Citizens of London, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.1) I love you because by taking a look at something other than the battles and the big names, you lulled me in to reading and caring about the war. I've always avoided reading about WWII because so many of the books are about specific battles or are about one mighty man. I find them confusing, which makes me bored, which then makes me mad because I don't want to be bored by something that should be of great import. I learned more about various battles from this book (like what the 'bulge' was in the Battle of the Bulge) than from everything I've read until now.
2) I love you because you shared with me a viewpoint I'd never seen before. FDR as rather mean and petty, Churchill as emotional, Eisenhower as a great conciliator. All that I knew of FDR was limited to the New Deal, his multiple reelections, and the photo of Graham Jackson playing the accordion at Warm Springs. It's always the case that authors can bring a particular agenda to their writing, and perhaps Lynne Olson doesn't like FDR. Even if that's the case, I enjoyed being presented with the possibility of seeing these men in a different light.
3) I love you because you brought me Gil Winant. The American ambassador to England was tremendously loved and respected by Britons, while we Americans forgot him. Learning about the important role he played in the war has been a real gift.
