Hitler's American Gamble

Pearl Harbor and Germany's March to Global War

By: Brendan Simms, Charlie Laderman

Narrated by: Damian Lynch

A riveting account of the five most crucial days in twentieth-century diplomatic history: from Pearl Harbor to Hitler’s declaration of war on the United States

By early December 1941, war had changed much of the world beyond recognition. Nazi Germany occupied most of the European continent, while in Asia, the Second Sino-Japanese War had turned China into a battleground. But these conflicts were not yet inextricably linked—and the United States remained at peace.

Hitler’s American Gamble recounts the five days that upended everything: December 7 to 11. Tracing developments in real time and backed by deep archival research, historians Brendan Simms and Charlie Laderman show how Hitler’s intervention was not the inexplicable decision of a man so bloodthirsty that he forgot all strategy, but a calculated risk that can only be understood in a truly global context. This book reveals how December 11, not Pearl Harbor, was the real watershed that created a world war and transformed international history.

Critic reviews

“[An] absorbing new book… The greatest strength of Simms and Laderman’s book is its success in accomplishing something supremely difficult: It reminds us how contingent even the most significant historical events can be, how many other possibilities lurked beyond the familiar ones that actually happened – and how even the greatest leaders often have only a shaky grasp of what is happening… Simms and Laderman give us a visceral sense of these events as they unfolded, in real time, with historical actors not always quite sure what was happening – a dimension of history that is both crucial and fiendishly difficult to recover.”
—New York Times Book Review

“An engaging and insightful account of the forces that shaped Hitler’s fateful decision.”—Wall Street Journal

“[A] well-written and highly original study[.]”—The Times (UK)

“[A] crisp and pacey analysis.” —David Reynolds, The New Statesman

“In a detailed reconstruction of the events of those few days, illuminating the importance of confusion, chance, and choice in the stream of history, Simms and Laderman explain that Hitler assumed that war with the United States was inevitable…”—Foreign Affairs

“In this fascinating book, which combines detailed analysis with a page turning account of the day by day shifts in Berlin, Washington, London and Tokyo, the story of that extraordinary and, as it turned out, fatal decision by Hitler – the ‘American gamble’ of the title – is laid out in detail. … [a] stimulating book.”—Rana Mitter, Literary Review

"A fast‑moving, even gripping story that informs as well as enlightens."—New York Journal of Books

"Brendan Simms and Charlie Laderman's collaborative work is as gripping as it is well researched.... Simms and Laderman have created a truly thought provoking book."—Aspects of History

“A thoughtful chronology… Hitler’s American Gamble offers fine, well-researched insights into the psyches of leaders who made decisions that changed the course of world history… For readers seeking a deeper understanding of the realpolitik that drove Germany to war against America, Hitler’s American Gamble offers an outstanding narrative.” —World War II Magazine

“[A] fresh angle on the buildup to WWII.”—Publishers Weekly

“The authors effectively prove their thesis in a key volume for World War II history collections.”—Library Journal (Starred Review)

“A meticulous historical account of 'five momentous days' at the beginning of World War II…. An excellent argument that America’s WWII began on Dec. 11, 1941.”—Kirkus

A Text for a History Course

Enjoyed narration with a well researched story of the days of attack on Pearl Harbor.
Plenty of detail for anyone wanting to add to world war two history.
Book could be used in college courses.

Great!

Terrific to see the timeline unfold over just a few days that changed the outcome of the whole world

Well argued

The authors make a entirely plausible case for how Hitler's decision changed the course of the war.

Good book tech issues

A lot of glitches in the audio that made the story less interesting and hard to follow

Excellent Historical Work

Insights very helpful in understanding of how we got to where we are in today’s world.