Brendan (History Nerds United)'s Reviews > The Stalin Affair: The Impossible Alliance That Won the War
The Stalin Affair: The Impossible Alliance That Won the War
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Giles Milton is so damn good at this. "This" being writing history books that read like fictional dramas. His latest, The Stalin Affair, is as great as I had hoped. Milton looks at the doomed World War II bromance of Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt. For those of you who rolled their eyes at a history reviewer using the word "bromance", please read the book and tell me what word works better. There are specific episodes in this book which read like high school drama only with the fate of the free world on the line.
What I appreciate so much about Milton's writing is how he packs each page with information while making it feel like he is just chatting with you at a pub. Much of this book could read like an extremely boring rehash of diplomatic activities, but instead he makes it feel like a propulsive character drama.
And there is a lot of drama in The Stalin Affair. It is easy to forget that the Allies in World War II were not a collection of countries who loved each other while fighting evil. There were so many gray areas and conflicts that it seems amazing they ever worked together at all.
Milton also makes sure not to lose the other players in the drama. People who often become footnotes in other books, like Averell Harriman, his daughter Kathleen, and Archibald Clark Kerr, are given their due for making the successes of the Big 3 a reality. At the same time, Milton doesn't lose sight of the fact that the leaders of the free world were actively searching for the approval of one of the most evil men in history. This is all balanced out perfectly in the narrative and I could not put this book down.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Henry Holt and Company.)
What I appreciate so much about Milton's writing is how he packs each page with information while making it feel like he is just chatting with you at a pub. Much of this book could read like an extremely boring rehash of diplomatic activities, but instead he makes it feel like a propulsive character drama.
And there is a lot of drama in The Stalin Affair. It is easy to forget that the Allies in World War II were not a collection of countries who loved each other while fighting evil. There were so many gray areas and conflicts that it seems amazing they ever worked together at all.
Milton also makes sure not to lose the other players in the drama. People who often become footnotes in other books, like Averell Harriman, his daughter Kathleen, and Archibald Clark Kerr, are given their due for making the successes of the Big 3 a reality. At the same time, Milton doesn't lose sight of the fact that the leaders of the free world were actively searching for the approval of one of the most evil men in history. This is all balanced out perfectly in the narrative and I could not put this book down.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Henry Holt and Company.)
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Reading Progress
July 9, 2024
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Started Reading
July 9, 2024
– Shelved
July 16, 2024
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Barbara K.
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Jul 17, 2024 04:47PM
![Barbara K.](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1551265103p1/93114967.jpg)
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![Caleb Fogler](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1633889814p1/116634332.jpg)
![Brendan (History Nerds United)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1645287470p1/147962454.jpg)
Thanks, Barbara! I appreciate the backup on my choice of words :o)
![Brendan (History Nerds United)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1645287470p1/147962454.jpg)
Thanks, Caleb! I did not read "The Allies" but I know from this time period you can basically skip some of the pettiness between each of the world leaders. This one definitely leans into it but not in a gossipy way.
![Mike (HistoryBuff)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1528651483p1/64361916.jpg)
![Fran Hawthorne](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1530030131p1/83540380.jpg)
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Thanks, Mike! While I am a huge fan of Ambrose and Hastings, Milton writes almost like a novel. He doesn't dive nearly as deep on the details, but he isn't writing fluff either. I think he's a great mix of narrative driven along with excellent scholarship.
![Brendan (History Nerds United)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1645287470p1/147962454.jpg)
Thanks, Fran! I was reading off a reviewer copy but I think a little over 300 pages? Not long at all and reads fast!