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| The Entertainment Review |
| By: Simon Berthon & Joanna Potts Publisher: Da Capo Press |
During World War II there were four main players in what happened in the war, and each played an important role in
the results of the war. “Warlords: An Extraordinary Re-Creation of World War II through the Eyes and Minds of Hitler,
Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin” is a worthy effort examination of the relationships between these four important
figures, told in chronological order from Hitler’s invasion of France to his supposed self-inflicted gunshot end in his
bunker.
The book focuses on the European Theater and through using known communication offers detailed descriptions of
how the thought process among these warlords shaped first the European battles and second, the post-War world.
A very information section of the book tells of the Churchill/Stalin relationship as Churchill, who led Britain alone
against the Nazis, first embraced the Soviet leader as Hitler attacked Russia.
However, Churchill is increasingly marginalized as Soviet battlefield successes and America's emergence into the war
proceeds. The authors recall Churchill's desperate attempt to convince Franklin Delano Roosevelt to join the fight,
and his relief when Pearl Harbor finally brings America into the fight. Churchill's relationship with Stalin is somewhat
businesslike but ultimately frustrating and secondary. He can never do enough to convince Stalin of England's desire
to help. Roosevelt's agenda is to win the war and reshape a post-War world which will bring an end to Britain's
dominance. Churchill attempts to bend military strategy to a continuation of the British Empire, and as the war ends,
tries to warn Roosevelt of Stalin's duplicity in Eastern Europe and especially Poland. Stalin wants to, and in the end,
does take up as much territory as he can as Roosevelt and Churchill continue to argue.
The book explains how the conflicting interests of the Big Three allies, The U.S., Great Britain and the Soviet Union
nearly ruined the war effort and cost a large number of lives as competing strategies evolved. Ultimately, it was
Hitler's power lust and corresponding lack of a coherent strategy that allowed the arguing Allies to win in the end.
Among the saddest affairs from this story was the betrayal of the Polish people by Roosevelt and Churchill. It would
not be surprising for the Polish people to never forget nor possibly forgive the amount of suffering they had to deal
with as the Big Three played a diplomatically but murderous chess game as the European war concluded. Stalin
stood by as the retreating Germans ruthlessly murdered the Polish Resistance, and moved into the aftermath and set
up his own pro-Soviet puppet regime. Roosevelt's wide-eyed belief that he could easily deal with Stalin proved
shameful and he could not reverse this impression before he died just as the European war was ending. It was
ultimately left to FDR's successor, Harry S Truman, who came into the game of Big Power diplomacy late, saved what
he could of non-Soviet dominated Europe, but the consequences to the present couldn’t have been foreseen as the
four warlords jockeyed for power, prestige, and not nearly enough, principle.
“Warlords: An Extraordinary Re-Creation of World War II through the Eyes and Minds of Hitler, Roosevelt, Churchill,
and Stalin” offers readers in insight into the minds of World War II and offer a lot of already known information, but
also gives readers a lot of lesser known facts of the war. This is a great book for anyone that is interested in history
or World War II, and is sure to have readers questioning the motives of all four warlords.
the results of the war. “Warlords: An Extraordinary Re-Creation of World War II through the Eyes and Minds of Hitler,
Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin” is a worthy effort examination of the relationships between these four important
figures, told in chronological order from Hitler’s invasion of France to his supposed self-inflicted gunshot end in his
bunker.
The book focuses on the European Theater and through using known communication offers detailed descriptions of
how the thought process among these warlords shaped first the European battles and second, the post-War world.
A very information section of the book tells of the Churchill/Stalin relationship as Churchill, who led Britain alone
against the Nazis, first embraced the Soviet leader as Hitler attacked Russia.
However, Churchill is increasingly marginalized as Soviet battlefield successes and America's emergence into the war
proceeds. The authors recall Churchill's desperate attempt to convince Franklin Delano Roosevelt to join the fight,
and his relief when Pearl Harbor finally brings America into the fight. Churchill's relationship with Stalin is somewhat
businesslike but ultimately frustrating and secondary. He can never do enough to convince Stalin of England's desire
to help. Roosevelt's agenda is to win the war and reshape a post-War world which will bring an end to Britain's
dominance. Churchill attempts to bend military strategy to a continuation of the British Empire, and as the war ends,
tries to warn Roosevelt of Stalin's duplicity in Eastern Europe and especially Poland. Stalin wants to, and in the end,
does take up as much territory as he can as Roosevelt and Churchill continue to argue.
The book explains how the conflicting interests of the Big Three allies, The U.S., Great Britain and the Soviet Union
nearly ruined the war effort and cost a large number of lives as competing strategies evolved. Ultimately, it was
Hitler's power lust and corresponding lack of a coherent strategy that allowed the arguing Allies to win in the end.
Among the saddest affairs from this story was the betrayal of the Polish people by Roosevelt and Churchill. It would
not be surprising for the Polish people to never forget nor possibly forgive the amount of suffering they had to deal
with as the Big Three played a diplomatically but murderous chess game as the European war concluded. Stalin
stood by as the retreating Germans ruthlessly murdered the Polish Resistance, and moved into the aftermath and set
up his own pro-Soviet puppet regime. Roosevelt's wide-eyed belief that he could easily deal with Stalin proved
shameful and he could not reverse this impression before he died just as the European war was ending. It was
ultimately left to FDR's successor, Harry S Truman, who came into the game of Big Power diplomacy late, saved what
he could of non-Soviet dominated Europe, but the consequences to the present couldn’t have been foreseen as the
four warlords jockeyed for power, prestige, and not nearly enough, principle.
“Warlords: An Extraordinary Re-Creation of World War II through the Eyes and Minds of Hitler, Roosevelt, Churchill,
and Stalin” offers readers in insight into the minds of World War II and offer a lot of already known information, but
also gives readers a lot of lesser known facts of the war. This is a great book for anyone that is interested in history
or World War II, and is sure to have readers questioning the motives of all four warlords.
