Elementary Secondary Higher Ed Common Reads

Secondary Education


Guides
Collections
News
(0)
Wish List (0)
Wish List
Download high-resolution image Look inside
Listen to a clip from the audiobook
audio pause button
0:00
0:00

America First

Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War

Author H. W. Brands On Tour
Look inside
Listen to a clip from the audiobook
audio pause button
0:00
0:00
Hardcover
$35.00 US
Doubleday Publishing | Doubleday
6.44"W x 9.59"H x 1.54"D  
On sale Sep 24, 2024 | 464 Pages | 9780385550413
Grades 9-12 + AP/IB
Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies
See Additional Formats
Bestselling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H. W. Brands narrates the fierce debate over America's role in the world in the runup to World War II through its two most important figures: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who advocated intervention, and his isolationist nemesis, aviator and popular hero Charles Lindbergh.

Hitler's invasion of Poland in September 1939 launched a momentous period of decision-making for the United States. With fascism rampant abroad, should America take responsibility for its defeat?

For popular hero Charles Lindbergh, saying no to another world war only twenty years after the first was the obvious answer. Lindbergh had become famous and adored around the world after his historic first flight over the Atlantic in 1927. In the years since, he had emerged as a vocal critic of American involvement overseas, rallying Americans against foreign war as the leading spokesman the America First Committee. 

While Hitler advanced across Europe and threatened the British Isles, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt struggled to turn the tide of public opinion. With great effort, political shrewdness and outright deception—aided by secret British disinformation efforts in America—FDR readied the country for war. He pushed the US onto the world stage where it has stayed ever since.

In this gripping narrative, H.W. Brands sheds light on a crucial tipping point in American history and depicts the making of a legendary president.
© University of Texas
H. W. BRANDS holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin. A New York Times bestselling author, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in biography for The First American and Traitor to His Class. View titles by H. W. Brands
"A fine account of one of the most famous opponents to America’s entrance into World War II...Another winner from Brands."—Kirkus Reviews *starred review*

"Brands puts both his strong narrative sense and engaging prose style to good use. The story deftly moves back and forth between the perspectives of the two men, giving room to fully convey the arguments each made as the debate followed events on the ground. Brands’ conclusion about foreign policy puts the debate in a broader context, relevant to Americans today."—Booklist

"Brands’s elegant account of the political faceoff between Franklin Roosevelt and Charles Lindbergh could not be more timely.  This book sheds fascinating new light on Roosevelt’s battle against the tenacious efforts of the America First movement to keep the United States far away from World War II. In so doing, it provides critical historical insight into the heated debate currently building between internationalists and today’s America First isolationists."—Charles A. Kupchan, Georgetown University and Council on Foreign Relations, author of Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself from the World

"America First is a gripping historical tale of how two towering figures, Charles Lindbergh and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, debated the wisdom of America entering World War II. The narrative echoes, and should inform, today’s debate America’s role in the world, as today’s proponents of 'America First' seek to undo what FDR accomplished: Placing America at the center for the world stage."—Ivo Daalder, Chicago Council on Global Affairs and former U.S. Ambassador to NATO

About

Bestselling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H. W. Brands narrates the fierce debate over America's role in the world in the runup to World War II through its two most important figures: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who advocated intervention, and his isolationist nemesis, aviator and popular hero Charles Lindbergh.

Hitler's invasion of Poland in September 1939 launched a momentous period of decision-making for the United States. With fascism rampant abroad, should America take responsibility for its defeat?

For popular hero Charles Lindbergh, saying no to another world war only twenty years after the first was the obvious answer. Lindbergh had become famous and adored around the world after his historic first flight over the Atlantic in 1927. In the years since, he had emerged as a vocal critic of American involvement overseas, rallying Americans against foreign war as the leading spokesman the America First Committee. 

While Hitler advanced across Europe and threatened the British Isles, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt struggled to turn the tide of public opinion. With great effort, political shrewdness and outright deception—aided by secret British disinformation efforts in America—FDR readied the country for war. He pushed the US onto the world stage where it has stayed ever since.

