The Visionaries by James Holland — a sweeping, insightful history of the bold decisions that shaped the post-World War II world and delivered eight decades of relative peace and prosperity.
From the acclaimed WWII historian James Holland comes a powerful examination of the visionary leaders and radical ideas that rebuilt the West after the most destructive conflict in human history. Focusing on the Bretton Woods agreement and the Marshall Plan, Holland shows how Franklin Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms,” the Good Neighbor Policy, and the determination of figures such as Harry Truman and George Marshall created a new international order designed to prevent another global catastrophe.
Drawing a clear line from the failures of the Treaty of Versailles through the Second World War and into the early Cold War, The Visionaries explores how economic cooperation, democratic values, and strategic generosity transformed former enemies into allies and laid the foundations for modern Europe and the transatlantic alliance.
Timely and urgent, this book is both a celebration of visionary leadership and a warning about what happens when the lessons of history are forgotten. Essential reading for anyone interested in World War II, international relations, and the fragile achievements of the post-war world.
