The Hour Strikes: Churchill, Roosevelt, and Hitler at the Hinge of History, 1941
Evan Thomas · Oscie Thomas
Dec 2026 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Blair Young
headphones
Audiobook
family_home
Eligible
info
infoThis book will become available on December 1, 2026. You will not be charged until it is released.
About this audiobook
A riveting, in-the-room account of the pivotal six months in 1941 that turned the tide of World War II, as Churchill and Roosevelt forged a crucial alliance and Hitler squandered his early advantage—from the New York Times bestselling author of Road to Surrender
“A vital, compelling story told brilliantly and beautifully by a master of dramatic narrative . . . No one does minute-by-minute history better than Evan Thomas.”—Jon Meacham
In the summer of 1941, Winston Churchill was desperate—for two years, Britain had stood alone against Germany, heavily battered by the Blitz as another season of grinding war loomed. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the ally Churchill needed most, was coyly evading any commitment to join the war; Americans, FDR knew, weren't worried enough about the Axis to risk sending their sons overseas. Meanwhile for an arrogant Adolf Hitler, whose war machine had already swept across Europe and now looked poised any day to take Moscow, the continent seemed all but won.
By late December, though, Churchill would be lighting the White House Christmas tree with Roosevelt as an open ally, while in Berlin, basic supplies would be running out in an omen of the years to come. In the course of a few months, the war's direction was critically, permanently reversed—a result of crucial strategic calls made by the Allies, and of equally vital missteps by the Axis. Hitler's early advantage, once fumbled, would never be regained.
To bring these heart-pounding decisions to life, historian Evan Thomas vividly takes us into the war rooms of Roosevelt, Churchill, and Hitler. Placing us inside the span of a few months that would redefine the course of the war—as Churchill implores Roosevelt at a secret meeting in the Atlantic, as Hitler tries to parse German intelligence reports from D.C.—The Hour Strikes grants us intimate access to the men who would redefine a world.
“A vital, compelling story told brilliantly and beautifully by a master of dramatic narrative . . . No one does minute-by-minute history better than Evan Thomas.”—Jon Meacham
In the summer of 1941, Winston Churchill was desperate—for two years, Britain had stood alone against Germany, heavily battered by the Blitz as another season of grinding war loomed. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the ally Churchill needed most, was coyly evading any commitment to join the war; Americans, FDR knew, weren't worried enough about the Axis to risk sending their sons overseas. Meanwhile for an arrogant Adolf Hitler, whose war machine had already swept across Europe and now looked poised any day to take Moscow, the continent seemed all but won.
By late December, though, Churchill would be lighting the White House Christmas tree with Roosevelt as an open ally, while in Berlin, basic supplies would be running out in an omen of the years to come. In the course of a few months, the war's direction was critically, permanently reversed—a result of crucial strategic calls made by the Allies, and of equally vital missteps by the Axis. Hitler's early advantage, once fumbled, would never be regained.
To bring these heart-pounding decisions to life, historian Evan Thomas vividly takes us into the war rooms of Roosevelt, Churchill, and Hitler. Placing us inside the span of a few months that would redefine the course of the war—as Churchill implores Roosevelt at a secret meeting in the Atlantic, as Hitler tries to parse German intelligence reports from D.C.—The Hour Strikes grants us intimate access to the men who would redefine a world.
A riveting, in-the-room account of the pivotal six months in 1941 that turned the tide of World War II, as Churchill and Roosevelt forged a crucial alliance and Hitler squandered his early advantage—from the New York Times bestselling author of Road to Surrender
“A vital, compelling story told b...
Discover more
About the author
Evan Thomas, the author of twelve books including the New York Times bestsellers John Paul Jones, Sea of Thunder, and First, was a writer and editor at Time and Newsweek. He appears on many TV and radio talk shows.
Oscie Thomas has worked with Evan on his books since retiring as a lawyer.
Oscie Thomas has worked with Evan on his books since retiring as a lawyer.
Evan Thomas, the author of twelve books including the New York Times bestsellers John Paul Jones, Sea of Thunder, and First, was a writer and editor at Time and Newsweek. He appears on many TV and radio talk shows.
Oscie Thomas has worked with Evan on his books since retiring as a lawyer.
Listening information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
