Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship

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Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 1,474 ratings · 160 reviews

The most complete portrait ever drawn of the complex emotional connection between two of history’s towering leaders

Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill were the greatest leaders of “the Greatest Generation.” In Franklin and Winston, Jon Meacham explores the fascinating relationship between the two men who piloted the free world to victory in World War II. It was a cruc...more The most complete portrait ever drawn of the complex emotional connection between two of history’s towering leaders

Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill were the greatest leaders of “the Greatest Generation.” In Franklin and Winston, Jon Meacham explores the fascinating relationship between the two men who piloted the free world to victory in World War II. It was a crucial friendship, and a unique one—a president and a prime minister spending enormous amounts of time together (113 days during the war) and exchanging nearly two thousand messages. Amid cocktails, cigarettes, and cigars, they met, often secretly, in places as far-flung as Washington, Hyde Park, Casablanca, and Teheran, talking to each other of war, politics, the burden of command, their health, their wives, and their children.

Born in the nineteenth century and molders of the twentieth and twenty-first, Roosevelt and Churchill had much in common. Sons of the elite, students of history, politicians of the first rank, they savored power. In their own time both men were underestimated, dismissed as arrogant, and faced skeptics and haters in their own nations—yet both magnificently rose to the central challenges of the twentieth century. Theirs was a kind of love story, with an emotional Churchill courting an elusive Roosevelt. The British prime minister, who rallied his nation in its darkest hour, standing alone against Adolf Hitler, was always somewhat insecure about his place in FDR’s affections—which was the way Roosevelt wanted it. A man of secrets, FDR liked to keep people off balance, including his wife, Eleanor, his White House aides—and Winston Churchill.

Confronting tyranny and terror, Roosevelt and Churchill built a victorious alliance amid cataclysmic events and occasionally conflicting interests. Franklin and Winston is also the story of their marriages and their families, two clans caught up in the most sweeping global conflict in history.

Meacham’s new sources—including unpublished letters of FDR’s great secret love, Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd, the papers of Pamela Churchill Harriman, and interviews with the few surviving people who were in FDR and Churchill’s joint company—shed fresh light on the characters of both men as he engagingly chronicles the hours in which they decided the course of the struggle.

Hitler brought them together; later in the war, they drifted apart, but even in the autumn of their alliance, the pull of affection was always there. Charting the personal drama behind the discussions of strategy and statecraft, Meacham has written the definitive account of the most remarkable friendship of the modern age.

From the Hardcover edition.(less)

Paperback, 490 pages

Published October 12th 2004 by Random House Trade Paperbacks (first published October 14th 2003)

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Oct 30, 2012 Jeffrey Keeten rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

”There are memorials to Roosevelt and Churchill just inside the West Door of Westminster Abbey. The first, a gray tablet that hangs far below a window depicting Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve tribes of Israel, reads: TO THE HONORED MEMORY OF FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT, A FAITHFUL FRIEND OF FREEDOM AND OF BRITAIN. Nearby, a large, dark green marble slab lies on the floor of the great nave, its inscription simple but profound: REMEMBER WINSTON CHURCHILL. On sunny days in London, light slips...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Why one more book about Winston Churchill or Franklin Delano Roosevelt? There are so many published, so many quoted and well-read. Manchester's "The Last Lion" started me on a lifetime fascination with Mr. Churchill. Amateur American historians all have read "No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor" by Doris Kearns Goodwin and delighted in Goodwin's excellent writing and lovely personal tidbits about the couple who shaped America and the world during World War Two.

So why this delightful little re...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Erin Rogers rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-finction

A really unique book! Jon Meacham brings to life the friendship between two of the greatest men of their time: Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. While Meacham stresses that his book is not a history book but rather a look at the relationship between the President and Prime Minister, one can't help but absorb the historical events surrounding the letters and meetings of these two men. Such a tumultuous time in history required the leadership of larger-than-life personalities, and t...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Kristopher rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kristopher by: Valerie Loveland

The focus is on the friendship between Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill which was at times difficult and strained. I already knew a lot more about Churchill than I did Roosevelt, and saw Churchill as a greater figure than Roosevelt. I know that FDR did great things for my own country, and that he was a great figure of the 20th century, but Churchill was just a much more likable character. The book helped me understand that Churchill had a deep-seated need to be liked due to his upbringin...more

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Mar 23, 2011 Caroline rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: american-history, british-history, world-war-2

f the 'Special Relationship' has ever existed and been anything more than a product of the wishful thinking of British Prime Ministers, it was forged in the years of the Second World War, as a result of the relationship between Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt. I doubt our two countries have ever been closer - politically, military and personally as well.

