Faced with the unprecedented challenges posed by a global war against entrenched and implacable totalitarian forces, Franklin Delano Roosevelt surrounded himself with a colorful group of strong-minded counselors, including Army Chief of Staff George Marshall, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Secretary of War Henry Stimson, power broker James Byrnes, Chief of Naval Operations Ernest King, the ubiquitous Harry Hopkins, and many others. Given these forceful personalities and their equal dedication to the war effort, vicious clashes and Machiavellian maneuvering were inevitable. The outcome at many critical junctures turned on a dime.

With unprecedented scope and intimacy, based on exhaustive research and newly discovered sources, The Washington War by renowned military historian James Lacey delivers fresh insights into FDR’s innermost circles—and the fascinating behind-the-scenes machinations and power plays that won the greatest war in history.