Pearl Harbor Christmas: a World at War, December 1941 Library, Unabridged Library edition

Preeminent historian Stanley Weintraub reveals the story behind one of the most remarkable holiday seasons in American history--December 1941.

December 1941 was one of the most memorable holiday seasons in American history. As most Americans tried to celebrate a typical holiday season, the reality of the just-declared war was on everyone's mind. Although festive Christmas lights brightened America's winter landscape, anxiety and uncertainty hung in the cold air. The atmosphere at the White House was no different. As Roosevelt, with his wife and staff, organized the usual Christmastime festivities, the White House was abuzz with wartime activity. Just two weeks after Pearl Harbor, and three days before Christmas, Churchill surprised Roosevelt with an unprecedented trip to America, arriving at the White House on December 22 to plan a new Allied strategy. With America now fully engaged in the already two-year-old war, the two world leaders would use this holiday visit to map out a winning strategy and forge one of the century's greatest alliances. The Christmas season of 1941 was a historical moment pregnant with significance and poignancy.