Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour

by Lynne Olson

The acclaimed author of Troublesome Young Men reveals the behind-the-scenes story of how the United States forged its wartime alliance with Britain, told from the perspective of three key American players in London: Edward R. Murrow, the handsome, chain-smoking head of CBS News in Europe; Averell Harriman, the hard-driving millionaire who ran FDR’s Lend-Lease program in London; and John Gilbert Winant, the shy, idealistic U.S. ambassador to Britain. Each man formed close ties with Winston Churchill—so much so that all became romantically involved with members of the prime minister’s family. Drawing from a variety of primary sources, Lynne Olson skillfully depicts the dramatic personal journeys of these men who, determined to save Britain from Hitler, helped convince a cautious Franklin Roosevelt and reluctant American public to back the British at a critical time. Deeply human, brilliantly researched, and beautifully written, Citizens of London is a new triumph from an author swiftly becoming one of the finest in her field.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, War, Biography, Book Club, Historical

496 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Lynne Olson is a New York Times bestselling author of ten books of history, most of which focus on World War II. Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has called her "our era's foremost chronicler of World War II politics and diplomacy."
Lynne’s latest book, The Sisterhood of Ravensbruck: How an Intrepid Band of Frenchwomen Resisted the Nazis In Hitler’s All-Female Concentration Camp, will be published by Random House on June 3,2025. Three of her previous books — Madame Fourcade's Secret War, Those Angry Days, and Citizens of London were New York Times bestsellers.
Born in Hawaii, Lynne graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arizona. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as a journalist for ten years, first with the Associated Press as a national feature writer in New York, a foreign correspondent in AP's Moscow bureau, and a political reporter in Washington. She left the AP to join the Washington bureau of the Baltimore Sun, where she covered national politics and eventually the White House.
Lynne lives in Washington, DC with her husband, Stanley Cloud, with whom she co-authored two books. Visit Lynne Olson at http://lynneolson.com.

Reviews

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Citizens of London, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

1) I love you because by taking a look at something other than the battles and the big names, you lulled me in to reading and caring about the war. I've always avoided reading about WWII because so many of the books are about specific battles or are about one mighty man. I find them confusing, which makes me bored, which then makes me mad because I don't want to be bored by something that should be of great import. I learned more about various battles from this book (like what the 'bulge' was in the Battle of the Bulge) than from everything I've read until now.

2) I love you because you shared with me a viewpoint I'd never seen before. FDR as rather mean and petty, Churchill as emotional, Eisenhower as a great conciliator. All that I knew of FDR was limited to the New Deal, his multiple reelections, and the photo of Graham Jackson playing the accordion at Warm Springs. It's always the case that authors can bring a particular agenda to their writing, and perhaps Lynne Olson doesn't like FDR. Even if that's the case, I enjoyed being presented with the possibility of seeing these men in a different light.

3) I love you because you brought me Gil Winant. The American ambassador to England was tremendously loved and respected by Britons, while we Americans forgot him. Learning about the important role he played in the war has been a real gift.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not much of a student of the second World War. Perhaps because my parents lived through it, though my father did so with shrapnel scars and PTSD so bad my parents had to sleep in separate beds because in his dreams he re-fought the hand-to-hand encounters he had in Belgium and Germany. Perhaps because I saw so many World War II films (though we weren't allowed to watch European Theatre films when Daddy was around, just War in the Pacific). I grew up thinking Eisenhower was an idiot, Omar Bradley a god, Patton an egomaniac. Averill Harriman a legend. FDR, depending on the parent, a savior or the destroyer of everything good in the world. Churchill a bulldog too stubborn to live.

Once I became an adult, I came to think that Eisenhower was an empty prop for the Republican Party, the Patton was an megalomaniac who looked like George C. Scott, that FDR was amazing, and that Churchill (thanks to Robert Hardy and Masterpiece Theatre) was a complex, brilliant, damaged soul who was both undervalued by his nation and a victim of his own ego.

And I thought of "The Blitz" and living in England during "The War" very much in "Mrs. Miniver" terms. Which, of course, was very complimentary to the Brits, but at the same time, devastatingly naive.

In the same way that Paul Fussell's The Great War and Modern Memory made me totally change how I thought about "The War to End All Wars," this book has totally upended how I see World War II. It focuses primarily on three Americans, Edward R. Murrow, Averill Harriman, and John Gilbert Winant. The subtitle of the book, "The Americans Who Stood With Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour" does telegraph much of the book's theme. It valorizes those who endured in that country through the devastation it suffered at the hands of the Third Reich, and those Americans who strove, in varying degrees, to help Britain survive, but it does much more than that. For the first time, I begin to understand.

I never understood why Murrow was so revered. Oh, I knew about his role in helping end the abuses of Joe McCarthy and his ilk. But not why all my journalist friends, and my mother, said his name with such awe and respect. I do now. I never understood why my father so hated Field Marshal Montgomery. I do now. I never understood so much.

After reading this book, I can't look at FDR the same way as I did before--while he did great good, he also made the world after the war a much more dangerous place than it needed to be. He was the epitome of privileged arrogance, both the type that comes from money, and the type that comes from our insulated geography--something I'm seeing more and more in our present. I respect Eisenhower more than I did before. Harriman had gifts, but after reading this book I can never think of his service without remembering his utter selfishness and power jockeying at the expense of what is "right."

Bradley, Patton, and various other figures all get a bright light cast on them, and it has totally changed my opinion of some of them. Okay--not with Patton. He still comes across as a marginally sane megalomaniac, just like everything else I've ever seen or read about him. One of the most startling revelations was of the role of Polish nationals before and throughout the war. Perhaps because all the time I was learning history Poland was part of the Soviet Union, we were never taught about what those people gave to the Allied cause, nor how unforgivably we let them down after.

If this book has unabashed heroes, it is Winant and the people of Great Britain, particularly London. I'd never heard of Winant before (despite being 3 time governor of New Hampshire, first head of the Social Security Administration, and Ambassador to London after Joe Kennedy). As I was reading the first chapters, I suddenly wondered if, in part, he was the model for The West Wing's Josiah Bartlett. So much of Winant seems to be embodied in the best of that character, not to mention the personal history.

Bearing in mind that all books have an idea they are trying to advance, I still found this book a revelation. Too much is grounded in documented events (notes, diaries, meeting minutes) to dismiss, and though the focus is occasionally diffused as the author gets caught up in a larger discussion of the war, this is a book any student of history would benefit from reading.

