CNN - Review: 'Forged in War' - September 2, 1998

(CNN) -- Today, when it seems that politicians can't even agree on where to place a stop sign, it's refreshing to read about a political relationship that worked. In this case, two unlikely warriors forged a friendship to lead the Allied powers out of the shadow of the Third Reich.

Warren F. Kimball studies the relationship between Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, a friendship that was not love at first sight but an alliance born of necessity that grew into respectful admiration. Kimball refutes the popular belief that an American-Anglo alliance during WWII was a foregone conclusion. He clearly analyzes exactly how and why the world went to war in the 1930's. For any student of WWII, this work is necessary and enjoyable reading.

Kimball has expertly taken exhaustive research and placed his analysis in clear, concise prose. It is easy to follow all of the complications of diplomacy that lead to the Allied alliance. Kimball forcefully debunks historical myth by using a variety of primary sources including the correspondence between Roosevelt and Churchill. Roosevelt's struggle to stay out of the war while also anxious to see Hitler's defeat is presented clearly. The popular belief that Roosevelt wanted to enter the war to end the Great Depression falls by the wayside. Kimball also captures Churchill's unrelenting campaign to get American aid, and then involvement, in the war.

Kimball notes that this alliance did not happen automatically. Each leader wanted to protect national interest and stretched their power to the breaking point. Churchill, above all else, wanted to preserve the British Empire and was willing to negotiate with Roosevelt over the concept of self-determination. Roosevelt also wanted to stop Hitler's grab for power and at the same time end European colonial power around the world. In these diplomatic struggles, what started as a political relationship turned into one based on friendship.

The alliance between Churchill and Roosevelt, and for that matter, how they interacted with Stalin, dictated the course of the war and the peace that followed. You'll never look at a photo of the "Big Three" again in the same way.

Ann Hastings taught history for three years before joining CNN NewsSource as an archivist.