Citizens Of London: The Americans Who Stood With Britain In Its Darkest, Finest Hour (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
I've read both this and _Those Angry Days_ from Ms. Olson. Both books are about the Second World War, both concern themselves greatly with the slow emergence of the USA from it's isolationism.Citizens of London begins with the profiles of three prominent Americans living in London during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz. The second half of the book opens up Olson's field of study to include most of the citizens of London, and then, the book slides into a more general overview of the European war.While all three aspects of the book are fascinating, and everything by Ms. Olson is well written, I found the loss of focus toward the end of this book slightly distracting.Still... overall, well worth the read! I don't think that I can really add anything here that hasn't already been said. This is a remarkable book. The author tells a fascinating story about a number of people we know pretty well and a number of others that we don't. She connects the larger forces and events to the lives of those impacted by them. She includes the necessary detail for the reader to understand the context without getting bogged down by them. Perhaps most importantly, she has resurrected the legacy of John Gilbert Winant, a great American who deserves to be remembered for his service to his country and to all humanity.
What do You think about Citizens Of London: The Americans Who Stood With Britain In Its Darkest, Finest Hour (2010)?
Long, but an excellent read of the Americans who were influential in Britain during the 2nd WW.
—fo26gall
Excellent, well-written, wonderful characters and some disappointing characters.
—awesomegirl54
Great read and great history! You won't regret reading this book.
—hicks9226