It hasn't made me a devotee of recounts of that war. I'm not likely to run out and read biographies of all the major players. But this book goes down on that very short list of "Books That Changed My Life."

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book turns out to be very much about the love affair between 3 American men and the the city and people of London during WWII. John Gilbert Winant was probably the most beloved American in London during the war. Humble, shy and idealistic, this American ambassador contributed hugely to the Allied war effort. It's hard to imagine what might have happened if not for his constant intercession between various egos during every phase of the war. This is a man who gave his all, including money out of his own pocket or the offer of a room in his apartment to bombed out Londoners or American G.I.s. How is it possible that this man is not better known in the U.S.?

Edward R. Murrow also grabbed the hearts of Londoners with his famously moving newscasts, pieces of which are reprinted in this book. This very decent man had a way with words. Millionaire businessman Averell Harriman also played his part but what stands out most is his rivalry and jockeying for position as well as his showing the "other side" of London during the war. While most people were eating rationed foods and were often hungry, Harriman and his ilk ate lavish meals of foods not found elsewhere in Britain. Harriman also stayed in the more expensive and safer modern housing only to be had by the rich. Murrow, in contrast, who could afford this expensive housing, chose not to stay there but to live in ordinary housing and to take his chances alongside other Londoners.

Olson brings to vivid life the characters and lives of each of these men as well as the spirit of London and Londoners during every stage of the war, including the Blitz, the phony war and and the devastating and morale-zapping bombing of London by V1 and V2 bombs during the Normandy invasion. The relationship between Roosevelt and Churchill is another very interesting focus, both often personally hurt by the other and allowing policy to follow that hurt. Roosevelt's indifference to the suffering of the English is rather shocking especially when learning that much of this was fueled not only by American isolationism but by Roosevelt's dislike for Churchill based on feeling personally snubbed by him well before the war and before Roosevelt was president. The egos of De Gaulle, Eisenhower and Montgomery also clashed with Eisenhower looking the best of the 3. Reading about their fights over jurisdiction makes me wonder how the Allies ever won the war.

If you are an Anglophile or just interested in WWII from the American and English point of view this is a must read. I listened to it on audio. The narrative flowed beautifully, was completely riveting and endlessly fascinating. If you liked Erik Larson's The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz you will love Citizens of London: The Americans who Stood with Britain in its Darkest, Finest Hour which is similar in style but much more in-depth.

[Jill H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow but let me say that this is one of the most interesting looks at London during WWII that I have read in a long time.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Citizens of London is a very readable and enlightening account of WWII London, focusing on the lives of three Americans living there and experiencing the horrors and conviviality of this city. Edward R. Morrow, head of CBS news, John Gilbert Winant, ambassador to Britain, and W. Averell Harriman, administrator of Lend-Lease. All worked diligently to convince FDR of the need to enter the war. All three were part of Churchill's inner circle, and all three were involved with daughters of Churchhill.

Although I have read a fair amount about WWII, there was so much in this book I was unaware of: the huge egos of FDR and the PM and the dynamics of their complex and contentious relationship, the petty fighting and power plays among British and American generals, the party atmosphere of wartime London, and the extreme overcrowding and the resulting issues. I was appalled by the hostility shown to black GIs by fellow American GIs, the ass-kissing treatment of Stalin by FDR, and the lack of vision both leaders had for Stalin's future aggression. Also beyond understanding was the treatment of Poland. It had been promised self-government and independence. This was abandoned in a secret agreement between the two Allied leaders in order to appease Stalin - Stalin being the bigger and more important fish in the water. de Gaulle's exclusion from the planning and execution of D-Day seemed totally based on personality differences, with no thought for the citizens of France. Many other blunders are described but I'll just add that the slow response of the US to help postwar GB. when the people's needs were even greater, was baffling.

This was my second book by Lyn Olson. Her writing is exquisite and her story so compelling. Her books are spellbinding (okay - I love history). The personal perspectives and insights she shares about the three main players left me wanting to delve deeper. These three men, unknown by most, were so pivotal in forming the alliance, in soothing egos, and negotiating. Their efforts contributed greatly to the successful outcome of the war.

"I don't mind the Yanks, but I don't care much for the white fellows they've brought with them."

"It was a terrible war, but if you were the right age... and in the right place, it was spectacular."

"In years to come, men will speak of this war and say, I was a soldier, I was a sailor, or I was a pilot. Others will say, I was a citizen of London."

[Mikey B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A majestic description of London during the tumultuous days of World War II. Its’ main aim is to portray the Americans who went to live in London during this dynamic period of history. The focus is on three differing personalities – the solitary and soft-spoken ambassador Gilbert Winant, the famous news broadcaster Edward Murrow, and the businessman Averell Harriman. The author provides us with vivid portrayals of each, as well as a cavalcade of native Londoners and many other of its’ foreign inhabitants who had fled occupied Europe. As the author, Lynne Olson expresses, London was the most intense city in the world during the Second World War – it was the leader of the free and democratic peoples. Occupied Europe looked to it as the beacon of hope. It stood alone during the dark days of 1940 and ’41.

Lynne Olson captures this spirit throughout in this magnificent book. London was bombed, hit by V1 and V2 rockets, and it was the headquarters of the Normandy invasion. She centers on the freedom of all the wonderful personalities who gathered there. As one person exclaimed who had escaped from Nazi occupied Europe – “Isn’t it wonderful to be here!”

The individuals are well presented – from the high and powerful to the average Londoner coping with the blitz and rationing. After the Normandy invasion many felt nostalgic because the city was emptying out and the primary attention was now shifting to mainland Europe.

The only area I felt this book going astray was in the analysis of the summit meetings at Teheran and Yalta. Lynne Olson was a little harsh on Roosevelt. It must be remembered that within that time period Roosevelt’s main objective was to get a commitment from Stalin to the U.N. and for the Soviet Union to attack Japan in China after the war in Germany was over. He succeeded at both of these.

Aside from this the book delivers and gives us a view of what it was like to be at the capital of the free world during the war, amidst Churchill, DeGaulle, Eisenhower and other towering personalities.

My favourite quote at the end from Eric Sevareid: “When this is all over, in years to come, men will speak of this war and say, “I was a soldier…”. Others will say with equal pride “I was a citizen of London” ”.

