Citizens of London
The Americans who stood with Britain in 1940-41 — Murrow, Harriman, and Ambassador Winant — when Washington would not.
The Verdict
Before the United States entered the war, three Americans in London decided Britain's survival was their fight — and Lynne Olson tells the alliance through them. The broadcaster Edward R. Murrow, the envoy Averell Harriman, and the ambassador John Winant lived the Blitz at close range, argued Britain's case to a reluctant Washington, and tangled their lives, romantically and politically, with the Churchill circle. It is the story of how an alliance is actually built — in dining rooms and broadcasting studios and bombed streets — rather than signed.
Who Should Read It
Read it if you want
- The forging of the Anglo-American alliance
- London in the Blitz through American eyes
- Character-driven political history
- The personalities behind 1940-41 diplomacy
Look elsewhere if you want
- Battlefield or military narrative
- A institutional diplomatic study
- The war beyond London
Why We Rated It 4.4
Historical Context
Citizens of London (2010) follows Edward R. Murrow, Averell Harriman, and Ambassador John Winant in London during 1940-41, as they championed Britain's cause and helped draw the United States toward the alliance. It captures both the politics and the personal entanglements of the period.
Events Covered
Editions & Reading Notes
Read It Alongside
Where to Buy
ISBN: 978-0812979350
Other Books About the Same Events
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who are the 'citizens of London' in the title?
- Three Americans in wartime London — Edward R. Murrow, Averell Harriman, and Ambassador John Winant — who pressed Britain's case as the alliance formed.
- Is it about the Blitz?
- Partly — the Blitz is its backdrop, seen through Americans who chose to share it, but its subject is the building of the alliance.