moving and tearful farewell to his generals and staff who had been with him for so many years, and of his final resignation of his military commission to Congress in Annapolis, MD. The book ends with Washington on Christmas Eve, going into his house. Washington was a private man and left no written record of his first Christmas with Martha Washington and his family after so many years (which seems appropriate to me).

The author makes you realize how much the American public loved and revered Washington, and how respected he was abroad (even more than Ben Franklin) - many foreign military and political leaders expressing surprise that he planned on retiring and returning to his private life rather than taking authoritarian power, as they assumed he would. But that was not what Washington would do, showing to the world that the United States would be governed by the people, not the military. Thankfully for us. He remained a figure of respect abroad even in later years, so much so that in 1799 when he died, Napoleon declared a 10 day state of mourning with his army.

There is a quote by Washington in the book, which I think many politicians and the American public today should pay attention to, especially those who claim to regard him with admiration. It reads "The bosom of America is open to receive not only the opulent and respectable stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all Nations and Religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges..." Would that more agreed with the Father of our Country.… (plus d'informations)

This book is not a history of the Battle of the Bulge, and Weintraub clearly states that in his introduction, so do not pick this book up if that's what you want to read. Weintraub instead has written about just 11 days (the key days) during the Christmas holiday period at the Bulge, which took place in the Belgium/Luxembourg area. It is a more anecdotal story from the "G.I." viewpoint, though there are many others heard from as well (from generals and citizens to celebrities such as David Niven, Ernest Hemingway, etc.). Except for Patton, most of the top generals (Eisenhower, Montgomery, and Bradley) do not come off too well, which is appropriate. This is a good book to read during holiday time, to find out what the people there faced and had to cope with, yet without going too deep into military tactics. One issue that I had with the book is that it seems to jump from one story to another a little too abruptly, and a few times Weintraub veers off and talks about other military campaigns going on. All-in-all though, an interesting book that should appeal to a wider audience then WW2 buffs. Weintraub has written several other wartime Christmas books as well (WW1, Civil War, American Revolution).… (plus d'informations)