Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour by Lynne OlsonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Citizens of London follows three men in London during WWII: Edward R. Murrow, the American Journalist and head of CBS News in Europe reporting on the war, Averell Harriman the man FDR appointed to run the Lend-Lease program, and Gil Winant, the U.S. Ambassador to Britain. These men lived the war. They were in London from the beginning and saw the destruction and the struggle that the locals faced every day. They all formed bonds with Churchill and played a part in some of the decisions made by him and by FDR. These men may have been "foreigners" living in the heart of the European fight but they were Londoners in their own right.
This book was very well researched and got to the heart of each man. Olson was able to get very personal with each man, showing flaws and all. We also see a bit of a different side of the relationship between FDR and Churchill than is often discussed. These men were often seen as close friends who worked together as allies, but the relationship had its strains. This is well worth the read for anyone that is interested in WWII, particularly from the British point of view.
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