This book charts the evolution of the real bonds of affection between Churchill and FDR, bonds which were often strained by politica...more

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Jul 03, 2010 Judy rated it 5 of 5 stars

When Roosevelt and Churchill first met early in their careers, they did not like each other. They came from completely different backgrounds. However, when they are thrown together again as the powerful leaders of the United States and Britain during the early days of World War II, a deep friendship develops. As Meacham points out, however, it is usually Churchill who is the suitor and Franklin who plays hard-to-get, partly because Churchill has to beg the U.S. for aid for so long before the U.S...more

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Apr 27, 2010 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, military

This was an interesting book, though a bit starry-eyed for me. It chronicles the friendship between Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill during World War II, attempting to characterize the way they each viewed and developed their relationship.

Interestingly, Meacham describes the relationship as being somewhat one-sided: he casts Churchill as the needy friend who would do anything for Roosevelt, and who adored him publicly and privately; and Roosevelt as the popular kid -- someone cold and so...more

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Dec 28, 2009 William Blair rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Continuing my attack on recent (well, this one is 2003) books covering the events and personalities of World War II, this very entertaining book by Jon Meacham (the editor of Newsweek, whom you have no doubt seen on Charlie Rose's PBS television show) adds itself to the list of those with new and interesting information because of recently declassified (or recently disclosed personal) documents. The (obvious) angle with this book is the intense personal relationship that developed between these...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Craig rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, biography, politics

This book takes an interesting angle on these two leaders...delving into the human qualities of these two men, and the relationships that was required to lead these two countries through WWII from a diplomatic perspective. While clearly the relationship of these two men were as close friends, and these times helped to smooth some ruffled feathers in the political relationship, it is easy to see how these two with differing personalities, to use the English expression, got on. The relationship be...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

The last paragraph of Franklin and Winston by Jon Meacham:

There are memorials to Roosevelt and Churchill just inside the West Door of Westminster Abbey. The first, a gray tablet that hangs far below a window depicting Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve tribes of Israel, reads: TO THE HONORED MEMORY OF FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT, A FAITHFUL FRIEND OF FREEDOM AND OF BRITAIN. Nearby, a large, dark green marble slab lies on the floor of the great nave, its inscription simple but profound: REMEMBER...more The last paragraph of Franklin and Winston by Jon Meacham:

There are memorials to Roosevelt and Churchill just inside the West Door of Westminster Abbey. The first, a gray tablet that hangs far below a window depicting Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve tribes of Israel, reads: TO THE HONORED MEMORY OF FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT, A FAITHFUL FRIEND OF FREEDOM AND OF BRITAIN. Nearby, a large, dark green marble slab lies on the floor of the great nave, its inscription simple but profound: REMEMBER WINSTON CHURCHILL. On sunny days in London, light slips in the gloom of the ancient church, both through the stained glass and from the open doors--light from a world Roosevelt and Churchill together delivered from evil.

I know I'm far too sentimental for my own good, but I bawled my way through the last chapter of this very good book about the complicated, often strained, but enduringly affectionate relationship between two incredible leaders and men. The book made me feel rather cuddly about Churchill, who whatever his shortcomings and Victorian-era attitudes about certain things, was in Meacham's telling a deeply sentimental and forgiving man who made no secret of how much he loved and valued Franklin Roosevelt. This passage killed me:

Very late in Churchill's life, Clementine invited James Roosevelt to call on her husband in retirement. "He'd like that, and maybe it'd perk him up a bit," she said. "He's been a bit down." Churchill seemed feeble, but when he saw Roosevelt his face lit up. Holding his guest's hand, he asked him to sit and talk. "From time to time he'd ask me if I remembered someone I'd never met, and he spoke about a message he'd sent me, when he'd never sent me a message in his life," James recalled. "At first I was puzzled. Then I realized he thought I was my father." Seeing his mistake, Churchill was "terribly disappointed and his expression and posture seemed to sag." For a fleeting instant, Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt had been at the pinnacle again, if only in an old man's mind, and the thought had been pleasing. "Churchill's attitude toward Roosevelt was one of profound affection and regard," recalled Anthony Montague Browne, "and it never changed."

