This program is read by the author.
From internationally bestselling historian Giles Milton comes the remarkable true story of the motley group of Allied men and women who worked to manage Stalin's mercurial, explosive approach to diplomacy during four turbulent years of World War II.
In the summer of 1941, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, shattering what Stalin had considered an ironclad partnership. There were real fears that Stalin's forces would be defeated or that the Soviet leader would once again strike a deal with Hitler. Either eventuality would spell catastrophe for both Britain and the United States.
Enter W. Averell Harriman: a railroad magnate and, at the start of the war, the fourth-richest man in America. At Roosevelt's behest he traveled to Britain to serve as a liaison between the president and Churchill and to spearhead what became known as the Harriman Mission. Together with his fashionable young daughter Kathy, an unforgettable cast of British diplomats, and Churchill himself, he would eventually manage to wrangle Stalin into the partnership the Allies needed to defeat Hitler.
Based on unpublished diaries, letters, and secret reports, The Stalin Affair reveals troves of new material about the path to Allied victory, full of vivid scenes between celebrated and infamous World War II figures.
A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.
-
Creators
-
Publisher
-
Release date
September 3, 2024 -
Formats
-
OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781250353719
- File size: 326381 KB
- Duration: 11:19:57
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Reviews
-
July 8, 2024
This piquant WWII chronicle from historian Milton (Checkmate in Berlin) features a charming tycoon and his well-heeled daughter in a down-to-the-wire plot to rescue Europe from the Nazis. In March 1941, Britain was under “relentless” Luftwaffe attack and “sinking fast,” Milton writes, when President Franklin Roosevelt handpicked railroad magnate Averell Harriman, then the fourth richest man in America, to visit Prime Minister Winston Churchill and report back on what food, supplies, and weaponry were needed. Milton describes how Harriman, “with striking good looks, trim and athletic to boot,” won Churchill’s trust (and seduced his daughter-in-law Pamela) within a fortnight of his arrival, and how he pulled strings so his 20-year-old daughter, Kathy, could join him in London and later in Moscow. Citing unpublished diaries, letters, and classified documents, the author credits the duo with “keeping the fragile Big Three Alliance on track.” He describes how Harriman convinced Churchill to allow the Trans-Iranian railroad to arm Stalin via the Persian Gulf, and how as ambassador to the Soviet Union he “assuaged Stalin’s fears of betrayal” and countered “naive” efforts at manipulation from Roosevelt that triggered Stalin’s paranoia. Milton does not laden the story with granular detail; his forte is describing soused Kremlin dinners and embassy parties (where Kathy danced with Soviet generals hoping to glean insights into Stalin’s war plan). The result is a breezy, boozy romp. -
British historian Giles Milton regularly narrates his own books, all devoted to aspects of WWII, and this illuminating account of the wartime dealings among Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin has a flavor no professional narrator could convey. Milton's voice is not schooled or melodious; it has the bark and urgency of a wartime announcer. Pitched but not strident, unvarnished but always exact, his style proves to be an effective vehicle for a narrative that peeks through curtains and listens at keyholes. The pivot is American railroad magnet Averell Harriman, who acted as Roosevelt's personal envoy, first to Churchill, then to Stalin, and along the way romanced Churchill's daughter-in-law, Pamela. All, especially Stalin, are sharply etched, legends and monsters brought to human scale. D.A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine -
March 1, 2025
British journalist, historian, and author of several best-selling narrative histories, Milton (Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare) authoritatively narrates this backstory of the Harriman Mission, a World War II alliance between the U.S., the UK, and the USSR, which came about with the assistance of wealthy railroad magnate Averell Harriman. Opening with a discussion of Hitler's rise to power and the conquering of Europe, the book then relates Stalin's insistence that Hitler wouldn't attack him and his shock when his air force was obliterated. Meanwhile, though Churchill stood firmly against Hitler, he also maintained a hearty dislike of Stalin. After FDR enlisted the support of the charismatic Harriman, careful negotiations created a fragile but winning alliance between the three. Milton employs subtle vocal nuances as he captures the many players, including Harriman's fashionable, 20-year-old daughter Kathy, who gathered insights at embassy parties; Churchill's daughter-in-law Pamela, who became romantically involved with (and later married) Harriman; and a range of diplomats, including Archibald "Archie" Clark Kerr, Stafford Cripps, and Vyacheslav Molotov. Milton makes the tensions felt by Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin nearly palpable. VERDICT A well-performed and engaging account of an uneasy alliance that turned the course of the war. Recommended for readers of political and military history.--Stephanie Bange
Copyright 2025 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
-