Westfall Politics & History Series Presents Former STL Post-Dispatch Reporter Peter Shinkle

St. Louis County Library Foundation’s Westfall Politics & History Series presents acclaimed journalist and former St. Louis Post Dispatch reporter Peter Shinkle for a discussion and signing of “Uniting America: How FDR and Harry Stimson Brought Democrats and Republicans Together to Win World War II.”

The event is presented in partnership with University of Missouri’s Harry S. Truman School of Government and Public Affairs.

The event will take place on Wednesday, February 8, at 7:00 p.m. at the Grant’s View Branch, 9700 Musick Rd., St. Louis MO, 63123.

The program is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase at the event from Left Bank Books.

Journalist Peter Shinkle presents the untold story of the most crucial bipartisan alliance in United States history.

As Adolf Hitler’s Nazi armies threatened Europe, Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt urged a divided America to mobilize to defend democracy and freedom. Many Republicans accused FDR of leading the nation needlessly into war and demanded that America remain neutral. FDR shocked the country by announcing that two prominent Republicans would take posts in his cabinet. Henry Stimson, former President Herbert Hoover’s secretary of state, became secretary of war, and Frank Knox, the Republican vice-presidential candidate in 1936, became secretary of the navy.

Roosevelt intended the appointments to build national unity. But building a coalition across party lines was a risky move that could have backfired politically. It also placed a bipartisan relationship at the center of America’s confrontation with global fascism. FDR’s Republican allies went on to play critical roles in leading the war effort, and many bills passed Congress during the war years with strong backing from both parties. This alliance stands as a historic example of united leadership in a nation scarred by political division.

“Uniting America” is the first book to paint a full portrait of this extraordinary collaboration. This fascinating and deeply researched book is a must-read for anyone who believes America must once again unite to defend democracy at home and abroad.

Peter Shinkle worked for 19 years as a reporter at various news organizations, including most recently the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He covered the federal court system, and also wrote investigative stories on subjects ranging from improper disposal of radioactive waste to contamination spread by a lead mining company. He is the author of “Ike's Mystery Man: The Secret Lives of Robert Cutler.”

Program sites are accessible. With at least two weeks' notice, accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities. Call 314-994-3300 or contact us.