The Conquerors

Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1941-1945

By: Michael R. Beschloss

Narrated by: Michael R. Beschloss

A New York Times bestseller, The Conquerors reveals how Franklin Roosevelt's and Harry Truman's private struggles with their aides and Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin affected the unfolding of the Holocaust and the fate of vanquished Nazi Germany.

With monumental fairness and balance, The Conquerors shows how Roosevelt privately refused desperate pleas to speak out directly against the Holocaust, to save Jewish refugees, and to explore the possible bombing of Auschwitz to stop the killing. The book also shows FDR's fierce will to ensure that Germany would never threaten the world again. Near the end of World War II, he abruptly endorsed the secret plan of his friend, Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, to reduce the Germans to a primitive existence—despite Churchill's fear that crushing postwar Germany would let the Soviets conquer the continent. The book finally shows how, after FDR's death, President Truman rebelled against Roosevelt's tough approach and adopted the Marshall Plan and other more conciliatory policies that culminated in today's democratic, united Europe.

As Presidents Roosevelt and Truman led the United States in World War II in Europe, they dealt with the question of what kind of government should be imposed on Nazi Germany to ensure that Germany could never again drag the world into war. The Conquerors tells the story with much intimate detail and color of how FDR and Truman privately struggled in their own minds and with titanic allies like Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin, through summits and secret messages, to answer that question.©2002 Michael Beschloss, All Rights Reserved; (P)2002 Simon & Schuster Inc., All Rights Reserved, AUDIOWORKS Is an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster Inc.

Excellent listen

Research was terrific. Narration was smooth and kept my attention. A lot of new material about the war time transition of the two administrations, and the players close to power. Very interesting information about Stalin's relationship with Churchill, Roosevelt, and Truman.

Could not be better!

A triumph of historical writing. Treatment of human motivations is refreshingly realistic . Summary judgment chapter is just what is needed but avoided in so much history.

Counterfactual to consider. What if Truman or Roosevelt had reached put to the Mormons of the LDS? Would they have welcomed Jewish refugees near Utah's Zion?

Interesting & Well Told

Good Brief History of end to European WW II. I would have preferred more information on Marshall Plan.

Interesting, But A Bit Long

Although this book is not actually all that long, it does go on longer than necessary on Henry Morgenthau and his plan for post-war Germany. Probably half of the book is devoted to Mr. Morgenthau -- very much more than Harry Truman. Morgenthau may deserve his own book, but in this one I expected to hear more about the presidents on its cover than the Treasury Secretary who served them. The book could almost be retitled "The Would-be Conqueror: Henry Morgenthau's Plan for Post-war Germany." Still, the author produced a very interesting work and, reading it himself, provided a pleasant listening experience.

looking to the future

The Conquerors was a well researched piece of work. It focused on the struggle within the US government and between the allies on what postwar life should be like in Germany. The key issue seemed to be "how do we keep Germany from starting a war in another 25 years." In listening to this book, I see many parallels with the issues revolving around Iraq which the world faces today.