{"product_id":"the-second-most-powerful-man-in-the-world-the-life-of-admiral-william-d-leahy-roosevelts-chief-of-staff","title":"The Second Most Powerful Man in the World: The Life of Admiral William D. Leahy  Roosevelt's Chief of Staff","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe life of Franklin Roosevelts most trusted and powerful advisor  Admiral William D. Leahy  Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief  Fascinating greatly enriches our understanding of Washington wartime power.Madeleine Albright  Aside from FDR  no American did more to shape World War II than Admiral William D. Leahy--not Douglas MacArthur  not Dwight Eisenhower  and not even the legendary George Marshall. No man  including Harry Hopkins  was closer to Roosevelt  nor had earned his blind faith  like Leahy. Through the course of the war  constantly at the presidents side and advising him on daily decisions  Leahy became the second most powerful man in the world.  In a time of titanic personalities  Leahy regularly downplayed his influence  preferring the substance of power to the style. A stern-faced  salty sailor  his U.S. Navy career had begun as a cadet aboard a sailing ship. Four decades later  Admiral Leahy was a trusted friend and advisor to the president and his ambassador to Vichy France until the attack on Pearl Harbor. Needing one person who could help him grapple with the enormous strategic consequences of the war both at home and abroad  Roosevelt made Leahy the first presidential chief of staff--though Leahys role embodied far more power than the position of today.  Leahys profound power was recognized by figures like Stalin and Churchill  yet historians have largely overlooked his role. In this important biography  historian Phillips Payson OBrien illuminates the admirals influence on the most crucial and transformative decisions of WWII and the early Cold War. From the invasions of North Africa  Sicily  and France  to the allocation of resources to fight Japan  OBrien contends that Americas war largely unfolded according to Leahys vision. Among the authors surprising revelations is that while FDRs health failed  Leahy became almost a de facto president  making decisions while FDR was too ill to work  and that much of his influence carried over to Trumans White House.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44983636131893,"sku":"ByrdShop_0399584803","price":30.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780399584800.jpg?v=1770804279","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-second-most-powerful-man-in-the-world-the-life-of-admiral-william-d-leahy-roosevelts-chief-of-staff","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}