Citizens of London

"Citizens of London is a great read about a small band of Americans and their courageous role in helping Britain through the darkest days of early World War II. I thought I knew a lot about that dangerous period but Lynne Olson has taught me so much more."
--Tom Brokaw

“A stirring portrait of brave England in its finest hour. At its exciting center are the Americans who became England’s true friends as it fought for survival against Hitler’s Luftwaffe. Here is Edward R. Murrow reporting on the Blitz as the bombs dropped and city burned about him. You’ll meet the young, gutsy American pilots of the Eagle Squadron who broke their country’s laws to serve with the RAF. Then, nearest to London’s heart, you’ll discover the noble U.S. Ambassador John Gilbert Winant, who brought to fighting England all the fineness and generosity his country could spare and more. Lynne Olson has produced a deeply inspiring chronicle of the special relationship when it mattered most. She’s turned out a truly grand companion to Jon Meacham’s majestic Franklin and Winston.”
--Chris Matthews, Anchor, MSNBC’s Hardball

“If you don't think there's any more to learn about the power struggles, rivalries and dramas-- both personal and political--about the US-British alliance in the World War II years, this book will change your mind--and keep you turning the pages as well.”
--Jeff Greenfield, Senior Political Correspondent, CBS News

“A triumph of research and storytelling…history on an intimate level."
--Walter Isaacson, author of Einstein

"In this engaging and original book, Lynne Olson tells the story of the Americans who did the New World credit by giving their all to help Churchill's Britain hold on against Hitler. Rich in anecdote and analysis, this is a terrific work of history.”
--Jon Meacham, author of American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the
White House

“This is history at its most personal and compelling, a group portrait of three fascinating individuals—Winant, Harriman, and Murrow—whose lives intersected at a pivotal moment in the 20th century, when the fates of America and Britain were interlocked. The result is what the English call ‘a rollicking read.’”
--Strobe Talbott, president of Brookings Institution and author of The Great Experiment: Ancient Empires, Modern States, and the Search for a Global Nation

“It doesn't seem possible that support for Britain against the Nazis was so unpopular in America before December of 1941. In Citizens of London, Lynne Olson tells the stories of Britain's few American champions--men who ended up on the right side of history. Her book brings alive this crucial time of our country's recent past, and shows us how much difference can be made by a few leaders.”
--Bob Edwards, radio commentator and author of Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism

"Brilliantly bursting with beautiful prose, Olson…captures the essence of the public and private lives of those who faced death, touched the precipice, hung on by their eyelids, and saved the free world from destruction by the forces of evil."
--Bill Gardner, New Hampshire Secretary of State

Troublesome Young Men

“An unexpected page-turner about the group of young Tory MPs whose tenacious rebellion…leaves you longing for such political courage today.”
--Tina Brown, The American Spectator

 “[A] riveting book . . . Olson tells her story with verve, never letting the reader forget what was really at risk—and what might have happened if these particular troublemakers hadn’t been so willing to stir the political pot.” -
--The Atlantic Monthly

“A well-written, fast-paced book that reads like a political thriller . . . Troublesome Young Men is an extraordinary tale of political courage in perilous times–and a wonderfully written book.”
--Christian Science Monitor

“Brisk, engaging. . . . A fascinating snapshot of the Tory ‘rebels.’ . . . The strength of Olson’s book is how well she writes of the human element in politics and diplomacy.”
--Jon Meacham, The New York Times Book Review

“Ms. Olson vividly recreates the climate of suspicion and hostility that surrounded the troublesome young men, a tiny minority with a seemingly hopeless cause….It is a fascinating story that Ms. Olson tells with great dash.”
--William Grimes, The New York Times

“Vivid and compelling.”
--David Cannadine, The Washington Post Book World

“A cracking tale. . . . Olson recalls the train of events with authority and elegance. Her ear as a journalist gives the narrative a pace that allows it to unfold seamlessly as she introduces the cast of characters. . . . Deeply affecting.”
--The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

“Gripping. . . . Recounted with such journalistic flair that it constantly feels fresh. Olson elegantly brings this political milieu to life.”
--The Guardian (UK)

