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A Family Matter
Family Matter By James Roosevelt and Sam Toperoff 1980 Hardcover
316 pages, Hardcover
Published July 28, 1980
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May 21, 2022
We have seen sons be counselors to their fathers who were U.S. Presidents before, the Trump family being but the latest. In the case of "A Family Matter" James Roosevelt, FDR's eldest son, serves as his closest advisor. This tale is about conversations at Yalta among the Big Three - Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin. Essentially, as the book cover states, FDR secretly decided to share results of the Manhattan Project with Stalin. Plausible, but is it true? This is where the excellent narrative leads the reader.
Was this a biography and true story from the Yalta events, and did FDR actually give secrets to Stalin? If so, why has this tale seemingly been brushed under the rug by historians? ...OR... Was this a fictionalized account from the Yalta events, and really just a good tale with some accurate touchstones by someone who had been on site? And if so, maybe that answers the question of why it has been ignored by historians.
Whatever it is, it is all laid out for the reader to decide. I thought the book a very good tale, whether you believe it or not. And what was especially endearing was that there is enough fact on each side of the equation to keep you guessing, even after you finish. Well worth going to the trouble to find this lost gem.
Was this a biography and true story from the Yalta events, and did FDR actually give secrets to Stalin? If so, why has this tale seemingly been brushed under the rug by historians? ...OR... Was this a fictionalized account from the Yalta events, and really just a good tale with some accurate touchstones by someone who had been on site? And if so, maybe that answers the question of why it has been ignored by historians.
Whatever it is, it is all laid out for the reader to decide. I thought the book a very good tale, whether you believe it or not. And what was especially endearing was that there is enough fact on each side of the equation to keep you guessing, even after you finish. Well worth going to the trouble to find this lost gem.
Displaying 1 of 1 review