This month marks the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the U.S. declaration of war on Japan, Germany and Italy. December 1941, according to historian Craig Shirley, transformed America in ways that might be unimaginable today.
In a new book called “December 1941: 31 Days that Changed America and Saved the World,” Shirley documents the rapid shift of a war-weary country to one that mobilized instantly after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. Each chapter of the 656-page book documents the events of one day during the month.
Following an event at Heritage last week, we spoke to Shirley about his new book, how it differed from his previous works on former President Ronald Reagan, and his upcoming biography of former Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Listen to the interview with Craig Shirley on this week’s Scribecast
Shirley is the bestselling author of two books on Reagan: “Rendezvous With Destiny: Ronald Reagan and the Campaign That Changed America” and “Reagan’s Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All.” His latest work was inspired by a personal interest in World War II and the desire to chronicle what happened to America, day by day, throughout the month of December 1941.
Up next for Shirley is a book called “Citizen Newt,” which chronicles Gingrich’s life from 1973 through 1994. It is due for release early next year from publisher Thomas Nelson.
The podcast runs about 13 minutes. It was produced with the help of Hannah Sternberg. Listen to previous interviews on Scribecast or subscribe to future episodes.
