Quotes
“Explore[s] the intersections
between the grand narrative of the Roosevelt and Churchill relationship and the
activities of Allied spymasters and secret go-betweens.” New York Times Book Review
“Stafford
demonstrates that the alliance of these two cunning leaders was the product of
need and hard bargaining, not sentiment. He further contends—quite rightly—that
the complex relationship between the two was mirrored by the actions of their
intelligence operatives.” Publishers Weekly
“Former diplomat Stafford…brings to
bear his vast knowledge of the British secret service during the war and
combines it with fresh archival research of the American wartime intelligence
services…Stafford’s
synthesis of new and old sources makes this one of the best works to come out
on this well-worn topic in many years. Highly recommended.” Library Journal
“A swift, well-documented assessment of the
relationship’s ‘volatile mix of friendship, rivalry, and resentment.’” Kirkus Reviews
“In a forceful narration Richard
McGonagle produces near lifelike imitations of the two men—the urbane,
upper-Hudson Roosevelt and the gravelly, sardonic Churchill—that at times brim
over with their delight in each other and their work. Underneath, however,
boils a tension that always threatens to break out, as the two try to balance
the competing demands of their intelligence services against common strategic
interests. In a voice familiar to those of us who cut our teeth on TV documentaries
like Victory at Sea, McGonagle
recreates those tense moments between Allies whose secret interests were worlds
apart yet who nonetheless assembled the most effective spy network in the history
of the world.” AudioFile