The Stalin Affair

The remarkable true story of the Allied men and women who worked alongside Stalin during four turbulent years of war. In the summer of 1941, Adolf Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, shattering what Stalin had considered an ironclad partnership with the Fuhrer. It was a shocking turning-point in the Second World War. The Allied reaction was twofold: delight that there was now a second front, but fears that the Red Army would be defeated. This would spell catastrophe for Britain and America. An all-powerful Hitler would be able to concentrate his vast military resources in Western Europe, making the continent''s liberation virtually impossible. In the wake of the Nazi invasion, a select team of British and Americans were given two vital goals: to befriend Joseph Stalin, hitherto an enemy of the Western powers, and to keep the Red Army fighting on the Eastern Front. America''s principal representative was Averell Harriman, a multi-millionaire railroad magnate. He was initially sent to London with orders to build a close working relationship with Winston Churchill. In this work, he was aided by his fashionable and brilliant young daughter, Kathy. Averell was next sent to Moscow, where he successfully wrangled Stalin into becoming a much-needed partner of the Allies. Soon after, Averell and Kathy moved to the Soviet capital to work directly with Stalin. Aided by the gloriously eccentric Archie Clark Kerr, this trio of protagonists got to know the Soviet leader more intimately than anyone else. They were thereby able to keep the fraught Allied alliance on track. But they also discovered that the Soviet dictator had a terrifying masterplan for the post-war world. Full of vivid, intimate scenes between the Big Three wartime leaders, The Stalin Affair draws on private letters, secret reports and unpublished diaries to reveal a hitherto untold story of the path to Allied victory. It also provides a compelling, richly nuanced portrait of history''s most complex and notorious dictator, Joseph Stalin. ...

Préface

From internationally bestselling historian Giles Milton comes the remarkable true story of the Allies' secret mission to wartime Moscow.

Auteur

Giles Milton is the million-copy, internationally bestselling author of a dozen works of narrative history. His books have been translated into twenty-five languages. One of Milton's previous works, Nathaniel's Nutmeg, is currently being developed into a major screen project. Milton is the writer and narrator of the acclaimed narrative podcast series, Ministry of Secrets, produced by Sony and available on all platforms. He lives in London and Burgundy.

Résumé

A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK

'Delivered with flamboyance, it features a sparkling cast of chancers' KATJA HOYER, Daily Telegraph 5* review

'Page-turning . . . a sizzling high-stakes tale' JAMES HOLLAND

'This book might read like the screenplay of a gripping movie, yet every word is accurate and verified' ANDREW ROBERTS

'Giles Milton is a phenomenon' DAN SNOW

'Another rollercoaster ride from Giles Milton. Endlessly surprising' ANTHONY HOROWITZ

From internationally 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 - and occasionally himself - to negotiate with the Kremlin's wiliest operators. Together, this improbable group grappled with the ingenious, 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.