Hot Dogs and Cocktails by Peter Conradi

Hot Dogs and Cocktails: When FDR Met King George VI at Hyde Park on Hudson, by Peter Conradi.  London: Alma Books, 2013.  280 pages.  Classification: 941.084/CON.

Reviewed by William Wade

The month was June, the year 1939.  The news media had announced that George VI, king of Great Britain, and Queen Elizabeth would be touring their royal province of Canada.  This encouraged President Franklin D. Roosevelt to send a friendly invitation to the royal couple to include the United States in their itinerary.

They responded eagerly, and for a few days that summer Franklin and George, two heads of state, enjoyed each other’s company both in Washington, D.C., and at the Roosevelt estate of Hyde Park on the Hudson.  The American press and the news reels producers were beside themselves to film and describe every little detail in the meetings that transpired.  That was the social event of the year!  But were those meetings just matters of folksy chit-chat?  Before you answer, remember that within two months World War II had engulfed Europe.  Did Roosevelt and the king share more serious concerns?

And this becomes the theme of Hot Dogs and Cocktails, a recent book which reveals the real reasons why the royal couple came to Canada and the United States and what were the private discussions never reported in the newspapers.  All of this Peter Conradi, the author, describes in a relaxed and easy-to-read style.  A Brit, he is also the author of The King’s Speech, the well known book which recounts the efforts of George to overcome a stuttering problem.  Conradi begins with a full accounting of both Roosevelt and George, their personal backgrounds and their capabilities as well as inherent faults.  He recounts in an engaging and humorous style all the myriad details that had to be worked out to entertain the first British monarch to visit America, a blend of the serious and the comic.  The book’s title comes from FDR’s insistent that his visiting royals must eat the great American food delicacy, the hot dog – which they did using only their hands.

On the serious side, the British sought assurances from Roosevelt that America might enter the war against Hitler, but FDR, fully aware of the powerful sentiments for isolationism that prevailed throughout the country, could only promise that he would seek to have America send material aid to Britain in the coming conflict.  While the discussions that June failed to reach a firm promise as to the extent of American help, it did mark the beginning of a growing friendship between the two nations, and it would be not too many Junes in the future until American and British soldiers would fight together in their efforts to storm the German held beaches at Normandy.  You’ll find this a very engaging book, easy to read, and filled with interesting stories that give it a sparkle.

(There was an earlier review of this book by Jeanne, but this is an excellent review with a different perspective.)

Hot Dogs and Cocktails: When FDR Met King George at Hyde Park on Hudson by Peter Conradi

Reviewed by Jeanne

A few years back, there was a book entitled The Roosevelts and the Royals: Franklin and Eleanor, the King and Queen of England, and the Friendship That Changed History.  I didn’t recall ever hearing about such a close bond before and had good intentions to read the book, but as with most things I intend this didn’t happen in a timely manner.  The next time I thought about it was when I heard about the movie “Hyde Park on the Hudson,” which covered the same ground. I was rather underwhelmed by the film, but that’s a review for another time.  (See intentions, above.) Anyway, in the intervening decade or so, all copies of the book had disappeared and I was contemplating whether or not to use Inter-Library Loan when I found there was a new book out called Hot Dogs and Cocktails by Peter Conradi which covered the same territory. Also, I had previously read The King’s Speech by Conradi, a book which (surprise!) covered the events of a movie.  And yes, he admits in his introduction that his inspiration for this book was the movie.

The crux of the incident has more to do with symbolism than anything else.  It’s hard for some nowadays to remember that America’s ties with England were not nearly as warm as they are today; there was no “special relationship” as Churchill dubbed it in 1946.  This was 1939 and, after one world war, Americans were in no mood to go poking their noses in another European matter.  King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, two bright young things who had recently ascended the throne, were planning a North American visit to Canada. It was proposed that they make a detour to U.S. to garner some favorable publicity and to lay the groundwork for US interest and aid should Germany go to war with the UK.  After all, this would be the first time that a British monarch would visit the United States, not to mention one who only became king because his brother was besotted with a (gasp!) American (double gasp!) divorcee.  The idea was to showcase the King and Queen as two down-to-earth, unpretentious people with whom Americans could identify; hence the great Hot Dog Question.

During the early excited flurry of interviews about the upcoming visit, Eleanor had been asked what was to be served at the proposed outdoor “picnic.” The First Lady answered a bit offhandedly that they might serve hot dogs.  People were instantly agog, though the reaction was split between those who thought it an insult to offer royalty that ghastly common food and those who were delighted to think that royalty would enjoy something so American as a hot dog.

If you didn’t know Conradi was a Royalist at the beginning of the book, you certainly would before long.  King George VI and Queen Elizabeth are paragons of patience, good will, and family values.  At one point, the author remarks on the contrast of Roosevelt’s messy family life (strained relationship with his wife, affairs, overbearing mother) and the strong family ties of the Royals—which one can only do if omits most relationships outside of King, Queen, and daughters. There are several other such instances, but the author is so earnest that he apparently sees no contradiction. Nearly two thirds of the book is devoted to setting the stage for the historic meeting, such as some background on FDR and family, as well as the King’s stuttering and the Canadian part of the journey. Some of the most amusing parts are from Canadian, American, and British newspaper stories of the time, representing various viewpoints from charmed to offended.  Proving that some things never grow old, there was much discussion as to whether Americans would or should curtsy. 

In short, this is a fun little book, light on analysis and heavy on admiration.  Brew a pot of tea and pick up a scone from Blackbird and enjoy!