Fascinating insights into the lives and characters of these two incredible leaders (plus a bit if Stalin). Highly recommended. ( )

Meacham is one of my favorite biographers. This book was a treat! As always, reviewing a biography always leaves me wondering if my ratings have to do with the book--how it was written, how readable, etc.,--and how did I "like" the subject(s)?

I guess neither Roosevelt nor Churchill remains as firmly on the pedestal that history has placed these two men. But I am glad to be seeing them through more of a clear lens rather than the rose-colored I used prior.... ( )

> Some historians have argued that the image of Roosevelt and Churchill as friends at work in wartime is in many ways a convenient fiction, largely created by Churchill in his memoirs in an attempt to build an enduring Anglo-American alliance

> Wiliness came more easily to Roosevelt. “He was the coldest man I ever met,” Harry Truman said of him. “He didn’t give a damn personally for me or you or anyone else in the world as far as I could see. But he was a great President. ( )

Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) and Winston Churchill both remain among some of the most towering figures in twentieth-century history. Without them, democracy might only be a relic of history. Without them, the lingua franca of the world might be German instead of English. Rather, their friendship, forged by need and trial, led to an end to great European wars and to the blossoming of hopes of world peace. It also cemented the Anglo-American alliance as a bulwark against Soviet domination in the soon-appearing Cold War. In this book, the acclaimed American historian Jon Meacham examines their interactions for a deepened understanding of this vital relationship with an eye to the wider historical narrative, both in the near and far-reaching futures.

In 1939, Great Britain declared war on Germany because of the German invasion of Poland. It soon was embroiled in a battle for its survival with German bombs falling over London. The American public, still new to the international scene, did not want to get involved in yet another European war. However, Churchill pinned hopes for Britain’s and democracy’s survival on persuading FDR to fight with the British against the Germans. The Americans, of course, had thrice the population that represented more soldiers and more industrial power. After testing the waters in a deal of armor for land, the tragic events of Pearl Harbor bonded the two in history.

Several personal traits come out in this book. First, Churchill’s eloquence is clearly seen. Sometimes – as when dealing with Stalin – it could even get in the way of good diplomacy. Second, FDR’s emotional ebullience is likewise clear. They both respected each others’ political toolset. Third, they visited each other often, for Christmas or other conversations. FDR wanted entry into the war for a while, but could not convince the American people until the Japanese attack. Finally, they juggled adding a “third wheel” to the mix when meeting with the un-emotive Stalin. Clearly, they both misjudged long-term Soviet aspirations, to which the rest of the twentieth century testifies.

Readers can only imagine world history if Churchill were not elected as Prime Minister or if isolationist voices won out in America in the election of 1940. These men were not all-powerful, and their democracies intended them to be accountable to the people. However, imagining a British triumph in the Battle of Britain in 1939 and the following years is impossible without both Churchill and FDR. It’s a good thing for us all that they got along and gave birth to the United Nations as an imperfect tool for global stability.

Meacham, a historian and author par excellance, brings all this (and more) to light by combing through historical sources about these two. He tantalizes us readers with detail after detail about and eloquent word after word. He provides us a real treat with the main course tasting as good as the dessert. Anyone interested in diplomacy, whether among nations or even just among colleagues, should pay heed. Meacham teaches us grandly as he learnt from the two English-speaking masters of Franklin and Winston. ( )

In Franklin and Winston Jon Meacham has written a fascinating book about the friendship that developed between Roosevelt and Churchill through the conduct of World War II. Meacham's conversational style makes the book both entertaining and easy to read.

Meacham spends some time on the background of each leader, and on the events going on around them, but the focus is really on the relationship that developed between these two men. The positions their two nations found themselves in at the start of World War II, and the offices each man held in those nations, both helped shape their relationship. But Meacham makes it clear that both developed a fondness for the other that helped carry them through to the end - to Roosevelt's untimely death and Churchill being voted out of office.

Also helping shape the interplay between the two leaders was the role of the Soviet Union and Joseph Stalin as the third member of the Allied Powers, and Meacham's accounting of the three men at the conferences the "Big Three" held during the war is an interesting part of the story.

Anyone who has have recently read Erik Larson's The Splendid and the Vile will be familiar with many of the details covered in the first three chapters of this book (though Meacham did get there first - this book was originally published in 2003).

Both men were great leaders in trying times, inspiring their nations to come together and rise to meet difficult challenges. Both also were not perfect, but their nations were fortunate that what may have been seen as their flaws in other times were the strengths their nations needed in time of war.

I rate Franklin and Winston 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I really liked the book and was glad I read it. I learned quite a bit from it. I recommend it. ( )