Rating: 
Summary: WWII Revisted Yet Again
Review: World War II has been one of the most popular subjects in book publishing in the last few years. But much of those books like Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation series and the late Stephen Ambrose's books focused on the average foot soldier's experiences. Presidential historian Michael Beschloss' The Conquerors looks at the men at the highest ranking of power, most notably Franklin D. Roosevelt. Mr. Beschloss is an obvious devotee to FDR and he considers him the most important world leader of the 20th century, but the book is even-handed in its assessment of FDR's handling of the war and post war Germany. Most notable is FDR's take on the Holocaust and his Treasury secretary Henry Morgenthau's efforts to convince FDR to take a more active role in stopping the concentration camps. The fact that FDR was reflecting the views of day toward Judaism is not an excuse in Mr. Beschloss' mind for his passive attitude towards dealing with that most harrowing of situations. Though much of the subject matter has been recounted in far too many other books to note, Mr. Beschloss' writing style is more entertaining than most. While he deals with high-minded subject matter, he presents it in an intelligent, yet ease to digest manner.
Rating: 
Summary: Riveting.
Review: Beschloss is at the top of his game. For the first time, the book shows that Roosvelt- not some underling- refused to bomb Auschwitz and the other death camps to save the Jews From Hitler. The role of Henry Morgenthau, in trying to get Roosvelt to make the war against Hitler broader while still trying to get a total surrender from Germany, is very engaging.
Very Best history book I've read in years.
Rating:
Summary: Better than Expected Account of Post-WWII Plans
Review: This is significantly better than Bechloss's most recent work (an aimless, wandering study of Lyndon Johnson), mainly because he delves into the character of the characters here. This country needs another Roosevelt, especially after how we've started out in the 21st century so far.Henry Morgenthau is perhaps the most intriguing figure in the book, detailing his initial reluctance, and then his later measured efforts to convince Roosevelt of having a robust post-war plan for Germany. How Roosevelt came to reject his plan while taking decisive action on behalf of the exile and death camp-imprisoned Jews will rivet you. You won't learn anything new here, but still it was better than I expected and I can easily recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointment
Review: Roy Jenkins, in his biography of Churchill, characterized the Morgenthau Plan as a "fairly crack-brained plan." It hardly seems worth all the research and effort to write a book in which the central figure is Henry Morgenthau, Jr. and the central matter is his plan to make post-war Germany into an agrarian country. It turned out to be full of sound and fury, but signified nothing. Readers of Margaret MacMillan's "Paris 1919" will have some idea of the background for the resurgence of Germany militancy and, probably, the problems arising out of the fact that World War I was not "taken to the Germans." The idea of requiring unconditional surrender was thus a good one. The issue of the holocaust was certainly a great influence on most of the allied participants (although probably not Stalin), but the real story here was not the debate about the Morgenthau Plan, it was the story on the ground as World War II was ending and thereafter, and that story was told only in a brief last chapter. It may sell more books to purport to deal with the activities of Roosevelt and Truman, and Michael Beschloss obviously enjoyed exposing the faults of each of them, but ultimately the story told was tangential to the real one, and was not worth the time spent to read it.
Rating:
Summary: Not a book I can recommend for reasons indicated below.
Review: Whittaker Chambers (a former operative in the American Communist party) spurred by the announcement of the Nazi-Soviet Pact, went to the assistant secretary of state Adolf Berle september 2, 1939 and told this gentleman details about Soviet agents operating within the US government. This information FDR and/or the State department summarily dismissed. Meanwhile Alger Hiss, since proven to have been a Soviet source (amongst ohers named by Chambers) continued to operate; Hiss eventually accompanying FDR to Yalta! In addition, Harry White at treasury, likewise having been documented to have been in cahoots with Soviet intelligence, worked as Secretary Morganthau's right-hand man in various positions. Why am I telling you this? Because Michael Beschloss waited 4 years before completing this book as he awaited various files to be de-classified. Yet, after all this, including "Venona project" transcripts of deciphered Soviet cables and some release of Russian archiveal material pertinent herein, Beschloss barely addresses this issue. He mentions White, but almost completely ignores the issue of his influence within the administration of FDR. For instance, the draconian Morganthau plan to punish Germany after the war was heavily promoted by Harry White. I wonder to what extent this may have been his inititive; and to what extent a Soviet asset within the US government was promoting a policy highly beneficial to the USSR. Moreover, FDR's whole negoiating position must have been compromised by Hiss at Yalta, with Stalin knowing in advance what FDR was willing to give ground on. Yet, Beschloss has nothing to say about Hiss or any of the other agents identified by Chambers. Perhaps one can still make the case that FDR deftly handled the war, but with the Soviets knowing much of the behind the scenes activity within FDR's adminstration; coupled with FDR's inaction to hinder Hitler's extermination of Jews once this became known; with all the administrative chaos engineered by FDR to keep most of his advisors (including, unforgivably, Truman) in the dark or at odds with one another; with FDR's adoption of the Morganthau plan then his opposition to it; with all this, it's hard to make the case that FDR was an impeccable commander in chief. Admittedly, it is easier if you ignore much of the above as Beschloss does. He may have waited for various files to have become public, but he seems not to have taken any of their import into account, going along with his conclusions reached beforehand. To boot, the subtitle of this book," Roosevelt, Truman and the defeat of Hitler's Germany" is not particularly apt, as it was a Roosevelt operation in large measure; and, as indicated above, was one not without flaws either.Contrary to some other Amazon reviewers, I do not see the point of reading this book. One could do much better by choosing works more thorough in their treatment of this topic. Light-hearted though it is, even "Franklin and Winston" by Jon Mecham is immeasurably better than this volume. And if you want to read about Truman, i suggest David McCullough's excellent biography of that man from Missouri. Cheers
Rating:
Summary: The right hand does not know what the left is doing.