The overall picture of their relationship as they worked together during the war years is of Churchill trying terribly hard to woo FDR, while FDR accepts his wooing and reciprocates for a while before finally growing somewhat weary of his overly effusive and needy friend. Roosevelt could turn on the charm, but he could turn it off just as easily when it suited him. He was a very hard man to know -- a man of secrets -- and Churchill found that hurtful as the years wore on. Reading about FDR's treatment of Churchill during their meetings with Stalin was painful. Roosevelt basically threw Churchill under the bus and developed an "us against silly old Winston" attitude when interacting with Stalin, and while there were political reasons behind what he was doing in trying to charm Stalin into cooperating with US goals (yeah, good luck with that), it was still hard to read about.

All that makes the book sound so shallow, and it isn't. After all, we're talking about two strong, intelligent men who had the fate of the world very much in their hands and who led their countries through unimaginably crushing problems. They weren't kids fighting over who was the coolest and most popular in school, or about who liked who more. Still, there are elements of that dynamic in their relationship. Meacham does a good job of making both of them human, and with that comes an honest look at their all-too-human failings.

In the end they had more ups than downs as friends, however, and all the time they spent together at work and at play, at the White House, at Hyde Park, at Camp David (then named Shangri-La), and elsewhere truly did change the course of history. Some of their times together -- singing hymns at a religious service on board the HMS Prince of Wales, comforting and assisting each other after dreadful losses in battle, spending holidays together at the White House, watching the sun set over the Atlas Mountains -- were moments of true bonding and friendship, deeply felt by both men. (Churchill painted the mountain sunset -- his only painting of the war years -- and gave it to Roosevelt.)

Early in the book Meacham quotes one of Churchill's children (Mary, I believe) as saying that whenever she thought about her father and Roosevelt she remembered the French proverb: "In love, there's always one who kisses and one who turns the cheek." Churchill was always kissing and FDR was always turning the cheek to be kissed. Churchill was aware of it himself: "No lover had ever studied the whims of his mistress as I did those of President Roosevelt." In any relationship it seems there's always one who loves more, but that doesn't mean that love isn't reciprocated, albeit less intensely.

Franklin and Winston was a really interesting book and a quick, entertaining read. It made me want to find out more about Churchill, since I hardly knew anything about him prior to this.(less)

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Nov 19, 2008 John Gronner rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was fascinated by the power and vision that the 2 men had that shaped the world during and after WWII. It appears that F&W fashioned the United Nations practically single-handedly into what it is today. Both were visionaries but
Franklin more so. C was so right in his misgivings of Stalin and they turned out to be true.

The look into their private side was also revealing.

If you like history and want a glimpse of WWII read this book.

John

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Jun 10, 2010 Greg Pettit rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, biography

The book's title is very accurate: this is not so much a history book, but rather a very specific look at the friendship between Roosevelt and Churchill.

It was a very entertaining read, nonetheless. The author clearly had strong opinions about the character of the two men, so many stories seem selected to support that opinion. Meacham paints FDR as the aloof, popular kid and Churchill as the always-trying-to-be-accepted not-so cool kid. Of course there are degrees to both of those characterizati...more

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Dec 03, 2009 Cv Rick rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

I know a lot of people liked this book, but I found it lacking in many areas. For one the narrative is repetitious to the point of tedium. Over and over again we are told, rather than shown, that these two men, Franklin and Churchill admire and respect each other but that every element of this partnership is tinged with self-interest, or in their case the interest of their respective nations.

The books starts by jumping around through time and the author seems to be taking clippings from various...more

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Sep 21, 2009 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-books, non-fiction, 2009-reading-journal

I only picked this up as part of a book challenge, but am glad I did. I enjoyed reading about the developing friendship of FDR and Churchill. The dynamics of their friendship and the resulting relationship helped shape the U.S.'s relations with England and other foreign countries. I saw their leadership skill and vision as the beginning of a new world view and globalization of foreign affairs. The creation of the United Nations was one of many FDR contributions to world history.

