The First Washington Conference, codenamed Arcadia, was a secret meeting held in the days immediately following the entrance of the United States into World War II. It was the first meeting between the United States and Great Britain to determine their military strategy. Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and their top military advisors spent hours making major decisions that would determine the direction of the Allied war effort. The main achievement of the conference was the “Europe first” decision, declaring that the defeat of Germany was the highest priority.

In “Code Name Arcadia,” Dr. John F. Shortal skillfully unravels the inside story of this pivotal meeting. He shows how the working and personal relationships between Roosevelt and Churchill, as well as their military chiefs of staffs, first took root and then blossomed during the conference. Code Name Arcadia makes a major contribution not only to the history of World War II, but also to our understanding of the power structure of the postwar world.

Dr. John Shortal is the author of “Forged by Fire: Robert L. Eichelberger and the Pacific War.” He retired from the U.S. Army as a brigadier general and subsequently served as Director for Joint History for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He resides in Washington, D.C.

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