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From 1939 to 1941, with Europe at war and the United States strongly isolationist, Roosevelt sent five exceptional men to Europe as his personal envoys to assess, among other issues, America’s role. Rendezvous With Destiny is a fascinating and well-written account of a little-known chapter that was crucial to the course of WWII and to America’s global leadership.
– Henry A. Kissinger
Rendezvous with Destiny reminds us that the great challenges of any age typically summon the unconventional; in this case, a president who was perhaps the most unconventional of all. Michael Fullilove has produced a fascinating account of how Franklin Roosevelt and the brightest statesmen of their day helped save a civilisation.
– Paul Keating
Michael Fullilove's compelling account of FDR and the five aides who helped lead the U.S. into the Second World War is an indispensable addition to the literature on the unforgettable events of 1939-1941. Everyone interested in FDR and World War II will want to read this superb book.
– Robert Dallek
Rendezvous with Destiny is narrative history in its best and most gripping form. Michael Fullilove wears his scholarship and his years of research very lightly as he brings the extraordinary figures around Franklin Roosevelt to life. I understand FDR's talents and the drama of America's entry into war in a new way after reading this book.
– James Fallows
Michael Fullilove’s fascinating book reads as easily as a good novel, but it is also an important history of one of the most crucial decisions of the 20th century.
– Joseph S. Nye
A lively and revealing look at five less-known but nevertheless central figures who, acting on behalf of FDR, helped shape the contours of our world. Written with verve, this is historical biography at its best.
– Robert Kagan
Rendevous with Destiny provides a revealing account of the entry of the United States into the Second World War, that underlines the importance of leadership and individuals in history. The story is told with a great eye for detail, as well as a sound grasp of the broad arc of events.
– Francis Fukuyama
Rendezvous with Destiny is a fascinating tale of diplomacy by envoy, Franklin Roosevelt’s preferred means of guaranteeing that he and he alone could discern the entire tangled web of American foreign policy before Pearl Harbor. Michael Fullilove has an eye for telling details and policy nuances, but above all, he gives us a rollicking good read!
– Anne-Marie Slaughter
Fullilove proves these crucial figures were more than just the servants of the American Goliath’s move from isolationism – they were shapers of destiny in their own right. And he achieves this with a gripping narrative power.
– Thomas Keneally
Michael Fullilove skillfully recounts an underappreciated strand of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s statecraft—his innovative deployment of five envoys in service of a strategy that would, ultimately, change the course of history.
– Strobe Talbott
Several collections of, and books about, Australian speeches have appeared in recent years. Fullilove’s is… the best and most personal.
— TIME Magazine
A fascinating collection.
– Sydney Morning Herald
A highly readable collection that nicely balances seriousness and wit.
– The Age