Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I have always been obsessed with history and learning about it from all points of view. While slow to start...this book had some different insight into world leaders against Adolf Hitler. Some I didn’t know and some I had heard before.

Watching Darkness Fall; FDR, His Ambassadors and the Rise of Adolf Hitler by David McKean.
I found this book very interesting as it tells the story of the period from 1933-1941 in the build-up to WW II in Europe through the eyes and reports of four key US ambassadors in Europe. (1) William Dodd in Germany; (2)Breckenridge Long in Italy; (3) William Bullitt 1st in Russia then in France and (4) Joseph P Kennedy in the UK.
Although they were ambassadors, their personalities as well as Franklin Roosevelt’s management style meant they reported to him and not the State Dept. This of course did not improve the overall situation. In other books that I have read, the same occurred with our Foreign Officers in China. Adding to the complexity were two key factors which were new to me: (1) FDR did not have confidence in his political strength to do the right thing. He was constantly second guessing himself and putting forward “America First” policies to hold on to votes instead of directly leading public opinion to the dangers of not preparing and supporting European efforts against Hitler and (2) dealing directly with his ambassadors mentioned above who were not of one mind. Dodd correctly saw Hitler for what he was, Long – a strong believer in Mussolini and anti-semite enjoyed himself immensely in Italy (3) Bullitt who rebelled against authority and fought a bitter internal battle to get ahead with a cabinet position in Washington and (4) Kennedy who also was an anti-semite and American First believer. And yet, FDR when necessary, made perfect decisions such as the Lend-Lease Act to get around the Neutrality Act that he signed three times to keep America out of the war.
In addition, I suppose not a surprise there were affairs going on with women by some of the above and all too much money spent on lavish Embassy parties which I can see accomplish nothing.
Have things changed today in the State Department? I am not sure and this book has wetted by appetite to learn more about the role of ambassadors today in regions of importance.