[Gary Inbinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Citizens of London” focuses on the “Special Relationship” between the US and the UK as relates to the WWII alliance. Other members of the greater alliance, the USSR, Free French, the Poles, et. al., are mentioned peripherally. But the complexities of the great alliance are too big to be encompassed in a single book, especially a comparatively brief one that tends to zero in on a particular cast of characters, including the famous, the less well-known and the obscure. So, I wouldn’t recommend this book to someone unfamiliar with the subject who wanted to get the “Big Picture.” Rather, I’d suggest reading one or two comprehensive histories and a couple of memoirs, auto-biographies or biographies of the major players to gain insight into the problems the decision-makers faced. That would be putting the meal before the dessert.

I liked the book, although some of it, i.e. the many loves of Pamela Churchill Harriman, were a bit too tabloid gossipy for my taste. On the other hand, I found its treatment of John Gilbert (Gil) Winant intriguing. Winant was, among other things, a captain in the A.E.F. air corps during WWI; governor of New Hampshire; chairman of the Social Security board; US ambassador to Great Britain during the crucial war years, 1941-46 and U.S. representative to the UN 1946-47. If the book has a “hero” I’d say it was Winant, and I’ll admit that prior to reading “Citizens of London” I hadn’t heard of him. Moreover, from reading this book I gathered that he’s more highly regarded in Britain than he is in the U.S. That may be so, and one might infer from the text several reasons for his relative obscurity in the U.S. As portrayed in “Citizens of London” Winant was an idealist trying to do the “right thing” in a world filled with hard-ball realists and pragmatists. Again, from the text, he seemed to have had an idealistic vision of a peaceful, more cooperative post-war world, and his après-guerre disillusionment coupled with personal problems might have contributed to his untimely death by suicide.

Alliances are like marriages; even the best of them have their ups and downs and, like marriages, many alliances end in divorce—or worse. In the case of the “Special Relationship” between the US and UK we have a common language, culture and interests—up to a point. However, when national interests conflict with the interests of an alliance it takes sound leadership on both sides to keep the parties together. The "Special Relationship" has held up pretty well for the past century, but it will take strong, creative leadership on both sides of the Atlantic if it’s to survive the new challenges of the 21st century at least as well as it survived those of the 20th.

[Joseph Sciuto · Rating 5 out of 5]

During a good part of the covid 19 pandemic over the last three years, I have had a number of people complain to me about wearing masks, getting vaccines, not being able to go to the movies, or visit family during the holidays, and having our rights as Americans infringed upon. My usual response to most of these complaints was simply, "if you think what you are going through right now is terrible, you should have lived in London during the German blitz of that city during World War 2."

If you have been fortunate enough to read numerous books on World War 2, by reputable historians, as I have, you learn that not one book tells the whole and the true story about many of the key players. It is only now, after reading many books, that I am getting a fuller understanding of Presidents Roosevelt and Truman, Prime Minister Churchill, General Eisenhower, Stalin, General George Marshall, etc.

At times the ineptitude, lack of knowledge, lack of empathy for fallen soldiers and civilians, the ugly display of egos that cost tens of thousands of lives is astonishing.

At other times, the light shines brightest on the real stars of World War 2, the men and women, who most Americans have never heard about.

Lynne Olson's, "Citizens of London," shines brightest on the brave citizens of London, who throughout the war lived with the prospect of death at any moment, going homeless, going without food, losing friends and relatives who one second you were talking to and the next second they were dead from explosives from German bombs that ripped them apart. And yet, the citizens of London never thought of surrendering to the Nazi machine and Hitler. They fought on as gallantly as the soldiers on the front lines.

The British were the last defense against Hitler before they crossed the ocean and attacked the United States. By 1940, they already had submarines patrolling off the eastern seaboard of America, but for the majority of U.S. citizens they continued to live their lives as though the war was happening on another planet. Winston Churchill, who did not bow before many men, begged President Roosevelt for help but the U.S. Congress did not want to hear about it, and President Roosevelt did not seem to prioritize the situation. The polls showed little support to go to war.

Joseph Kennedy, the Ambassador to Britain at the time, quit his post in 1940 and came back to America and declared the British finished. The Blitz was a little too much for him, even though he had moved to the countryside that was much safer. He was replaced by the shy, idealistic, former Governor from New Hampshire, John Gilbert Winant, who by the end of the war was the most admired American in Britain, not only by government officials, the royal family, but with the common hardworking British citizens. Unlike his predecessor, he stayed in London, walked the streets of that battered city, got to know the brave people of London, and fought like hell to get U.S. support pouring into Britain. He is the unknown hero of this story, and whereas Americans might not know who he was, the British people honored him with the highest accolades an individual could receive. He was also called a LONDONER (a citizen of London).

Another American called a LONDONER, was the framed U.S. newsman Edward R. Murrow whose broadcasts from London gave Americans their first true understanding and insights into the horrors that the citizens of London were living with every minute of their lives. Fortunately, for all involved, even American politicians and President Roosevelt listened to his broadcasts.

Yet, it was not until the bombing of Pearl Harbor that America joined the war against the Japanese, Germans, and to whatever extent the Italians played. Previous to joining the British and the allies, President Roosevelt picked the millionaire businessman Averell Harriman to run the Lend-Lease program set up by the administration that supplied Britain with much needed armament in exchange for British controlled land in different parts of the world. Mr. Harriman was also a citizen of LONDON but whose glamorous lifestyle was not all that affected, possibly enhanced, while living under the Nazi Bombardment.

The U.S. military apparatus that was first set up in London, under the supervision of General Eisenhower, was so ill-equipped, ill-informed, and lacking in knowledge and well trained soldiers that the British soldiers, at first, thought of them as their answer to the "Italians."

Naturally, this would change and if not for American involvement and engineering the Germans would have most likely won the war against the allies.

But if not for Churchill's insistence that we start the British and American counteroffensive in Northern Africa and up through Italy it could have been a disaster. General Eisenhower, and the American military and the administration, wanted to immediately end the war by crossing the English channel and liberate France, in essence, start off with the D-Day invasion that would have been a bloody and devastating defeat for the allies.

What I have written in this review is only a very small sample of this amazing, informative, and comprehensive book. Ms. Olson explores so many different aspects of the war and its aftermath that it is nearly impossible to pinpoint and highlight all of them.

