Captain McCrea's War (ePub)

priceless gem.” —Nigel Hamilton, author of the FDR at War trilogy

“Few people were closer to President Roosevelt than his naval aide, Admiral John McCrea. If you want to know FDR as a person—his character, his decency—read this book. McCrea, a tough-minded patriot, a conservative career naval officer, by the time he left the White House to assume command of the battleship IOWA, saw FDR as ‘a great and good man’ and a brilliant wartime leader. Historians generally agree that Franklin Roosevelt was the greatest President of the 20th century. This memoir helps us understand why.” —William Vanden Heuvel, founder, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute; former US ambassador to the United Nations

“I highly recommend Vice Admiral John L. McCrea’s memoirs, with a superb introduction by Julia C. Tobey. As a historian of Japan’s entry into a war it could not win, two entries, among many fascinating ones, caught my attention. First, McCrea’s description of the 1941 visit of Ambassador Admiral Kichisaburo Nomura to the US Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Harold Stark, during which the ambassador told Stark that he himself did not believe Japan had the resources to defeat the United States in a war, but that the decision makers in Tokyo did not seem to understand Japan’s limitations. Second, McCrea’s January 1941 sketch of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the Japanese officer who stated repeatedly that Japan could not defeat the United States in a long war, but then planned the attack on Pearl Harbor that insured the war would be long. This book is an important read for anyone interested in World War II in the Pacific because it gives the on-the-spot, wartime views of an important and well-placed US naval officer.” —Richard J. Smethurst, professor of history, University of Pittsburgh

“Admiral McCrea’s memoir sheds new light on the inner workings of the FDR administration. As naval aide to the thirty-second president, McCrea had daily access to Roosevelt and grew to love the man for his ineffable mix of jaunty optimism, bubbly good cheer and knife-at-the-throat cunning. Running the U.S. government has never been easy, and it may have been most difficult during World War II. McCrea describes how Roosevelt stopped leaks at their source, maneuvered personnel, and kept a firm grip on policy and strategy, without ever losing his delightful wit and charm.” —Geoffrey Wawro, author of Quicksand: America’s Pursuit of Power in the Middle East

“McCrea’s World War II memoir is that of a man who found himself in the right place at the right time. This book provides an unprecedented look into the inner workings of the White House at an important moment in history. We are fortunate that in later years, McCrea made it a point to record his memories of his experiences. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the strategic direction of World War II.” —Bill Yenne, author of Panic on the Pacific

“Captain John McCrea’s well-crafted memoirs offer an insightful behind-the-scenes look into the workings of the Roosevelt White House andMcCrea’s command of one of America’s greatest battleships, as well as sound advice for successful leadership.” —Walter R. Borneman, author of The Admirals and MacArthur at War

“An immensely important memoir by one of FDR’s inner circle of wartime military advisers. Filled with colorful and insightful anecdotes about the small ‘band of brothers’ who masterminded Allied victory over the Axis, Captain McCrea’s War will be an essential source for all future biographers of FDR, and for historians of the Second World War.” —Ian Toll, author of The Conquering Tide: War in the Pacific Islands, 1942–1944