19 Weeks: America, Britain, and the Fateful Summer of 1940

Nineteen Weeks is Norman Moss's riveting account of the extraordinary decisions made in 1940 that set the stage for America's interventionist role in world affairs. The weeks between May and September 1940 saw Hitler's stunning conquest of France, Britain's desperate struggle against the threat of invasion and conquest, and a passionate debate in the United States over the proper response to these events. Roosevelt's appeals to his countrymen to offer support to Europe were met with opposition from factions that wanted to maintain America's distance. When the tide of popular opinion turned from isolationism, the order of world power was altered forever. As Moss shows, the "special relationship" between Britain and America began in that brief, crucial, setting the tenor of future American foreign policy. His lucid history offers a fascinating window on current world events. - Back cover.