H.W Brands Interview Episode 88

Matt Crawford speaks with author H.W Brands about his book, America First: Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War. When Hitler invaded Poland in September 1939 he launched a momentous period of decision-making for the United States. Should America step into the fray of a war that we were separated from by an ocean?          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 and style, H.W. Brands sheds light on a crucial tipping point in American history and depicts the making of a legendary president.