“Infused with the sense of urgency felt by the young Tories, Olson’s vivid narrative of a critical generational clash leaves the reader wondering what might have happened had they prevailed earlier on.”
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“One of the delightful aspects of Ms. Olson’s book is her ability to mix the personal with the political; the story of Boothby’s lifelong affair across five decades with Macmillan’s wife and the repercussions it engendered makes for fascinating reading. . . . Olson’s account is as fresh as it is engaging. Indeed, she is good at salting her book with all sorts of gems: Her accounts of life in the blackout, rationing, even the part the weather played in the national mood help make Troublesome Young Men the great read it is.”
--The Washington Times 

“Engrossing.... Olson does a superb job of capturing the smoke-filled, whiskey-soaked ambience of British politics and the web of personal relationships involved.”
--Library Journal

 “Whether recounting secret meetings or smoking room encounters, campaigns in colorful British constituencies, suspenseful parliamentary votes, or everyday English life under fear of Luftwaffe bombing, [Olson’s] scholarship is flawless and her word pictures simultaneously subtle and vivid.”
--Louisville Courier-Journal

“Olson has seized upon [this] wonderful but neglected story and has told it with verve. It is a riveting tale, immensely readable, that brings to history the excitement of a novel.”
--David Fromkin, author of Europe’s Last Summer and A Peace to End All Peace

A Question of Honor

"Exciting. . . . A tale of heroism, camaraderie and glory. The authors vividly re-create the airmen’s daily bouts with death and nights of partying, their lost lives and loves."
--The Washington Post Book World

"Olson and Cloud use the [Kosciuszko Squadron] pilots' story as the centerpiece of an impassioned, riveting account of Poland's betrayal by Britain and the United States, which quickly forgot the Poles' heroism in their rush to appease Stalin's Soviet Union."
--Adam Nagorski, Newsweek

"Exciting and compelling, a fine story too rarely told, a tribute to the Polish fighting spirit, and a well-written war history about a distant but very good neighbor."
--Alan Furst

"A wonderful story, wonderfully told. Heroism and betrayal make for heady reading, and this book is long overdue."
--Norman Davies

"An astonishing achievement! Lynne Olson and Stanley Cloud give us a fascinating account of the extremely well documented heroic and daring struggle of a group of Polish military pilots and through it they present us a glimpse of the harrowing history of Poland and Europe during the Second World War."
--Ryszard Kapuscinski

"This book presents us with one of the most disgraceful ethical horrors of World War II -- how, believing the need to support Stalin at all costs, we discredited, and later neglected, our oldest, bravest, and most trustworthy ally in order to conceal the truth of a revolting crime."
--Robert Conquest

"The Polish airmen who had escaped their savaged country in 1939 made a major contribution to the Royal Air Force's victory in the Battle of Britain in 1940. 303 Squadron, which they formed, was the most successful of all RAF units in shooting down German aircraft, attempting to bomb Britain into surrender. Their subsequent treatment by the British government including its refusal to let the survivors march in the Victory Parade of 1946, in craven deference to Stalin, was one of the most shameful episodes of the Cold War."
--Sir John Keegan

"A gripping account of personal gallantry and of political treachery. On a par with the recent best-sellers about the fighting men of World War II."
--Zbigniew Brzezinski

Freedom's Daughters

"In simple but engaging prose, Olson offers a stunning portrait gallery of little-known heroines that will appeal to any reader interested in civil rights and women's history, and she explores the psychology behind the relationships between men and women, black and white, throughout a watershed period in American history."
--Publishers Weekly

"Several books have highlighted women's contributions to the Civil Rights movement, but none is as well written and extensive as this work by journalist and author Olson (The Murrow Boys)."
--Library Journal

". . . presents the stories of valorous women whose deeds helped change the face of the U.S. forever."
--Susan Brownmiller, New York Times Book Review

"With rigor and grace, she brings these female freedom fighters to the forefront of America's most powerful social movement."
--Washington Post

"The most stunning synthesis of women's role in America's endless and episodic struggle for racial equality to date."
--Ruth Rosen, Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Freedom's Daughters pursues its larger themes boldly, deftly detailing history's intricate drama."
--People Magazine