The Stalin Affair
The Impossible Alliance that Won the War
Published on 5. June 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
384 pages
978-1-5293-9855-7 (ISBN)
Description
'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Based on astonishing unpublished diaries, letters and secret reports, The Stalin Affair reveals troves of new material about the most unlikely coalition in history.
*Giles Milton's The Stalin Affair was a Radio 4 Book of the Week in the week of 17th June 2024.*
'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.
*Giles Milton's The Stalin Affair was a Radio 4 Book of the Week in the week of 17th June 2024.*
Reviews / Votes
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 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 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 Another rollercoaster ride from Giles Milton. Endlessly surprising. -- Anthony Horowitz Giles Milton is a fine historian but also a born story-teller. 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 Delivered with flamboyance, it features a sparkling cast of chancers, charmers, egotists and eccentrics with a ringside seat to world events . . . Milton effortlessly moves between high politics and the private world of those who shaped them -- Katja Hoyer, Daily Telegraph 5* review A scintillating study of international diplomacy amid the horrors of war, enlivened by human detail . . . There is a good reason why Milton's books get dramatized for TV and radio: they are page turners -- Iain MacGregor, The Spectator 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 Based on a genuinely new archival source . . . The world [of Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt] has been vividly and memorably brought to life in Giles Milton's compellingly readable account. It is a worthy addition to any history enthusiast's bookshelf -- Roger Moorhouse, BBC History Magazine Compelling narrative history * Radio Times * Grippingly entertaining. Unlike most books about war, it is serious history, yet light as a feather -- Times Literary Supplement How did I know nothing about this massively important part of our recent history? Giles Milton's lucid and magnetic account is utterly absorbing, revealing a chapter of WWII which is often completely invisible. Compulsory reading -- Dame Joanna Lumley Hugely enjoyable -- The Spectator, Books of the YearMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
John Murray Press
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
x39 B&W images, integrated
Dimensions
Height: 194 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
262 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5293-9855-7 (9781529398557)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2024
John Murray
€4.49
Available for download
Person
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.