Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour |  | Author: Lynne Olson
Publisher: Random House
Category: Book
List Price: $28.00
Buy New: $16.37
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Rating:  39 reviews
Sales Rank: 220
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 496
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.9
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2
ISBN: 1400067588
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.531
EAN: 9781400067589
ASIN: 1400067588
Publication Date: February 2, 2010
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| • | ISBN13: 9781400067589 | | • | Condition: NEW | | • | Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark. |
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Product Description
In Citizens of London, Lynne Olson has written a work of World War II history even more relevant and revealing than her acclaimed Troublesome Young Men. Here is 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, Averell Harriman, and John Gilbert Winant. Drawing from a variety of primary sources, Olson skillfully depicts the dramatic personal journeys of these men who, determined to save Britain from Hitler, helped convince a cautious Franklin Roosevelt and a reluctant American public to support the British at a critical time.
The three—Murrow, the handsome, chain-smoking head of CBS News in Europe; Harriman, the hard-driving millionaire who ran FDR’s Lend-Lease program in London; and Winant, the shy, idealistic U.S. ambassador to Britain—formed close ties with Winston Churchill and were drawn into Churchill’s official and personal circles. So intense were their relationships with the Churchills that they all became romantically involved with members of the prime minister’s family: Harriman and Murrow with Churchill’s daughter-in-law, Pamela, and Winant with his favorite daughter, Sarah.
Others were honorary “citizens of London” as well, including the gregarious, fiercely ambitious Dwight D. Eisenhower, an obscure general who, as the first commander of American forces in Britain, was determined to do everything in his power to make the alliance a success, and Tommy Hitchcock, a world-famous polo player and World War I fighter pilot who helped save the Allies’ bombing campaign against Germany.
Citizens of London, however, is more than just the story of these Americans and the world leaders they aided and influenced. It’s an engrossing account of the transformative power of personal diplomacy and, above all, a rich, panoramic tale of two cities: Washington, D.C., a lazy Southern town slowly growing into a hub of international power, and London, a class-conscious capital transformed by the Blitz into a model of stoic grace under violent pressure and deprivation. 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.
Amazon.com Review
Amazon Best Books of the Month, February 2010: Citizens of London is the story of the American firebrands who broke rank with popular opinion and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with England during the bleak infancy of World War II. Author Lynne Olson more than lives up to the critical acclaim of her last book, Troublesome Young Men, by exploring the origins of an Anglo-American alliance that helped turn the tide during the most widespread conflict in history. Although other "Yanks" rallied against the hesitancy of their isolationist government before Pearl Harbor, few matched the impact of U.S. ambassador John Gilbert Winant, businessman Averell Harriman, and broadcaster Edward R. Murrow. Each recognized the insidious dangers of Nazi aggression, and with the help of meticulous research, Olson elucidates the challenges they endured to help bridge political and cultural gaps between the United States and Britain. At a time when the English capital was described as "swimming in the full tide of history," Citizens of London echoes Tennyson in its tribute to those who strove, sought, and refused to yield. --Dave Callanan
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 39
 Great History Told from a Novel Perspective March 11, 2010
Adam Dukovich (Roseville, CA United States)
There are plenty of books that focus on WWII, but Citizens Of London is one of the few I've read that aims to look at the subject from a fresh vantage point: the book looks at the impact of a few high-powered Americans in Britain during the war, but before American involvement in it. The men include the well-known crusading journalist Ed Murrow, the wealthy and politically talented Averell Harriman, and the most obscure of the group, John Winant, the U.S. Ambassador. Later chapters focus on Eisenhower, who performed some similar tasks once the U.S. had entered the war. In essence, Winant, Harriman and Murrow were on the scene in Britain before America entered the war, trying to build relationships both with elites as well as with the British public by educating them, by educating the Americans about their plight, and by advocating on their behalf during the darkest days of the war. These men were famous men in England at the time--they were practically rock stars, mobbed by adoring fans--and they were instrumental in establishing relations between the two peoples. Lynne Olson does an excellent job of letting us know what these men were about and making them seem like real people--even though they had some similarities (such as having affairs with female members of the Churchill family!), the three men were very different people. I rather liked the book's treatment of Winant, an unsung figure in this chapter of history, and I was able to relate to him on many levels.
So, if this book is so great, why not five stars? Well, I do feel that it could have been a bit shorter. Some of the latter chapters ignore the concept of the book entirely and mostly give general history on the latter stages of WWII, which I already knew. So, that brings it down just a bit for me. All in all, though, I would highly recommend the book to my fellow students of history. These men helped save the world. Honor their memories, and get this book!
 Citizens of London March 10, 2010
Donald D. Goehler (Issaquah, WA USA)
Outstanding Research and presentation. Facts that l had never heard before, and presented in page turner fashion.
Life During Wartime March 8, 2010
Todd and In Charge (Miami, FL)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a compelling entry in modern World War II scholarship, a cross-genre look at several pivotal Americans in London during a critical time in the early period of the war.
Pulling together accounts from a myriad of sources, Olson paints a vivid picture of the intrigue, machinations, courage, and hardships faced by Londoners as they rose up to confront the Nazi bombardment and rally American support for the war effort. Interestingly, not everyone suffered equally, as Olson notes, and some who were selfish and privileged before the war were just as selfish and privileged during it.
Very readable, I would recommend this for anyone interested in the period.
 A test to see what we'll pay March 7, 2010
Roger W. Wright (Chicago, Illinois)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
When the fight is over about just how overpriced this is---let me know and I'll buy it. Otherwise, I'll simply go to the library. I'm sure it's as good as advertised---but it simply costs too much.
 $1.50 more for the hardcover vs kindle edition? really? March 7, 2010
Robert C. Anderson (Delta Junction, Alaska United States)
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
I hope this isn't a harbinger of things to come. $1.50 less for kindle vs hard cover? Really? who set this this price? I'm guessing Random House. I am very interested in reading this book but until the price of it drops to 9.99 or below this can sit on my wish list. There is no justification for pricing a kindle book at this price in comparison to the hard cover price. Good luck with this new pricing structure if this is what all the loyal kindle users have to look forward to. It may be time to start boycotting all books that are overpriced due to the publishers jacking the prices up.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 39
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