Citizens of London by Lynne Olson

Citizens of London is the story of three Americans--John Gilbert Winant, the US ambassador to Britain; Averell Harriman, whom Roosevelt appointed to head the Lend-Lease program in London; and Edward R. Murrow, who at the time was the head of CBS News in Europe. Each of them became extremely close to the Churchill family, to the point that they all became romantically involved with a Churchill daughter or daughter-in-law; and each played an important role in the relationship between the US and Britain in the 1940s.

Frankly, I could have done without the emphasis on the romances with the Churchill daughters. Also, I found Winant's and Murrow's stories much more compelling than Harriman's; and based on the way she portrayed each of their stories, I wonder if Lynne Olson didn't feel the same way. However, the book also opened my eyes to the true nature of the relationship between the US and Britain before, during, and immediately following World War II. I had no idea it was so complicated; everything I've read in the past has given me the impression that once the US joined the war, its relationship with Britain was primarily positive and supportive. This was definitely not the case. In hindsight, it does make some sense because the two countries did have completely different experiences during the war. However, I was surprised and disheartened at America's apparent indifference to the suffering of the British people.

As with the US ambassador to Germany in the early days of World War II, I had never given much thought to the US ambassador to Britain. I found Gil Winant to be the most sympathetic character here, with Janet Murrow--though she doesn't get a whole lot of "face time" in this book--as a close second. The book's ending is heartbreaking; I won't go into any further detail, but the immediate aftermath of the war was not entirely joyful, even for the Brits and Americans who played significant roles in the Allied victory.

This book provides a unique perspective on World War II and the relationships between many of the key players. It's an excellent companion to Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beasts.