FDR’s Secret War

Beyond the cheerful voice and handsome face that inspired millions during WWII was a dark, coercive, and surreptitious Franklin D. Roosevelt.

For years, FDR operated in an unseen world of intrigue and espionage. According to some, no American president was ever more suited for covert dealings. His performance was always precarious, often brilliant, though sometimes disastrous. Drawing from Joseph Persico’s riveting 2002 book, Roosevelt’s Secret War: FDR and World War II Espionage, this compelling profile examines the clandestine confidences, backdoor agreements, and unspoken motivations that governed America’s wartime conduct. Find out why FDR wanted to bomb Tokyo—before the tragedy of Pearl Harbor; penetrate the personal ring of spies that reported directly to the thirty-second president; and learn of a monumental 1944 agreement that paved the way to dropping the A-bomb.

Featuring commentary from Persico himself, as well as a look at some revealing declassified documents, FDR’S SECRET WAR is a charged exposé of Oval Office activities during WWII.