Atlantic Meeting - 9780413776969

Morton's account of attending the 1941 Atlantic Treaty meeting between President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill which established the Allied policy for post-World War II Europe

In August 1941 Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt met secretly on HMS The Prince of Wales, moored just off the coast of Newfoundland. H. V. Morton was invited to accompany the Prime Minister and his entourage, a trip which was not without its hazards. This is a unique account of the events leading up to Churchill's discussions with Roosevelt and a fascinating account of the practicalities—and occasionally humor—involved in such a perilous journey. Only a handful of people knew Churchill had left Britain and in America the press merely reported that Roosevelt was enjoying a few days' away from Washington, fishing. The Atlantic Treaty, while not achieving all that Churchill had hoped for, was a key document in the development of the war and post-war strategy. Churchill had hoped that at the resolution of the meeting the U.S. would join the war during the summer of 1941, but this was not to be. H. V. Morton's account was not released for publication until 1943 and subsequently numerous documents have been made available at the National Archives. A new appendix lists these together with a chronology and detailed bibliographies of the key figures who participated in the discussions.