"
War and Peace is the third and final volume in Hamilton's "F.D.R. at War" trilogy and certainly as gripping and powerfully argued as the first two . . . Hamilton's case for Roosevelt is a compelling one. Even in decline, the president had a vision that eluded others, including his closest partner [Churchill]."
--The New York Times Book Review "If history belongs to the best and latest writer, Nigel Hamilton has won the war for Roosevelt's legacy from Churchill."
--The Wall Street Journal "A first class, lens-changing work."
--James N. Mattis, former United States Secretary of Defense "Thorough and deliberate...vividly recreates FDR's decline and makes his accomplishments all the more impressive. Like its predecessors in the trilogy, this volume will reward readers of WWII and presidential history."
--Publishers Weekly "Significant study . . . of considerable interest to students of presidential and American military history."
--Kirkus Reviews "With deft storytelling and impeccable scholarship Nigel Hamilton completes his essential trilogy of FDR and World War II with a bang.
War and Peace is a masterful reevaluation of D-Day, Hitler's demise, and the Yalta Conference. A stunning achievement!"
--Douglas Brinkley, author of Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America "On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of D-Day,
War and Peace is the dramatic culmination of Nigel Hamilton's magnificent trilogy of FDR's wartime leadership as commander in chief. It is also a vivid example of the critical importance of presidential leadership in times of national crisis. This sweeping narrative of Roosevelt's triumphs and the tragedy of his untimely death in 1945 is history and biography at its very finest."
--Carlo D'Este, author of Patton: A Genius for War and Warlord: A Life of Winston Churchill at War, 1874-1945PRAISE FOR COMMANDER IN CHIEF "Ably dramatizes Roosevelt's wranglings with Churchill during World War II ... Provocative ... It is stimulating to follow Hamilton as he lays out his argument."
--Thomas E. Ricks, New York Times Book Review "Superb."
--Fareed Zakaria "A detailed look at Franklin Roosevelt's role in the Allied strategy midway through World War II, with an emphasis on his relations with Winston Churchill. Hamilton shows Roosevelt's clear vision of how to win the war and how to create a postwar society that would prevent such wars from recurring . . . [COMMANDER IN CHIEF] presents a convincing portrait of its main subject, strengthening readers' confidence in the author's conclusions. The book is strongly pro-Roosevelt, but Hamilton gives a solid inside view of the strategic thinking that went into the campaign against Hitler as America laid the groundwork for the D-Day invasion the following year."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred)
PRAISE FOR MANTLE OF COMMAND"The Mantle of Command is splendid: It's the memoir Roosevelt didn't get to write."
--New York Times Book Review
"Masterly."
--Wall Street Journal
"FDR has frequently been underestimated as a military leader, yielding, in the historical imagination, to George Marshall and Winston Churchill, among others. Nigel Hamilton attacks this view with his characteristic verve, portraying a president with the reins of war fully, if often subtly, in his hands. The conventional wisdom will never be the same."
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H.W. Brands, author of Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt "Nigel Hamilton's
Mantle of Command is a stirring and noteworthy book about Roosevelt's crucial role as commander-in-chief during World War II. Hamilton writes with insight, passion, and a great grasp of history. I believe this book will become the standard by which other books about FDR's role in World War II will be measured."
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Carlo D'Este, author of Patton: A Genius for War and Warlord: A Life of Churchill at War, 1874-1945 "This is not the Roosevelt (or Churchill) you'd expect. From the start, an aggressive, in-charge FDR emerges from a wonderful weaving of established scholarship and the fascinating bits and pieces that make history live. Churchill is an inspirational nag, with a busy, unfocused strategic vision. A key entry into the ongoing debate over who made grand strategy in the early war years--Roosevelt or Churchill?"
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Warren F. Kimball, author of Forged in War: Roosevelt, Churchill, and the Second World War "Nigel Hamilton in
Mantle of Command presents a very different wartime Franklin Delano Roosevelt than the one we are used to seeing. Whether or not one agrees with all his conclusions, Hamilton clearly shows that FDR was an extremely strong and effective commander-in-chief. This volume should go a long way to dispelling popular myths about Roosevelt as a naïve and weak war leader."
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Mark Stoler, editor of the George C. Marshall Papers & Professor Emeritus of History, University of Vermont "Nigel Hamilton has written a spirited and thoughtful 'revisionist' study of Franklin Delano Roosevelt as commander-in-chief during the first phase of U.S. involvement in the Second World War. Hamilton's narrative skill brings alive the human dramas, logistic hurdles, and strategic debates to show how FDR's indispensable drive and forward-looking leadership tamed his own 'team of rivals' and set the United States and its Allies on the road to victory over the Axis. The books enlivens the often murky worlds of bureaucratic struggle and military detail to demonstrate how important it was for the United States to 'get it right' early in the war and how FDR accomplished this."
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Michael Schaller, author of Douglas MacArthur & Regents Professor of History, University of Arizona
