Citizens of London
Lynne Olson's 2010 history focuses on three Americans living in London during the Second World War, ambassador John Gilbert Winant, broadcaster Edward R. Murrow, and businessman Averell Harriman. Each played a part in pulling the United States toward Britain's side before and during American entry into the war. Olson sets their personal lives, including tangled relationships with the Churchill family, against the backdrop of the Blitz and the daily danger of a city under bombardment. She shows how trust between the two nations was built person by person, often through friendship and shared risk rather than formal diplomacy. The book combines political history with human stories and conveys what it felt like to live and work in wartime London. It is a readable account of the people who held the alliance together during its hardest years.
What you might want to know about Citizens of London
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
The story of three influential Americans in London during World War II who helped bring the United States into the alliance with Britain.
Ambassador John Gilbert Winant, broadcaster Edward R. Murrow, and businessman Averell Harriman, all of whom helped strengthen ties between the United States and Britain during the war.
It centers on London during World War II, including the Blitz and the years surrounding American entry into the war alongside Britain.
Citizens of London was written by Lynne Olson, published in 1753 by Random House.
Citizens of London is 496 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Citizens of London takes most readers 7 to 11 hours to finish.
Citizens of London is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