Besides Mr. Winant, she also highlights one other unknown American hero whose contributions and aviation knowledge would change the course of the war, and make the invasion of D-Day a success. Tommy Hitchcock, was recruited by his friend Mr. Winant, who both flew missions during World War 1. After he was turned down, at the age of forty-one, when he volunteered as a fighter pilot it was Mr. Winant who convinced him to come to London as an assistant U.S military attache and would act as a liaison between the U.S. Eighth Air Force and the British RAF's Fighter Command. After witnessing a new hybrid fighter jet with more speed and more nimble than any fighter jet Mr. Hitchcock had ever seen, he and Mr. Winant petitioned the administration to build the planes. They eventually gave in, and the new fighter jets accompanied the big bomber planes over Germany, and instead of 9 out of 10 bombers being shot down by the Germans, the German counteroffensive against the bombers was eliminated and finally the allies were able to hit their targets without being shot down and returning to base. The new hybrid fighter jets changed the course of the war and made the D-Day invasion a major success and bombing missions over Germany almost risk free.

Sadly, Mr. Hitchcock died when he took up one of the fighter jets to check out a possible fault in its design and it nose dived and crashed. The fault was simply too much fluid in its tank.

Not that it matters, but as of today this is the most important book I have read this year.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

What started off as a 3 star read quickly became 4 stars as I found myself drawn into this compelling history of 3 men, John Winant, Edward R. Murrow, and Averill Harriman who came to Britain's aid in their fight against Hitler and Germany during World War II. History was never my strong subject but the more I read in adulthood the more I find myself engrossed.

Lynne Olson uses primary resources to create this easy to read narrative. Being able to discuss the morals and politics of the key players, Churchill, FDR, the aforementioned 3, and all the other key players during this period of history definitely increased my knowledge and pleasure.

Olson has written several other non-fiction books with her husband Stanley Cloud. It is not unusual for me to get interested in one figure over another when reading. In Citizens of London, it was Edward R. Murrow so I am immediately drawn to The Murrow boys : pioneers on the front lines of broadcast journalism .

I feel I came away with a better understanding of the times and it has piqued my curiosity to read more. What better recommendation for a book.

[Marialyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just wonderful in the way that the author presented the main players and leaders of World War 11 during this time in England and especially London. She presented and really made the reader fully aware of not only the people we learned about in school but also those who played pivotal roles in the ultimate success of the Allies. I learned an incredible amount about people like our Ambassador to England a wonderfully courageous and noble man named John Winant, Averall Harriman, a multimillionaire who assumed leadership of the Lend Lease Program, and finally Edward R Morrow, the acclaimed journalist, who daily told the truth and informed the people of what he saw and experienced during this tragic time in history. The interactions of these men, their lives and families, and of course their discourse with FDR, Churchill, and all those involved in the war effort made for stunning reading. I can't recommend this novel highly enough to those of us who enjoy history and learning of some real human experiences behind leaders and events in our history. It always amazes me how little we learn in school about the people and the events that have shaped our destiny.

[Pam Walter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Experience WWII in London from 1939 all the way through V-E day. Olson takes us behind the scenes through three immensely influential Americans. FDR sent Averell Harriman, the flamboyant millionaire, to London to be in charge of dispersing the lend-lease program. John Gilbert Winant was the shy, idealistic ambassador to Britain. Edward R. Murrow was there through the entire war representing CBS News in Europe. All three were exceedingly successful in forging an alliance between the United States and Great Britain which ultimately became the personal caring and understanding partnership that has existed since that time.

Through what Britain called The Blitz (The Battle of Britain), the Nazis targeted London. With their indomitable spirit, Londoners refused to give up or give in. Their grit and sass were unsurpassed.




During bombings instead of racing to the bomb shelters, some ran to the rooftops to see if the pub just down the street had been struck.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting story of Americans engaging in supporting Britain during WWII.

A behind the scenes, of some familiar citizens who came to help the cause in ways that weren't known, because, well, social media didn't exist at the time.

They popped into local neighborhoods to help when help was needed after German bombings. They were top-level go-betweens. One even tagged along on air raids.

This is a story about political, personal and military maneuvering. There was even romance. Oh my! The 3 men at the center of the book - Harriman, Morrow and Winant - had affairs with members of Churchill's family!

But this book was more than just Americans in England.

Topics included war strategy, Eisenhower's insecurity, lack of deprivations back home in the U.S. and women trying to hang on to their girdles. (Thank goodness we don't have those any more!)

The men had something to gain by saving the world from Hitler, and it was worth their time to invest their time being abroad.

Interesting. Provocative. Fascinating.

[Numidica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another of Lynne Olson's excellent books about the '30's and '40's. This one is about Gil Winant, Ed Murrow, and Averell Harriman, primarily. As with Those Angry Days and Last Hope Island, Olson brings out aspects of that period that are left out of most standard accounts. Roosevelt does not come off well in Olson's book, and the more I learn more about the war, the more I think FDR should not have been president after 1940; he was physically deteriorating steadily after about 1942. He certainly should not have run for president in 1944, and the situation the world inherited in eastern Europe was largely the result of FDR's increasing inability to work or comprehend information as he slid toward death in his last year.

Gil Winant, ambassador to the UK, was the best of us in the 1940's. It is a shame he is not remembered better in the US.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t begin to cover all the new things I learned Lynne Olsen’s highly informative history packed with unique perspectives, but following are highlights of the three main characters, Americans John Winant, Edward R. Murrow and Averill Harriman; notes on three people I found especially interesting, Pam Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower and Hap Arnold; and finally some examples of FDR’s naïve and inept foreign policy, particularly his handling of de Gaulle and Stalin and strained relationship with Churchill.

Winant, US Ambassador to Britain was sincere and charming with close relationships with Winston Churchill, British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and Winston’s daughter Sarah Churchill and a good working relationship with Eisenhower. He was admired by the British people but little known or appreciated in his home country. Forgotten after the war he suffered from depression and committed suicide.

Murrow is the one man of a poor background among those Olsen profiles. He used his famous broadcasts from London to tell of the terror of the German Blitz and create American support for Britain. Having witnessed personally Nazi cruelties in the Anschluss he was already highly motivated. Murrow was the first reporter to get inside Buchenwald when the allies took it over. Overwhelmed, he gave freed inmates thousands of dollars in recent poker winnings and made one of his most memorable broadcasts describing the horrors he saw.

