by Lynne Olson
First published 2010
Lynne Olson examines how America built its crucial wartime partnership with Britain through three influential figures stationed in London. Edward R. Murrow led CBS News operations across Europe, broadcasting the war's reality to American audiences. Averell Harriman, a wealthy businessman, managed Roosevelt's Lend-Lease program that supplied Britain with essential resources. John Gilbert Winant served as the American ambassador, navigating delicate diplomatic waters. All three men developed intimate relationships with Winston Churchill and became romantically entangled with members of his family. Olson uses primary documents to trace their personal stories as they worked to persuade a hesitant Franklin Roosevelt and skeptical American public to support Britain against Hitler. The book reveals how these individual relationships shaped the broader alliance that proved vital to Britain's survival and eventual victory.
Genres: history, 20th-century, non-fiction, biography-memoir, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: London, Europe, America
Period: World War II
496 pages · Hardcover · Random House