Churchill was a c...more

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Mar 30, 2009 Rick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Good read if your interested in World War II history. I would suggest reading IKE first because it provides some background as to whats happening around the timeframes that are discussed. The focus of this book is the ups and downs of the Roosevelt/Churchill relationship. Interestingly, Churchill tried to pull the US into WWII because they were alone against Germany but it was through the war that the US became the most powerful country in the world virtually overnight. Once the Roosevelt realiz...more

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Feb 10, 2009 Tom rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found I enjoyed Jon Meacham's Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship more than I did his American Lion: A Biography of President Andrew Jackson, though this may be due to either a better abridgment or my own sentiments on the subjects of this book, as I have more of a personal fondness for Churchill and FDR than I do Old Hickory.

That said, this book is not without flaws. While the audio reading covers all of their experiences and their friendship during the World War...more

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May 11, 2013 Stinger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, biography

Enjoyed this tale of the Allied leaders' friendship as related by those closest to them. The chronicle of this relationship of almost unequalled significance in the 20th century is, at times, heart-rending. I came through the book pitying and respecting Churchill all the more for his quickness to forgive; regarding Roosevelt, I am reminded that presidents are human too, capable of self-centeredness, personal betrayal and hypocrisy. After reading this book, I am still convinced that Roosevelt's b...more

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Mar 03, 2012 Willis rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a pretty good book on the friendship of Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. Their relationship had a pretty big impact on how World War II turned out. I found it to be a interesting read focusing more on their meetings together rather than the bigger picture. It covers the time of World War II so there is discussion of things going on in the war. If you don't know much about World War II, then I think you'll be a little bit lost about what is going on. The author also doesn't fill...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookclub

this is the first non-fiction, non-business book I've read in years. and I enjoyed it. the story is told with a lot of reference material - letters, speeches, interviews (the author's notes, appendix, source notes, etc. take up 100 pages...the book is only 370 pages) and all those different voices helped make the story come alive. I'm struck by how much american politics has changed. cannot imagine what it was like to have the same president for 12+ years! but more by how much the world has chan...more

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Jan 12, 2010 Nick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, political

An absolutely engrossing book that truly details the relationship between FDR and Winston Churchill. It was full of personal correspondence between the two leaders and their mutual friends, including their meetings and dealings with "Uncle Joe" Stalin. I will go so far as to say that I even teared up at the end of the book, which concludes with the passing of Roosevelt.

I would certainly like to have this book in my personal library, and recommend it to anyone interested in American history, espe...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Brian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: american-history-ww1-to-ww2

Jon Meacham presents an interesting portrait of two leaders in World War II and the way they united the allies. This book is not meant to serve as a book on World War II and diplomacy but on the relationship between FDR and Churchill. In doing so the author presents a unique perspective that has not been looked at in many of the countless World War II books. The personal relationship of these two men (much like the personal relationship of their enemies Mussolini and Hitler) drove and shaped the...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: school-reading, biography-memoir

Dense and intricate, Franklin and Winston is a masterful expose into the relationship among two powerful men in a time of valor, war and danger. In the throes of the violent WWII, Winston and Franklin are two undivided friends that must stand tall in face of the enemy, while commanding their countries. Meacham presents all of this in the utmost detail, from primary source quotations to intricate metaphors between the two men. However, Franklin and Winston should not be read as a history novel (t...more Dense and intricate, Franklin and Winston is a masterful expose into the relationship among two powerful men in a time of valor, war and danger. In the throes of the violent WWII, Winston and Franklin are two undivided friends that must stand tall in face of the enemy, while commanding their countries. Meacham presents all of this in the utmost detail, from primary source quotations to intricate metaphors between the two men. However, Franklin and Winston should not be read as a history novel (though arguably history teachers may find this more interesting than I did), it is indeed a strong example of nonfiction prose and insightful inferences. Meacham's work truly provides any reader for a journey into the mindset of two men among turbulent times.

No matter what your opinion is on history, Meacham easily proves to the reader in the first pages that his novel is one to be read. He opens with elegant proses and metaphors of love and comparisons among the two friends - which I think in any situation is entertaining enough to keep reading. But Meacham dives deeper into each man's subconscious, bringing to light past childhoods, marriages, long before the war starts and the two meet. In one way it seems like a comparison of a Venn Diagram, two men with parallel occurrences in life.

But later as the two meet and Winston desperately tries to persuade FDR to join the war effort, dynamics, tensions shift the atmosphere. Meacham's writing is clearly emotional, and as pathos built as any other work of fiction but what amazes me is his shifting moods and versatile stance.