Harriman, born into wealth and then president of the Union Pacific RR, wormed his way into the FDR circle as Lend-Lease administrator. Halfway through the war he became Ambassador to Russia. He comes off as an effective suck-up getting very chummy with Winston Churchill. Murrow disliked Harriman “whom he regarded as a calculating opportunist.” Harriman along with Winant and Murrow pushed FDR for more support for Britain.

Pam Churchill, Winston’s daughter in law, is noted for her many love affairs while still married to Randolph Churchill. Murrow and Harriman, who she married late in life, were both among the many prominent men to receive her attentions. Her behavior is an example of the sexual freedom that characterized wartime London. Both her father in law and Lord Beaverbrook sought her out for inside information from the men she slept with, which she readily provided.

General Eisenhower comes off well in Olsen’s account as dedicated, hardworking and one who learned fast after the pathetic US army performance on the ground at the start of the North African campaign. His talent was organization and melding together a working team of high powered high ego generals, a difficult and thankless task. He also worked hard for fair treatment of black soldiers within the limits of the times.

General Hap Arnold, head of the US Air Forces who didn’t believe his bombers needed fighter escorts, is portrayed as foolish and stubborn making strategic mistakes that cost the US many lives in the air war. The story of Tommy Hitchcock’s relentless push, in spite of Arnold, to see the P-51 Mustang produced was a heartening example of perseverance and foresight which was sorely needed. The P-51 came into use just in the nick of time to save many US lives in 1944 and made a huge difference in the war.

FDR was hesitant to enter the war prior to Pearl Harbor, conducting a foreign policy dictated by domestic political considerations. Harriman commented on Roosevelt’s lack of commitment to Britain after meeting FDR regarding increasing lend lease aid. “I left feeling that the president had not faced…the realities of the situation.” “He seemed unwilling to lead public opinion…but, hoped without the background of reasoning” Former US ambassador to Britain William Bullitt noted in May 1941, “The President is waiting for public opinion to lead and the public is waiting for a lead from the President.”

FDR “had little understanding of the complexity of the situation in France.” Eisenhower felt failure to recognize de Gaulle “might put the liberation of France itself in jeopardy. On D-Day and in the weeks to come, the SHAEF commander was counting on hundreds of thousands of French resistance members, most of whom supported de Gaulle, to come to the aid of his forces. In addition seven French divisions were training to take part in future battles.” Not until de Gaulle’s overwhelming reception upon his return to France did FDR overcome his hatred of de Gaulle and give in to Winant, Eisenhower and others and let him rule France. De Gaulle did not forget his treatment. Jean Edward Smith noted, “FDR’s pique against de Gaulle poisoned the well of Franco-American relations, the legacy of which continues to this day.”

Harriman was appalled as the Soviet army stood by refusing to help the Polish underground in the Warsaw uprising. With guidance from his assistant George Kennan, he finally understood that Stalin could not be won over with talk but had to be dealt with toughly. He wrote FDR’s right-hand man Harry Hopkins, “there is every indication the Soviet Union will become a world bully wherever their interests are involved.” He complained to Hopkins that “he, was ‘put in the humiliating position of depending upon the Russian Foreign Office for news as to the latest decisions made by [my] own government.’” Winant had complained similarly to no avail and always had to get his information about US decisions from Eden or Churchill. FDR ignored Harriman and did not pressure Stalin to help the Poles as they were wiped out by the Germans, settling once and for all who was in charge in Eastern Europe.

Later, when Britain objected to the American proposal that all international routes be open to American airlines, FDR cabled Winant with a message for Churchill threatening to cut off lend-lease if the British kept objecting. Might the Warsaw slaughter have been alleviated if FDR would have made a similar threat to Stalin and shown the same concern for the Poles in the Warsaw uprising that he did for the airlines? Both Stalin and FDR made their priorities clear.

At the Tehran meeting FDR ignored Churchill and played up to Stalin. According to Secretary of State Cordell Hull, FDR planned to “’talk Stalin out of his shell…until he broadens his views.’” The President told his cabinet he “was sure that Stalin’s training for the Russian Orthodox priesthood had ‘entered his nature’ and that he would behave in ‘the way in which a Christian gentleman should behave.’ According to American diplomat and Soviet specialist Charles Bohlen, “I do not think the President had any real comprehension of the gulf that separated the thinking of a Bolshevik from a non-Bolshevik…He felt that Stalin viewed the world somewhat in the same light he did…A deeper knowledge of history and a better understanding of foreign peoples would have been useful to the president.”

FDR in the Tehran meeting, according to Bohlen, “not only backed Stalin but seemed to enjoy the Churchill-Stalin exchanges.” But as Harriman later said, FDR “always enjoyed other people’s discomfort.” FDR mocked Churchill and got Stalin to laugh, FDR later saying, “From that time on, our [Stalin] relations were personal. We talked like men and brothers.” Bohlen disagreed calling FDR’s behavior “a basic error...In his rather transparent attempt to disassociate himself from Churchill, the President was not fooling anybody.” Churchill, deeply wounded and disappointed called it a, “childish exercise in currying favor.” Stalin got everything he wanted including US support for the takeover of Eastern Poland defying Britain. FDR said later to Harriman, he “didn’t care whether the countries bordering Russia went communist or not.”

Despite his initial feelings and misgivings about Britain and the war, FDR used his charm to form a warm relationship with Churchill, but according to John Colville by mid-1943 “’the brotherly tone of the President’s messages [to Churchill] seemed to change.’” The fraying of the Roosevelt-Churchill relationship occurred at a critical period.” “the Prime Minister was wounded on a deeper level by the President’s growing coolness.” Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. described FDR as “glittering, impersonal...superficially warm, basically cold.” Missy Le Hand, FDR’s assistant, said FDR, “was really incapable of a personal friendship with anyone.”

On a final note, Churchill did not attend Roosevelt’s funeral even though he easily could have. According to Max Hastings, “It is difficult not to regard the prime minister’s absence from Roosevelt’s funeral as a reflection of the alienation between himself and the president.”

