1941-2016: 75th Anniversary of America's Entry into WWII, an Evening with Thomas Fleming

 SOLD OUT

As the 75th Anniversary of America’s entry into WWII approaches, the Club is delighted to welcome back one of America’s premier historians, Thomas Fleming. His book, The New Dealers' War, has become more and more important in understanding President Roosevelt’s political and military strategies.

Join us as Mr. Fleming discusses how much FDR and others knew about the attack on Pearl Harbor before it happened. Even more interesting is FDR's decision to make unconditional surrender a basic part of our war policy. Some people think this idea, borrowed from Theodore Roosevelt, who advocated it in WWI, killed at least a million men women and children because it made the Germans refuse to surrender, even when defeat became inevitable. Then there was the decision to authorize "area bombing" rather than precise targets. Several Air Force generals protested this but FDR overruled them. Another bitter quarrel arose between those who wanted to create a "New Deal for the World" and those who thought this was a fantasy beyond our capabilities.

What drove FDR in his policies not only toward the Axis Powers, but also toward the Allies, and his fellow Americans? The New Dealers' War is one of those rare books that force readers to rethink what they thought they know about a pivotal event in the American past.

A former president of the Society of the American Historians, and a frequent guest on C-Span, PBS, A&E, and the History Channel, Thomas Fleming has written a series of revisionist masterworks, which have altered our understanding of the American Revolution, including:  1776:  Year of Illusions, Washington’s Secret War, The Hidden History of Valley Forge, and The Perils of Peace.

6:00-6:30pm cash bar reception; 6:30pm lecture, gratis. Copies of The New Dealers' War will be available for purchase at the event. Advance reservations required. Members and guests are invited to dine at The Club with Mr. Fleming following the lecture. The cost is $40 per person, inclusive of tax, gratuity and one glass of wine with dinner. Dinner reservations are required 48 hours prior to the program. Same-day cancellations and no shows will be charged.

The lecture as well as the post-program dinner with Mr. Fleming has sold out entirely.  If you wish to be added to the waitlist, please contact Kirsten at 212.692.1381.