This book tells the story of how three Americans determined to save Britain from Hitler helped convince U. S. President Franklin Roosevelt and a reluctant American public to aid Britain in its darkest and most critical hour.
The most famous of these three people was Ed Murrow, who was the head of CBS Radio in Europe in 1937. His live broadcasts of the Nazi bombing of London made him a celebrity, and his opening remarks: "This is London" are familiar to people in the United States and continental Europe. The most admirable one is Jill Winant, who became the U. S. Ambassador to Britain in 1941. He skillfully helped to establish the Anglo-American alliance. The most interesting was Averell Harriman, a wealthy playboy who began a long career of public service in 1941 when Roosevelt sent him to London to oversee the Lend-Lease program. The three of them had some romantic love "stories" with Churchill's daughter and daughter-in-law respectively.
Reader comments
The characters in the book are vivid, such as Ed Murrow's sentence "This is London", which made me feel as if I was actually there. There was also Winant, who broke the rules and established a deep friendship with the King of England. This book allowed me to see how people come together in the most difficult times. It is well worth reading!
The characters in the book are vivid, such as Ed Murrow's sentence "This is London", which made me feel as if I was actually there. There was also Winant, who broke the rules and established a deep friendship with the King of England. This book allowed me to see how people come together in the most difficult times. It is well worth reading!