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book about Britain and the Anglo-American alliance during World War II. Especially good are the insights into life in London during the Blitz (indiscriminate Nazi bombing of civilian targets) and the relationship between Britain and the United States before America entered the war, during the time they fought together, and immediately after the war. The book focuses on three Americans who helped save England (and, by extension, the United States) by encouraging U.S. entrance into the conflict: Lend-Lease administrator Averill Harriman, newsman Edward R. Murrow, and the lesser-known but vitally important U.S. Ambassador to England, Gilbert Winant. The book is much broader than that, however, and contains many insights into the relationship between English Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt. The information about U.S. indifference to the suffering of the British people and our near-abandonment of Britain to invasion by the Nazis is shocking and shaming. The attitude of the British toward Americans and vice versa is also surprising when one considers the "special relationship" the two countries have had since WWII.

[Carol Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over dinner in a private room of the fragrant restaurant, we gathered to discuss Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Finest Hour by Lynne Olson. The eight of us sat around a long rectangular wooden table agreeing how little we had known about the topic prior to reading the book. We were all born in the 1940s or 1950s, so that war was important to our parents and grandparents. Not so much to our generation. Someone sagely suggested we each say a bit about how our parents experienced the war.
This meeting took place in northern California but several of us had been raised elsewhere. The experiences were not just geographically diverse our parents had wildly different war experiences.
A couple of fathers stayed at home in civil defense capacities, due to their age or family responsibilities.
One of our fathers was unlucky enough to be shot down over France early in the war and endured near starvation in German prisoner-of-war camps only to be almost killed during a Soviet liberation.
Another father had the inverse war story. He managed to arrive in North Africa and Italy after the fighting, when dancing, drinking, and having a good time was all he reported doing for the duration.
One set of grandparents had the misfortune of being Jewish in Eastern Europe (but the blonde looks to pass as gentile). Many of their friends and family were unable to escape and lost their lives not just everything they owned.
My dad sailed across the Pacific on a cheaply made naval vessel dodging cyclones, torpedoes, and bombs, mostly successfully. Only recently have I learned about this war experience and his survivor guilt, as it just wasn’t discussed when I was a kid.
Whatever family’s war time experiences, few Americans fully comprehended what was happening in London prior to the U. S. entering the war. The book gives a vivid, sometimes intimate look at the key players in London prior to and during World War 2. Many of the important ones (Gil Winant, being the most important), I’d never heard of. The secret lives and loves of all are revealed, along with the mind numbing geo-political escapades of the great powers.
The book is a treasury of information and it is guaranteed to get you thinking about a very important time in history.

[Ronald Roseborough · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book relates the story of a number of brave, outstanding, and visionary Americans who supported and in fact championed London and all of Britain, as it's life light was threatening to be extinguished in the early years of World War II. In this day and age, it is often hard to realize the vast differences which existed between the United States, which was largely isolationist, and the British colonial power. The extent of efforts needed to be made by these Americans to bring together Britain, which they had come to see as their home away from home, and the U.S. proved staggering. Men such as Edward R. Murrow, CBS Radio correspondent, Averell Harriman, wealthy industrialist, John Gilbert Winant, governor from New Hampshire, Tommy Hitchcock, noted athlete and World War I pilot along with many others won the undying love of the Londoners, for sharing their suffering and constantly striving to bring the power of the United States into the conflict, to aid Britain.
Through intimate glimpses of many the world's leaders, this book reminds us of the fallibility of even the highest of officials. We are given insights into what a totally different world might have emerged if some leaders had not been properly advised and even reigned in by their contemporaries. The book reveals the tremendous pressure world leaders were under from not only their enemies, foreign and domestic, but also their allies at home and abroad.
The book clearly shows how the hearts of the British people, especially the Londoners who had suffered through the Blitz went out to these Americans who took the fight as their own long before the U.S. as a whole came into the war. This is an extremely well researched book bringing newly opened sources to light. It is very well written with a style that is easy to read, yet very detailed.

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading about WWII can be overwhelming but this book covers a lot of ground by focusing on three Americans (Edward Murrow, Gill Winant, and Averell Harriman) who each played a key role in working the diplomatic and political relations between the US and Great Britain. The details of the unique role each of these gentlemen played during the war is brought to light particularly as intermediaries between FDR and Winston Churchill. The author did a stellar job of bringing out the personalities The central character however is the city of London. The resiliency of the Britons enduring the war shines through and the imagery of the city at the time and the spirit of the people is on full display. Thorough and detailed account told in a compelling way. Highly recommend, and essential reading for anyone interested in WWII.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

1000/10.Great.

[Loralee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since urban fantasy is way more fun to read than serious nonfiction, I let Citizens of London sit on my shelf for nearly two months after making myself check it out. But once I picked it up, I could hardly put it down again. Author Lynne Olson does the difficult and ambitious job of following three Americans--reporter Ed Murrow, ambassador John Winant, and Lend-Lease representative Averell Harriman--through the war waged against London. From the way they play against each other, with Harriman cozying up to Churchill while cutting Winant out of the loop, and Murrow and Winant occasionally forced to defend opposite sides of arguments, to the united warning they give an America reluctant to enter a distant war, the author works to bring these men to life. While following these main characters, she also reports enough detail from D.C., English countryside, and European battlefield to give the forgetful reader a refresher course of just what was going on in World War II. (Rick Atkinson's An Army at Dawn brought the invasion of Africa to life in astonishingly documented detail, but there was so much to cover that after I finished the book I had no idea who had done what where; Citizens of London, in contrast gave just enough information for me to understand the summary of the campaign, as well as the reasons Eisenhower's choice to take over Vichy-ruled Tunisia caused such enormous political uproar.) Storied heroes, especially Roosevelt and Churchill, become real men, vulnerable to indecision and damaging pride; while the heroics of forgotten men, such as the polo player Tommy Hitchcock who singlehandedly pushed through the development of a fighter plane to accompany the defenseless Allied bombers, are once again brought to light. Even the conclusion is revealing, exploring the political decisions made at the end of the war, some chilling consequences of poor decisions, and the tragedies that continued even after the war ended. By the end of the book, I felt that I'd read both a a deeply moving human story and a history lesson, all wrapped together. That's the best kind of nonfiction.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to blame the audio format for not garnering 5 stars on this one, because otherwise it was truly a stellar read. But the narrative didn't super click with me. The book follows the people who built a relationship and alliance between England and the United States during WW2--diplomats, journalists, playboys, and presidents. It is an engrossing narrative and brings history alive in a truly fascinating way.
I recommend checking it out if you like WW2 history.

