Threshold of War: Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Entry into World War II

by Waldo Heinrichs (Author)

21 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0195061680

ISBN-10: 0195061683

Why is ISBN important?

Other Sellers

from

Other Sellers

See all 10 versions

Used: Good | Details

Sold by BTS-Sales

Fulfilled by Amazon

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery: Friday, July 16 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon. Details

Fastest delivery: Thursday, July 15

In Stock.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Available at a lower price from other sellers that may not offer free Prime shipping.

FREE delivery: Friday, July 16 Details

Fastest delivery: Wednesday, July 14
Order within 19 hrs and 36 mins Details

Available at a lower price from other sellers that may not offer free Prime shipping.

As the first comprehensive treatment of the American entry into World War II to appear in over thirty-five years, Waldo Heinrichs' volume places American policy in a global context, covering both the European and Asian diplomatic and military scenes, with Roosevelt at the center.
Telling a tale of ever-broadening conflict, this vivid narrative weaves back and forth from the battlefields in the Soviet Union, to the intense policy debates within Roosevelt's administration, to the sinking of the battleship Bismarck, to the precarious and delicate negotiations with Japan.
Refuting the popular portrayal of Roosevelt as a vacillating, impulsive man who displayed no organizational skills in his decision-making during this period, Heinrichs presents him as a leader who acted with extreme caution and deliberation, who always kept his options open, and who, once Hitler's
invasion of the Soviet Union stalled in July, 1941, acted rapidly and with great determination. This masterful account of a key moment in American history captures the tension faced by Roosevelt, Churchill, Stimson, Hull, and numerous others as they struggled to shape American policy in the
climactic nine months before Pearl Harbor.

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Michael A. Barnhart
16
Paperback
$27.95

Special offers and product promotions

Amazon Business: Make the most of your Amazon Business account with exclusive tools and savings. Login now

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Among all of the many studies of American entry into World War II, Threshold of War stands out as one of the most thoughtful and meaningful. Heinrichs brilliantly demonstrates the interrelationship of policies toward both Germany and Japan against the background of the world conflict."--Frank
Friedel, Harvard University

"A long-needed account of Franklin Roosevelt's diplomacy in the nine months leading up to American entry into World War II."--Robert A. Divine, University of Texas, Austin

"A work that should stand the test of time as a definitive, balanced picture of...[Roosevelt]."--Kirkus Reviews

"A compelling story of Roosevelt's road to war...Likely to remain the most authoritative account of the coming of the Pacific war."--Akira Iriye, University of Chicago

"The narrative is so well paced that it often reads like a thriller...[Heinrichs] not only advances the debate over U.S. intervention in the Second World War but also helps us to understand why the historical profession, despite all of the bitter criticism that has been leveled at him, persists in
ranking Franklin D. Roosevelt as the greatest American president save Lincoln."--William E. Leuchtenburg, The Atlantic

"[A] thoughtful, scholarly book."--The Washington Times

"[A] well-written and -researched history of the U.S. entry into World War II...A worthy successor to William Langer's and L. Everett Gleason's classic, Challenge to Isolation."--Library Journal

"Heinrichs tells a tale of deft executive maneuvering, rendered all the more difficult 'by a chaotic supply of intelligence'--decrypted messages, propaganda, and rumors."--The Wilson Quarterly

"The best synthesis we have of U.S. diplomatic and military history immediately before Pearl Harbor...A deeply researched and splendidly written book."--Robert Dallek, University of California, Los Angeles

"An expert examination of FDR's formulation of policy in the nine critical months before Pearl Harbor. With graceful prose and persuasive detail [Heinrichs] carefully reconstructs the successive choices that confronted FDR in different global theaters as he tried to coordinate moves in the Atlantic
with diplomacy toward Japan."--Diplomatic History

"A masterful and valuable contribution to the existing literature...In his meticulously researched book, Heinrichs focuses on the diplomatic and strategic thinking and practice of Roosevelt's government that led to the participation of the United States in the European and Far Eastern
Wars."--International History Review

"One of the best treatments of the subject I have ever read...The research is excellent and so thorough...an example of micro-history at its best."--Albert Erlebacher, DePaul University

"Heinrichs's book is outstanding, deserving to be read and studied. Its style is clear, its research thorough, and its conclusions persuasive."--Teaching History

"The inherent drama of the onrushing world catastrophe, coupled with [Heinrichs'] own writing skill, results in a surprisingly readable book."--Kliatt Young Adults Paperback Guide

From the Back Cover

The literature on American entry into World War II is rich and abundant but mostly segmented, concerned with particular topics, regions, or relationships.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press (March 1, 1990)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 302 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0195061683
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195061680
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8 x 0.6 x 5.31 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,862,095 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #403 in Topology (Books)
- #2,261 in International Relations (Books)
- #2,547 in Military History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
21 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		31%
4 star		23%
3 star		17%
2 star		8%
1 star		20%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Superb and Unique Book

Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2006

Verified Purchase

Often historians focus on what happened once the war began. While a reasonable and understandable approach, such an effort fails to analyze in a significant way the root causes of conflict. Only be understanding the slow walk from peace to war can one have any hope to identify the root causes of war, the economic, information, diplomatic, and military tools necessary to avert war or at least make the war as small as possible.

Waldo Heinrichs, if this reviewer is not confused, was a fighter pilot in WWI and a squadron intelligence officer in WWII. Therefore, he is not one of those academics who postulate about war and its causes without any insight into how terrible war truly can be. His biases are fairly well spelled out in the books introduction, but he has written a book that is readable and useful in understanding the slow drift toward war. Indeed, I found many tidbits of information in this book that I have never seen or read in other document.