Review: FDR & Hitler were as different as two leaders could be. They did have one thing in common & that was their management style.
Basically it was: Chaos. All those able men below them were never sure where they stood. Who had the bosses ear? Who did he talk to last? Is he mad at me today? They'd play one advisor against another & it worked. Nobody knew everything except FDR & Hitler & it mostly was in their head. But by November, 1944 FDR was dying & Hitler was a physical & mental wreck. Stalin,Churchill, Ike & later, Truman were up to the task.
This book spent a lot of time on Henry Morgenthau, Treasury Secretary. He was FDR next door neighbor at Hyde Park & his best friend. He abused this special relationship, which allowed him to interfere in post-war plans for Germany. He had no special qualifications but he was a Jew. His plans for all Germans was harsh indeed. His proposal was a complete destruction of German industry. A pastoral Germany pre-Industrial Revolution, pre-unification & pre-Bismark. Germans were to subsist on what they could produce. Germany had not fed itself in the 20th century & this would have led to starvation. One of Morganthau's favorite lines was: "Three bowls of soup every day for every German." Now FDR hated the Germans & he humored Moganthau. But FDR's idea was to leave intact Germany's industrial capacity, which at the end of the war was still considerable, & turn it over to Great Britian for their use. At this point Great Britain was bankrupt. Churchill knew, with his keen foresight, that a strong Germany would be an important ally in the coming "Cold War" with the Soviets.
Harry Truman was inexcusably kept in the dark on all post war planning. Then FDR died. But Harry was a quick study & rapidly grew into the presidency & was soon up to speed. As Morgenthau & all the old cronies of the previous 12 years discovered, Truman was no FDR.
Rating:
Summary: not as good as I had hoped for or expected
Review: I was disappointed with this book which I thought had much more promise than I think was delivered. The writing was tedious from my perspective. Also, Truman, and his relationship with FDR and other world leaders in the first few months of his presidency is almost non existent as is, for the most part, Churchill's personal relationship with FDR, about which other books have been written but it seems to me is impossible to not include if the subject is the allied approach to the war. This is essentially a book about Morganthau and his relationship with FDR and FDR's approach to power. It shows how FDR had everyone in his administration wrapped around his little finger, which each subordinate thinking they alone had FDR's private ear, when in reality no one did. FDR kept his own counsel. The relationship between FDR and Morganthau comes off as a little pathetic with Morganthau desparate to get FDR's approval like an apprentice to a mentor. Roosevelt is supportive when it suits his fancy and non supportive when it does not suit his fancy. In that regard and among all participants "loyalty" is a relative concept in the FDR administration. Reminds me a little of the description of David McCullough about the Adams/Jefferson correspondence at the end of their lives--one in which Adams letters to Jefferson were like 4:1 compared to Jefferson's to Adams. I had the feeling that Adams needed this relationship much more than did Jefferson who had many other interests at the end of his life and appeared to answer Adams when he found the time. Adams, on the other hand, struck me as a fellow for whom a letter from TJ was the highpoint of his day.
Rating:
Summary: Superb research, enlightening story...
Review: I don't have much new to add to these other well done reviews. This is very interesting and not often discussed period of history. The characters are vivid and Beschloss writes quite well. We learn about the incredible divisions in FDR's cabinet and you can't help but think of the Bush war cabinet. While not setting the world on fire, this book is a piece of excellent history. I would have liked more on Truman and his struggles in his early days, but overall the book is fair, interesting, and taught me many things.
Rating:
Summary: Morgenthau Plan
Review: "The Conquerors" by Michael Beschloss.
As so many of my fellow Amazon reviewers have noted, this book ought to be entitled, "The Morgenthau Plan". The celebrated Historian, Michael Beschloss, has produced a well-written volume documenting the in-fighting of the Roosevelt Administration on this plan for dealing with Germany after the war was won. The events after the cessation of hostilities show that the Morgenthau Plan was really implemented. Mr. Beschloss , as with so many American historians, has neglected, or at least, minimized reporting what happened to the eastern part of Germany. In the west, Allied bombing had destroyed most of the German industry, In the east, the Red Army did the same. Towards the end, Adolph Hitler issued orders to destroy everything in the path of the on-coming Soviets. Some fanatical German units did just that, while others ignored the Fuhrer's orders. Thus, in May 1945, Germany was fundamentally devoid of industry, with the only untouched areas being small farming towns and villages. The Soviets then forced Germans to leave East Prussia, Silesia and Pomerania, and, in turn, forced the Poles west to these now unoccupied lands. This has been called the greatest forced migration in history. Beschloss briefly mentions this on page 258, where he reports that Stalin "... insisted that giving German land to Poland should be no problem because no Germans were in the region." The result was a de facto implementation of the Morgenthau Plan: the reduction of Germany into an agricultural nation, struggling to feed its people. It seems that it was not until the 1949 Berlin Blockade and the subsequent Berlin Airlift that Americans, British and French began the re-vitalization of German industry and the re-birth of the German nation. Self-interest? Or Christianity and Kindness"? (p.105). One has to wonder if Stalin had been more subtle or more surreptitiously clever, if the Iron Curtain would have reached west to the Rhine and Germany would have disappeared. Five stars for excellent writing; three stars for addressing a different subject in a somewhat incomplete fashion: four stars average.
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