[Helga Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very well researched book about London during World War II and some very brave and visionary Americans who lived in London during this tumultuous time. It was about 3 key Americans, broadcaster and head of CBS News Ed Murrow, the US ambassador John Winant, and the man to run the lend-lease program Averill Harriman. Murrow and Winant were most beloved by the British people after FDR. They lived the war and saw the struggles of the British people. She writes about the conflicts that arise between Roosevelt and Churchill and the thoughts and feelings among them and the Britons and Americans.
This book shows how the British people suffered through the Blitz and how their hearts went out to the Americans who took on the fight as their own long before the US entered the war. It was interesting to read how at this time the military was segregated and the appalling racial attitudes of the Americans. It was admirable to read of the 244 Americans flying with the RAF against the neutrality laws of the US and 40% were killed fighting against evil.
The author wove an interesting story of the 3 key Americans and their lives and the war itself and how America finally entered after Pearl Harbor was attacked. It reminded me of my father (RIP) who went to Germany and fought under Gen Omar Bradley at the Battle of the Bulge and the stories he only told in the last years of his life recently and how easily we could have lost. One story he told me was that the Germans were impersonating Americans so it was hard to distinguish them but what gave them away was that the American GI’s would speak of baseball and the Germans knew nothing about it. It saved them. And because he knew German so well, he was one of the soldiers who went to Dachau Concentration camp and was at its liberation and saw the horror and at the reconstruction.
This was a fascinating book and highly recommended.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a soldier.

I was a sailor.

I was a pilot.

I was a citizen of London.

Honestly, Citizens of London probably deserves another star but I wasn't in the right headspace to give it. However, I do know a good book when I read one.

We all know how long it took the United States to become an active participant of World World II. Lynne Olson's emphasizes just how much leg shuffling and paper pushing it took. I was even to the point of Seriously America? and the attack on Pearl Harbor happened. The British were secretly happy not because of the lives lossed but because they knew that would be the catalyst to jumpstart the US of A's participation in their losing war.

But before Pearl Harbor, these three men, Edward Murrow, Averell Harriman, and John Gilbert Winant, were working behind the scenes to help forge an alliance between Great Britain and America. Essentially, these men along with other "citizens of London helped form the relationship between Winston Churchill and FDR.

I really enjoyed Citizens of London and I'm glad it was a book club selection. This book actually goes really well as a companion piece for the Dr. Suess book, it might be called This Means War, which were a series of political cartoons detailing the United States reluctance getting into World War II.

I thought the last chapter was heartbreaking as these three men were kind of lost after WWII. After all the hustle and bustle and booming economy of war, to slow down was so excruiciating. It left them without a true purpose and some couldn't adapt to the new world (Winant) but some could (Harriman and to the most part Murrow.)

Maybe I'll give it that extra star.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed/could not put down Lynn Olson: Citizens of London, about the three key Americans in Second World War London. I have always thought that must have been the most intense time and place. The three Americans were the broadcaster Ed Murrow, the US ambassador John Winant, and the aid supremo Averill Harriman. Murrow and Winant were the two Americans most loved by the British people after FDR. Interestingly, all three had affairs at the time with Churchill’s daughters.

Anyway this London was very intense and Olson's book is extremely well written, well researched and humanly convincing with great empathy for her subjects. Among its side insights:

Interestingly, she touches on an interesting race angle to the Americans being in Britain. At that time, the US military was very segregated and its racial attitudes appalling. The British could not understand this, and there were lots of fights between white American and the British hosts (who appreciated anyone coming to fight regardless of color), when the former insulted Black Americans publicly and the British stood up for them. Some pubs had signs saying ‘Only British and Black Americans served here’. I read elsewhere that the Civil Rights movement really took off after the war when Black Americans returned home from a country that did not treat them badly.

And Olson also tells how, even before America joined the war in December 1941 there were 244 Americans flying with the RAF against the neutrality laws of their country and 40% of them were killed. I find it intensely moving when I hear of people going to another country to fight for it against great evil, like the Americans crossing into Canada (with the FBI trying to stop them: the opposite of draft dodging) and traveling to London to fight against the Nazis.

She also notes that by 1943 there were also 100,000 Europeans in the British military from occupied Europe: people who just sneaked out, risked death leaving, and left everything behind to fight. French, Norwegians, Danes, Dutch, Belgians and Poles especially….while for instance back in Poland 3 million Poles were killed, 16% of the population. And Poland did not become free until 1989…. Olson comments that without the experienced Polish pilots the RAF might not have won the Battle of Britain as it had lost so many pilots in France.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ostensibly a close-up look at some Americans in Britain during the war, but really much more. I could have easily done without the romantic entanglements of the three main players -- Edward R. Murrow (just as cool as you would expect), John Gilbert Winant (yes, he was just like Mr. Smith when he went to Washington), and Averell Harriman (yawn) -- with members of Churchill's family :) but in theory, it's very interesting that these transplanted Americans were so involved in that way with that particular family.

The story basically "bookends" the British wartime work of the three mentioned Americans, and it's all fascinating stuff (well, truth be told, I found nothing about Harriman that was even slightly appealing) but what interested me most was Olson's meticulously-researched and winningly presented descriptions of other Anglo-American relationships, most notably that of Roosevelt and Churchill (reams of material, some of which may surprise) and also the general dynamic between the two countries, specifically seen between the American servicemen and their British hosts (hint: it's much more involved than the simple British complaint that the GI's were "overpaid, oversexed, and over here").

Fascinating reading, a real page-turner.

[Margery · Rating 4 out of 5]

FINALLY ... finished reading! I enjoyed this book for several reasons which doesn't help explain why it took six weeks to get through it. But non-fiction is not my first choice and so I nibbled rather than gobbled. Lynne Olson's book is a wonderful counterpart to The Postmistress (fictionalized account of the pre-war exodus across Europe of those running from Hitler.)

A second reason for liking this account is that it occured (mostly) in my lifetime and brought back memories of hearing Edward R. Murrow broadcasts and remembering the moment when I was told that FDR had died. Then there was the morbid appeal of learning how terribly the US administration (read FDR) behaved toward the British (read Churchill). Roosevelt is portrayed as the worst possible president for entering into international relations.

