THE STALIN AFFAIR
SERIALISED AS ‘BOOK OF THE WEEK’ ON BBC RADIO 4.
‘A superb recreation of an astonishing and unlikely wartime alliance, vividly brought to life in this page-turning book’ - James Holland
From international bestselling historian Giles Milton comes the remarkable true story of the Allies’ secret mission to wartime Moscow.
In the summer of 1941, as Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, Stalin’s forces faced a catastrophic defeat which would make the Allies’ liberation of Europe virtually impossible. To avert this disaster, Britain and America mobilized an elite team of remarkable diplomats with the mission of keeping the Red Army in the war.
Into to the heart of Stalin’s Moscow, Roosevelt sent Averell Harriman, the fourth richest man in America, and his brilliant young daughter Kathy. Churchill dispatched the reckless but brilliant bon vivant Archie Clark Kerr to negotiate with the Kremlin’s wiliest operators. Together, this improbable group grappled with the masterful, mercurial Stalin to make victory possible. But they also discovered that the Soviet dictator had a terrifying masterplan for the post-war world.
Based on astonishing unpublished diaries, letters and secret reports, The Stalin Affair reveals troves of new material about the most unlikely coalition in history.
UK EDITION NOW AVAILABLE: US EDITION 3 SEPTEMBER 2024
UK from Bookshop.org, Waterstones, and Amazon
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Reviews
‘Delivered with flamboyance, The Stalin Affair features a sparkling cast of characters, charmers, egotists and eccentrics with a ringside seat to world events…Milton effortlessly moves between high politics and the private world of those who shape them. His fast-paced tale is full of surprising details, reminding us that even the most momentous history is the sum of decisions made by people.’ Katja Hoyer, Daily Telegraph.
‘A thoroughly enjoyable, well-researched, and delightfully gossipy narrative of one of the most extraordinary diplomatic stories of the Second World War."‘ Conor O’Clery, Irish Times.
'Giles Milton has done it again - a wartime tale of intrigue, risk and cunning involving not only three giants of twentieth century history, but a maverick British diplomat, a dashing American millionaire and his irrepressible daughter. It's a gripping tale that sheds light on one of the second world war's enduring riddles: how did Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin bury their differences and remain allies long enough to defeat Hitler?' - Jonathan Freedland
'Giles Milton is a phenomenon. He is masterful as he weaves grand strategy together with individual stories, in all their colour and eccentricity. The result is a rich narrative that leaps from the microscopic to the universal and back again' - Dan Snow
'Giles Milton has mined new information to portray a convincing account of the relationship between the Second World War's "Big Three". This book might read like the screenplay of a gripping movie, yet every word is accurate and verified' - Andrew Roberts
'Another rollercoaster ride from Giles Milton. Endlessly surprising' - Anthony Horowitz
'Giles Milton is a fine historian but also a born storyteller. This is a superb recreation of an astonishing and unlikely wartime alliance, vividly brought to life in this page-turning book. Political machinations, clashes of culture, deception and deviousness, as well as friendships forged, and a fabulous cast of extraordinary characters combine in a sizzling high-stakes tale of wartime diplomacy that takes the reader from London to Moscow and beyond. Fabulous' - James Holland