In this gripping narrative, H.W. Brands sheds light on a crucial tipping point in American history and depicts the making of a legendary president.

Author

© University of Texas
H. W. BRANDS holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin. A New York Times bestselling author, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in biography for The First American and Traitor to His Class. View titles by H. W. Brands

Praise

"A fine account of one of the most famous opponents to America’s entrance into World War II...Another winner from Brands."—Kirkus Reviews *starred review*

"Brands puts both his strong narrative sense and engaging prose style to good use. The story deftly moves back and forth between the perspectives of the two men, giving room to fully convey the arguments each made as the debate followed events on the ground. Brands’ conclusion about foreign policy puts the debate in a broader context, relevant to Americans today."—Booklist

"Brands’s elegant account of the political faceoff between Franklin Roosevelt and Charles Lindbergh could not be more timely.  This book sheds fascinating new light on Roosevelt’s battle against the tenacious efforts of the America First movement to keep the United States far away from World War II. In so doing, it provides critical historical insight into the heated debate currently building between internationalists and today’s America First isolationists."—Charles A. Kupchan, Georgetown University and Council on Foreign Relations, author of Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself from the World

"America First is a gripping historical tale of how two towering figures, Charles Lindbergh and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, debated the wisdom of America entering World War II. The narrative echoes, and should inform, today’s debate America’s role in the world, as today’s proponents of 'America First' seek to undo what FDR accomplished: Placing America at the center for the world stage."—Ivo Daalder, Chicago Council on Global Affairs and former U.S. Ambassador to NATO

Additional formats

Other Books by this Author

Related Articles

General Education & Professional Learning English Language Arts Computer & Information Technology High School Middle School Psychology

Join us for a free webinar featuring author Jonathan Haidt!

Join us Tuesday, September 24, 2024 @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST for   Free the Anxious Generation Movement: A Call for K-12 School Leaders   Presented by Dr. Jonathan Haidt, Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business, and Author of The Anxious Generation Moderated by Jenn

Read more

Join us for a free webinar featuring author Jonathan Haidt!

General Education & Professional Learning English Language Arts Computer & Information Technology High School Middle School Psychology
Social Studies Books in Spanish The Arts History High School Middle School General Education & Professional Learning Graphic Novels English Language Arts Environmental Science Favorite Authors & Series Science

2024 Middle and High School Collections

The Penguin Random House Education Middle School and High School Digital Collections feature outstanding fiction and nonfiction from the children’s, adult, DK, and Grupo Editorial divisions, as well as publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Peruse online or download these valuable resources to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: English Language Arts,

Read more

2024 Middle and High School Collections

Social Studies Books in Spanish The Arts History High School Middle School General Education & Professional Learning Graphic Novels English Language Arts Environmental Science Favorite Authors & Series Science
new penguin random house education high school collections sixteen thematic collections and resources for grades 9-12 curated by lorena german cicely lewis morgan taylor julia e torres and ronell whitaker
General Classroom Libraries English Language Arts Advanced Placement High School Graphic Novels

PRH Education High School Collections

All reading communities should contain protected time for the sake of reading. Independent reading practices emphasize the process of making meaning through reading, not an end product. The school culture (teachers, administration, etc.) should affirm this daily practice time as inherently important instructional time for all readers. (NCTE, 2019)   The Penguin Random House High

Read more

PRH Education High School Collections

General Classroom Libraries English Language Arts Advanced Placement High School Graphic Novels
education translanguaging collections affirming bilingual and multilingual learners
General Graphic Novels Education & Professional Learning English Language Arts Favorite Authors & Series Classroom Libraries References Science Translanguaging Collections Social Studies The Arts History High School Middle School

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

General Graphic Novels Education & Professional Learning English Language Arts Favorite Authors & Series Classroom Libraries References Science Translanguaging Collections Social Studies The Arts History High School Middle School

About Secondary Education

Penguin Random House Education

Penguin Random House

About Secondary Education

Penguin Random House Education

Penguin Random House

Back to Top
0
    • 0
    Secondary Education
    Wish List (0)