White House witness, 1942-1945

The Nation's Capital during WWII -- a town of intrigue, gossip, humor, and deadly serious political decisions that would affect the future of the world. It's all captured in this remarkable firsthand account by a man who saw it from the vantage point of the White House, as one of FDR's closet aides. The events covered in the diary-with-commentary include: The White House's struggle with the reaction that was setting in against Roosevelt's New Deal policies; The politically damaging "spiritualist letters" of Vice President Wallace, and the "blackmail" trade-off that kept them secret. The infighting over the control of war production. The historic Big Three conferences. The battles with the press over excessive wartime secrecy. The momentous decision by the President to seek an unprecedented fourth term. The mishandling of the replacement of Wallace by Truman as Roosevelt's running mate. And the dramatic moments, following FDR's death, when Harry Truman assumed the presidency.