And then there is John Gilbert Winant, elevated almost to sainthood for his tireless work in AngloAmerican relations. Even if the author presents some bias in her work, I considered this an eye-opener.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a hard sell for any non-fiction book, but this book was pressed in my hand by a friend as a "must read" so I dutifully complied. Kicking and screaming all the way.

And, I've got to admit, it wasn't easy for me. The writing and style were great, but I have so many voids in my knowledge of 20th century history that I had to really concentrate on all of the dense information provided in this book. That, of course, is my shortcoming , not that of the book.

My father was a newspaperman (now called a journalist!) and I particularly enjoyed reading about Edward R. Murrow and his powerful support of Britain during the war. He really came alive as an iconoclastic and courageous figure.

The portraits of Roosevelt, Eisenhower and Churchill were also captivating in their complexity and (apparent) even-handed respect and criticism. I was particularly intrigued by Roosevelt's portrait. I have not done any in-depth reading about Franklin Roosevelt and his stature was diminished a bit for me after completing this book.

[Rosalyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book starts with several quotes, one of which is by Churchill's daughter-in-law: "It was a terrible war, but if you were the right age and in the right place, it was spectacular." Olsen transports us right into the thick of all the excitement, of London during the Blitz, the draconian rationing, of being surrounded by constant death and privation, but also inside the raucous parties, the drama-filled inner circles of the Roosevelt and Churchill administrations, and the romantic acts of heroism, grit, and empathy shown throughout the war.

Winant, Murrow, and Harriman are lesser known but no less important actors in the European theater of WW2, and I'm so glad to know them through this book, which is leaden with first hand accounts, humanizing them even more. In fact, there are so many quotes pulled from the "people in the room" that better realize the various situations from both UK and US perspectives, from America's isolationist stance, to Britain's near breaking point in 1940-41, to the North African / French front, rise of Soviet power, and the post-war vie for dominance, etc. it really felt like I was looking at everything in real time.

Highly recommend for anyone who knows the general gist of WW2 timeline, but wants to delve deeper and follow a perspective not of your usual presidents or generals.

[Daniel Greear · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I was a citizen of London.”



I feel like we Americans are taught that our country has a special relationship with the U.K. This wasn’t always the case. Before WWII, we had no such relationship at all. Despite a common language and a somewhat common society, Britain and the United States were reluctant allies in WWI and estranged rivals in the inter-war years. This book focuses on the creation of that relationship and the men who made it possible, particularly Gil Winant, Ed Murrow, and Averell Harriman.

It is astounding that Gil Winant is not a well known man in America. It baffles me that he doesn’t sit in the pantheon with other great Americans because that is exactly where he belongs. I have devoted most of my life to studying history and I had not heard of him until this book. Winant was the United States Ambassador to Great Britain following the departure of the spineless Joe Kennedy. He stood with Britain during the blitz and throughout the the war. He was a humble man who genuinely cared about others and in my opinion, was the spiritual successor to his idol, Abraham Lincoln.

He died a broken man after the war, with a failed marriage, crippling debt, and lack of purpose in the post-war world. I think had he lived, he could have very well been president, but that sadly didn’t happen. I think also that the publication of this book led to the creation of his statue in New Hampshire, the state where he served as governor before the war. This was way too long overdue.

I found Murrow to be less interesting and Harriman to be even less interesting, but Olson’s writing style made the book flow incredibly well. Much of this book was about Eisenhower and then the American GI as well, which was also interesting.

The only issue I had with this book was Olson’s book was the beginning. In the introduction, she just had to throw in a tidbit about the “greatness” of American foreign policy under Barack Obama. I hate how everything has to be tied into politics in today’s world. This was a book about history, I didn’t need for Olson to try and prove a point. Plus, her text utterly contradicts her opinion on Obama and his policy of “global cooperation”. She states in the beginning that Americans foreign policy was about American foreign interests and American domination up until the Obama presidency, but then at the end of the book goes into detail about the creation of the UN and NATO, which were both spearheaded by the USA. Now, I’m sure that American interests were tied into this, but the whole purpose of the two were to protect smaller nations and prevent another world war. That sounds to me an awful lot like we were participating in global cooperation long before Obama. Plus, I can’t see how Obama’s policy of distancing ourselves from longtime allies and funneling cash to Iran were “global cooperation”.

I digress, the book was great other than the above. I give it five stars and would highly recommend it to anyone.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm . . . Difficult to review and rate. Compounded because this was a road-trip audio book consumed in three days with more than a week between days one and two. Anyway, there are scads of good annecdotes and a pretty lucid narrative about the American involvement with Britain during WW II (the whole thing, not just after Pearl Harbor); the focus is 99.4 percent on the war with Germany, with only the slightest mention of the Pacific.

At the beginning, one is led to believe that the book will FOCUS on three men: journalist Ed Murrow, Ambassador to England John Gilbert Winant, and man-of-many-jobs Averrill Harriman. Of these, Winant gets the star treatment and much of the ink (air?), with Murrow second and Harriman a distant third -- and Harriman definitely isn't painted in a good light. In reality, the theme established up front becomes only a thin thread, and the author gives us MUCH material that really isn't strongly related to the theme-of-three. Lots about Eisenhower and a long section on the P-51 Mustang fighter, for instance. However, it's all interesting, so maybe it's OK. Harder to tell with the audio book -- seems like padding, or maybe poor editing -- then again, is there anyone EDITING any more? Or proofing? One example -- Eisenhower's aide Harry C. Butcher is called "Henry" on two occasions, although he's correctly called "Harry" several times. Did the audio-book reader just muff it, or was the editing/proofing that bad? Something like that always makes me doubt the accuracy of a book.

(Note added later -- in looking at what else Olson and her husband have written, it turns out that there's a good explanation why some of the "padding" is in this book . . . for instance, about Polish warriors; turns out they've written a whole book on Polish exiles fighting for the allies. Etc -- other examples, too).

My wife and co-listener enjoyed it and came away with admiration for Eisenhower and wanting to know more about Winant. I enjoyed it, especially since I've read many of the primary and secondary sources used and quoted by the author, and right now am in the middle of Vol. Three of Forrest Pogue's four-volume bio of Geo. C Marshall. I do think the author is overly critical of just about everyone she mentions -- but then I note that she's coming from a journalistic background, and her style and treatment are those of a journalist, not a historian. I prefer history either straight from the source or from historians.