There are only two negative things that I can say about this book. First, I would have liked to have seen more information on the domestic side. Exactly, how President Roosevelt communicated his ideas and direction to the American people is, perhaps, one of the greatest unanswered questions in historical research. However, this book does have very interesting poll results that show the American people were much more concerned about and will to risk war to address the issues of both Europe and Asia. In this reviewer's humble opinion, most academics fail to understand the close religious (via the evangelical movement), economic (both in terms of big business and itinerant workers - white and Asian), and moral issues that closely tied the average American to pre-WWII Asia. Second, the organization of the book is chronological. This makes it difficult to track themes from the narrative and the reader is forced to keep up with Heinrichs intellect and insight vice having those themes more clearly and repetitively spelled out.

It is a shame the Heinrichs has passed away. It would be interesting to see him expand his book to support his theory that the great depression was the first unalterable step toward WWII.

This is a superb book for both serious historians and those of us who read for pleasure.

20 people found this helpful

Helpful

Ed Boyle

Fantastic work even if you are not a WWII buff

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2013

Verified Purchase

Heinrichs really lays out those months leading to World War II and in such a way that the book, or Kindle, is hard to put down. I’m not a WWII buff and only bought this because I love FDR. It isn’t really about FDR except in his capacity as President. Heinrichs lays out what happened in that last year and pretty much why there was a war. If you are a student of World War II or would just like to learn more about it, pick this up. You will not regret it.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

John Matlock

An Excellent History of an Unknown Time.

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2010

Verified Purchase

There are innumerable books about some aspect of WW II. This book covers only a few months in time when the world was preparing to go to war -- yet nobody really wanted to.

In these days of revisionist history there is a lot of commentary about how FRD was steering us into war. This book, instead, tells of the myriad small steps that led to the world wide war. Well worth reading.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Donald Trump

Only one man's opinion

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2012

Verified Purchase

A very thorough and well researched book, but a bit "heavy" for my tastes. I think the message could hve been delivered quite well in a lot fewer pages. It strikes me as a history book for historians, rather than a general interest book for the ordinary reader. Having said that, it infuriates me to see how incompetent the political and military leadership of the United States was to have let the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor be the surprise that it was. If the information in this book is accurate, and I have no reason to doubt that it is, Roosevelt, Hull, King and Marshall had to know that war with Japan was imminent by the last week of November, 1941. Given that, it is absolutely criminal that they let so much of our Naval force sit like ducks in a shooting gallery on December 7th. What could they have been thinking? Then, they turn around and "hang" Kimmel for incompetence to deflect criticism from themselves.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Turkles

Events Leading Up To WWII

Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2012

Verified Purchase

What impressed me about this most readable, informative book was how effectively the author discredited the Pearl Harbor "conspiracy theories" by its thorough, well documented research of the events leading up to WWII.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Naughty Librarian

It's a good book, but a bit dry

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2015

Verified Purchase

It's a good book, but a bit dry. Helps to understand all the global politics going on at the time before the war.

Helpful

Alberto R.C.

Good account on pre WWII geopolitics

Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2012

Verified Purchase

This book makes a good read for those interested on the year before the USA entered WWII. It describes the change in american policies when both Hitler and the Japanese Empire waged war in Europe and Asia.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

READ'NWEEP

AN OPPORTUNITY MISSED

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2012

Verified Purchase

A WELL RESEARCHED BUT CLUMSILY WRITTEN WORK THAT WAS DIFFICULT AT TIMES TO FOLLOW. I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED MORE BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL ON ALL THE PARTICIPANTS. THE ENDING LEFT A GREAT DEAL TO BE DESIRED AS IT DID NOT COVER THE LAST FEW DAYS OF THE DIPLOMATIC EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE US AND JAPAN BEFORE THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Joshua Paris

Outstanding

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 24, 2012

Verified Purchase

This book is scholarly masterpiece. Yet I feel I should clarify what it deals with. It is NOT about, as one reviewer has said on the .com website "a few months in time when the world was preparing to go to war -- yet nobody really wanted to.", it covers AMERICAN entry into the Second World War which was several years after Europe was suffering under German aggression. That niggle aside - onto the book:

Heinrichs' book is extremely detailed and as one reviewer has said, definitely leaves the reader more knowledgeable than before. It expertly explains the adeptness with which Roosevelt walked along a series of extremely difficult tightropes. Trying to placate Japan without provoking Germany. Trying to support China without provoking Japan. Trying to defend the Atlantic without compromising the security of the Pacific. Ultimately, putting to use all military and economic resources available to him at a time when the USA was largely on a peace-time economy. As he is quoted as saying at one point, not having "enough butter to cover the bread" (p. 56).

This book also dispels powerful myths. For example, the "Europe-first" agenda, so sought by Churchill, was, in fact, already a part of American strategic thinking well before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Which in turn, goes onto explain why despite America having been attacked in the Pacific, it still sought to defeat "Germany First" etc. Very good for us Brits to realise that as endearing as Churchill's personal letters are - the President was usually a couple of steps ahead. Truly one of the greatest political figures of twentieth century - and a Democrat! Whoop whoop!

Seriously, though, a must read for academics.

3 people found this helpful

See all reviews

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Pages with related products. See and discover other items: franklin roosevelt

Threshold of War: Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Entry into World War II

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Customers also viewed these products

Special offers and product promotions