Yet, there are points where the novel drags, particularly in the middle. Sometimes there are too many quotes and the reader forgets who says what, or who the person of the quote is - too many complicated relationships reside in the novel. Furthermore Franklin and Winston is best at the target audience of history buffs - it may seem a bit tedious to others. Regardless, it's a good example of nonfiction prose, just perhaps a bit overdone. (less)

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Jan 27, 2011 Corinne rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is exactly what the title states-- a portrait of the intimate side of Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill's friendship.

The story itself chronicles their relationship and provides some insight into their personalities, strengths and weaknesses, and how their interactions were unique. Interesting insight into two people who helped shape the world as partners through World War II. Meacham looks behind the masks to the very human men underneath-- shows how often they were tired, sick...more

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Apr 17, 2010 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, history, non-fiction

Now I know why all social settings are described as "political" Playing to others moods and catering to needs of the stronger alpha male. Spinning information and news to suit their needs. It all started with politics.

Roosevelt seemed like the bully in the friendship with Winston nipping at his heels striving to be taken seriously. But it's interesting how the "two most powerful men" were able to successfully take down the axis of power. Interestingly, it was Winston who saw the dangers of Hitle...more

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Jun 17, 2008 Dorothy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Good summer read for history buffs. Meacham peppers his narrative with anecdotes about the two giants of World War II- some are funny, some are poignant, and others should have been left in the vault, as they provided no insight whatsoever . I found his psychological assessment of Churchill intriguing. Churchill was one of the most driven political figures in the twentieth century, and Meacham argues that this motivation stemmed from a desire to please his awful (and perpetually unsatisfied) par...more

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Nov 25, 2008 Shair rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone, but especially those interested in American history

Recommended to Shair by: My Dad

At long last! I finally finished this wonderful book. A week or so ago, I received a notice from Goodreads, "You started reading this book 219 days ago." Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Goodreads. For the record, the fact that it took me well over 200 days to read it is not a reflection on the quality or the level of difficulty of this book. It's easy to read, as far as historical texts go, and it's a pleasure. I read it in bits for the better part of '08 whenever I was in between readings for class or for...more

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Feb 12, 2008 matt rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historyonics-world, biography

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 26, 2012 Bob Perry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've always wanted to read about Churchill but some way or another haven't gotten to it yet. After reading this book I know I will love Churchill's writing. He was an exemplary orator and I'm sure his writing is above par.

This book shows the human side of both great men and how they balanced power, affection, patriotism and the struggle of World War II to build a foundation for democracy and freedom that persists til this day. I'm very impressed with Jon Meacham's w...more

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Oct 03, 2010 Josh Hamacher rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is a good book. It's exactly what the title says it is. The only problem is that I realized, about a tenth of the way through, that I really wasn't that interested in the subject matter.

I actually finished the book and even enjoyed parts of it; it's fairly well written. But through the whole thing I just kept thinking about how I wished I was reading a WW2 military history. I know this is personal opinion and probably reflects a personal failing on my part, but it just didn't do anything fo...more

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Dec 05, 2007 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone interested in 20th century history and WWII

From The New Yorker
After their first meeting, in 1918, Roosevelt said that Churchill was "a stinker" Churchill didn't even remember Roosevelt. But by their next exchange, in 1939, Churchill was convinced that Britain's future depended on getting Roosevelt to like him. Meacham's engaging account argues that personal bonds between leaders are crucial to international politics. He draws heavily on diaries and letters to describe a complicated courtship and, at times, seems amazed at what Winston is...more

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About Jon Meacham

Jon Meacham is the editor of Newsweek, a Pulitzer Prize winning bestselling author and a commentator on politics, history, and religious faith in America.

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Quotes from Franklin and Winston: ...

“In the closed circle of the war cabinet, pounded by terrible report after terrible report, there had been uncertainty about whether he could fend off the drift to exploring a deal with Hitler. The determination of the larger group trumped the tentativeness of the smaller, and Churchill fulfilled his role as leader by disentangling himself from defeatism--one of his singular achievements at the end of May 1940.” — 1 person liked it

“The service--a moved Roosevelt called it the "keynote" of his meeting with Churchill--was working a kind of magic, which is one of the points of liturgy and theater: to use the dramatic to convince people of a reality they cannot see.” — 1 person liked it

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