Citizens of London by Lynne Olsen

For well over a year England faced down Germany by itself in the European War. France had fallen, the low countries had collapsed and Russia had struck a peace with Germany that allowed Germany to focus on it's battle with England.

The Royal Air Force fighting off the constant barrage from the Luftwaffe and the ability to recover from the nightly assaults of the Germans Air Force was something to behold.

Into this three Americans entered. Averill Harriman the administrator of Lend Lease, John Winant who replaced the hated ( by the British) Joe Kennedy as ambassador to England and Edward R Murrow the correspondent for CBS Radio. These men all did as much as they could to keep Americans involved in what was going on across the ocean. Living in London it became impossible for them to be totally objective, it soon became obvious to them that allowing London to fall would be in political terms a mistake and in human terms an absolute moral disgrace.

President Roosevelt, fearful of the isolationist movement in the United States felt that he could not lead America too far too fast. It is easy to think now that this was cowardly of him but Americans were simply not there, and the Republicans were certainly not in a mood to cooperate.

Churchill was, Churchill, a contrast of personality, bluster and bluff but one who in the end became a spiritual leader of his whole country. There are those that said Churchill saved the country. If he did he had much help.

The stories of Winant and Murrow have special interest and Winant comes out of this a man who should not be forgotten both for his roles described in the book and earlier as a progressive governor. His life is one that once one sees the end can only be viewed as a tragedy. Murrow became the stuff of legend and this book does nothing to reduce his legend.

Harriman, to me, was not a man I could embrace as easily. Certainly he did accomplish many great things and was working with his country's future as his goal. His character does not appear as crystal clear as his counterparts but even so it is information well worth knowing about this man who became a powerful figure in Democratic circles for decades.

Those who lived in London from 1939 to 1945 lived in an exciting, horrific time. As has been said there were no black and whites, all colors were bright and vivid. Life was intense in all ways. Lynne Olsen does a great job letting us know about this time and place