America First: Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War

Description

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.

“[O]ne of the most relevant books to read for this year’s presidential campaign. . . . [H]is straightforward history is an important guide for understanding the legacy of the movement that Lindbergh led.” — AP News

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.
Binding Type: Paperback
Author: H. W. Brands
Published: 09/23/2025
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
ISBN: 9780593686577
Pages: 480
Weight: 1.15lbs
Size: 1.10″ H x 9.10″ L x 6.10″ W

About the Author
H. W. BRANDS holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin. He has written more than a dozen biographies and histories, including The General vs. the President, a New York Times bestseller, and Founding Partisans. Two of his biographies, The First American and Traitor to His Class, were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize.