Citizens of London

The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour

By: Lynne Olson

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

Length: 17 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2010 Lynne Olson (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Ingenious history.... Olson's absorbing narrative does [Winant, Murrow, and Harriman] justice." ( Publishers Weekly)

This time and these people formed the world into which I emerged six years later. Lynne Olson has created a masterpiece.

Citizens of London describes my parent’s world of wartime London. The insight relating to the actions, motivations of leading wartime personalities including Wynant, Murrow, Churchill and Harriman painted a memorable picture of the conditions, stresses, conflicts, emotions and critical relationships that have shaped our modern world.

The very best tale of WWII London

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes.This book is for the history buff and the general reader.

What did you like best about this story?

The interweaving of the three main characters,with the prime movers of WWII British war efforts.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

If you had the chance, would you have wanted to be A Citizen of London during the War.

riveting

you feel as if you're living through the war in England, I learned things about our Anglo relationship I never knew, from our American revolution through and after the second world war. You learn to appreciate the sacrifice England made to save democracy and how bad things could have turned out different

One of the best of a genre I love

The reader gets a thorough feel for what wartime London was like and how the important players of the era worked together (or didn't). It is hard to imagine now what the British in various cities endured night after night, only to make their way through battered cities and start over again.

This book presented the War events Wonderful page turning story and

Non fiction is more amazing than fiction. This book brings to life the fear, struggles and emotions from the presidents and generals to the people on the street. The were many diaries and letters left behind gave detailed background this author could research which described the daily traumas of guns bombs love affairs, separation of families and starvation experienced.
Also at this time radio and newscasters and such as Edward R Murrow became more critical in this era.

What you might not know about the Brit/USA alliance in WWII

What this well researched, beautifully written, and
excellently narrated book offers is a balance between the political events occurring mostly in London and Washington during the 6 long years the Brits were leading the fight against Germany and the personal struggles and successes of the principal players in London, 3 of whom were Americans.
It’s very human story helps to illuminate the emotional and psychological cost of war and the aftermath for brave, strong, ambitious and imperfect men who lived their principles in the face of fear and the unknown. It’s well worth your time.

Must Read...

I rarely prepare a lengthy review of a book for audible or otherwise. On the other hand, This book was absolutely terrific terrific in its retelling of the 5 years that United States and Britain were allies is respect to World War II. The discussion focuses on the several people who were the citizens of London of London at least for a while. As a person who has already read significantly about about 1939 to 1945 and the War Years,
I learned a great deal and I appreciated what I learned and had previously read a great deal more after reading this book. If you are an American exceptionalist, You may not be particularly attracted to the book, But it will still add considerably to to your knowledge and appreciation.

If we are together nothing is impossible

If we are together nothing is impossible - those words from Winston Churchill sum up the war effort and are one of the choice quotes used to introduce this book. This extraordinarily well researched history traces the lives of three men but goes much further by exploring the intricacies of the relationships between the governments of England, United States and Russia. It explores the resistance of the American public to entering the war, the ruthlessness of FDR toward the British prior to the war with Lend/Lease, and the sheer desperation and aloneness the British felt. The three men identified, John Gilbert Winant (former governor of NH), Averell Harriman, and Edward Murrow (newsman) stayed in London throughout London's darkest times and seemed to the British people like the only Americans who understood their plight. They petitioned FDR for greater understanding for the British cause. Britain was the last country standing against Hitler and yet assistance was just not coming from the United States. This book is in 3 audio parts with a total of 17 hours of listening. If the author started out to write about the 3 men (Winant, Harriman, Murrow), she ended up writing an excellent history of the war from the perspective of the British and American relationship, including relationships between Churchil, FDR and Stalin, meetings in Tehran and Yalta. Plenty of detail about Eisenhower. While I believe I can detect the author's political persuasion I don't believe it interfered with the book to a great extent, with the possible exception of the introduction. Excellent narration.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

This is a remarkable book which describes how some insightful, influential and forward thinking Americans came to the aid of Britain during WWII. It also exposes those whose aim was to bring Britain to her knees by taking advantage of the precarious situation Britain was in to bankrupt her and set the stage for a post-war takeover of her trade. "Lend-lease" which meant that the US sold the UK old and decrepit ships for wickedly inflated prices and kept Britain poor following the war when the US helped Germany and Japan rebuild and left Britain starving was only finally repaid a few years ago; this was a deliberate policy of Americans who hated Britain and envied her pre-war status. The skulduggery and malicious intentions of the US are laid bare in this book, and serve to heighten and illuminate the goodwill and precious help that these three men gave to Britain. Had Britain capitulated to Germany as the French had done, with no place in Europe to base an opposition to the Nazis, America would have been in no position to fight them and would (with the delighted collaboration of people like Joe Kennedy, Charles Lindberg and other American heroes) have been forced to get into bed with Hitler. This book should be read by all Americans, especially Hollywood which likes to portray the Americans riding in heroically to save the day, and steals the stories of other nations' heroes with their historically incorrect portrayal of the Great Escape, the Enigma rescue etc., which were due to the British, Poles, etc.. Considering what an important figure in all this the American ambassador was (no! not THAT self-serving despicable person!) - the name of John Gilbert Winant ought to be better known. This good man was an essential element in winning the war and should be more famous. If Britain owes a debt of gratitude to anyone, it is to this man. A statue in London to John Gilbert Winant, anyone?

Much more than the title suggests

Well written and thoroughly researched even if it suffers, as do so many historical works, from over exposition. Its three main characters, Harriman, Morrow and Linant, are brought into sharp focus with fascinating anecdotes and unabashed details of their private lives. I felt I could sit down to dinner with these three as if I knew them personally by the end of the book.

Inevitably, the book requires a deep context. Those who already know of the Churchill, Roosevelt and even Stalin relationships may find themselves re-reading; those who have read such experts as Ambrose and Keegan will not need the World War II historical episodes. However, the author relates such diversions to their diplomatic implications tightly and this distraction, if it occurs, will not irritate I suspect.

The reader is clear and relaxing as is needed for such a long treatise. However, as a small point...Lord Salisbury is "...Sauls-bury..."; Sandys is "...Sands..."; Cadogan is "...Kerr-DUGG-un..." I'll do you the favour of not trying to give you his pronunciation and even if Americans have a right to use their own language as they feel fit, proper names should be managed with respect.