First published 2009
Four powerful men shaped the Allied victory in World War II through their personal relationships and strategic battles. Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt led their nations while General Sir Alan Brooke and General George Marshall commanded their armies. Each believed his approach would win the war fastest. Each needed to convince at least two others to adopt his strategy. Andrew Roberts examines how their mutual suspicion and admiration influenced major decisions. He draws on newly discovered records of Churchill's war cabinet meetings and private papers from nearly seventy participants. The book explores why the Allies attacked through North Africa and Italy rather than directly through northwestern France. It examines why four hundred thousand troops landed in southern France two months after D-Day. Roberts reveals why the Allies allowed the Soviets to take Berlin, Vienna, and Prague. The author recreates the debates and political maneuvering that determined Allied grand strategy, showing how individual personalities shaped the war's outcome.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, world-war-ii, non-fiction, military-history, academic, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: North Africa, Italy, France, Berlin, Vienna, Prague
Period: World War II
720 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollins