This is a gripping narrative of the uneasy partnership between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin during World War II. Drawing on unpublished diaries, letters, and secret reports, Milton reveals how a diverse cast of diplomats and political figures—including U.S. billionaire envoy W. Averell Harriman, his charming daughter Kathy and Archibald “Archie” Clark Kerr, the British ambassador to the Soviet Union—worked to manage Stalin’s volatile temperament and secure Soviet cooperation against Hitler. The book explores how Churchill, despite his deep mistrust of Stalin, recognized the strategic necessity of alliance after Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union. It also details the internal resistance in both Britain and the U.S., where many preferred isolationism or hoped the two dictators would destroy each other. The turning point came with Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and Hitler’s declaration of war on the United States, forcing a reluctant unity. The book is filled with many small stories, impressions, romantic affairs and anecdotes that shed light on historic events and on the personalities of the three leaders who came together to fight Nazism -- Churchill out of conviction, Stalin as a result of Hitler’s betrayal, and Roosevelt due to the Japanese surprise attack on the American navy in Hawaii. The colourful descriptions are captivating. Of particular interest is the story of Churchill’s “naughty document”. Officially known as the Percentages Agreement, this informal pact was struck between Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin during the Fourth Moscow Conference in October 1944. On a simple scrap of paper, Churchill proposed dividing postwar influence in Eastern Europe by percentages—essentially carving up the region into spheres of control. The document suggested to divide post-war countries between the Soviet Union and Britain, behind Roosevelt’s back. The countries and percentages were: Romania: 90% Soviet, 10% others; Greece: 90% British (in accord with the U.S.), 10% Soviet; Yugoslavia: 50/50; Hungary: 50/50, and Bulgaria: 75% Soviet, 25% others. Churchill famously referred to it as his “naughty document” because he knew how blunt and imperialistic it appeared. He even remarked that the Americans would be “shocked” by its crudeness. Stalin reportedly ticked the paper in approval, and the agreement was honoured in some cases—most notably in Greece, where Britain retained dominant influence even during civil unrest. The document was later published in Churchill’s memoirs and has since become a symbol of the realpolitik that shaped the postwar order. Milton paints vivid scenes of nervous negotiations, clashing personalities, festive dinners and the fragile diplomacy that held the alliance together long enough to defeat Nazi Germany—though it ultimately could not survive the postwar tense reality. The book offers both sweeping historical insight and intimate character studies, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in the political complexities behind wartime strategy.
The book blends historical narrative, diplomatic memoir, and policy analysis, making it essential reading for scholars, diplomats, and peace advocates.
A high-level insider's history of the efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, from 2000 Camp David Talks to the present, that explains why successive attempts have all failed.
The clash between Israel and Palestine has been one of the most emotionally engaging causes of modern times. Prophets without Honor tells the story of the grueling attempts to solve the conflict and examines the reasons for its resilience. Shlomo Ben-Ami, who participated at a high level in the July 2000 Camp David peace talks that almost led to a historic deal, uses his insider experience to illuminate the specific factors that…
The book provides a comprehensive scholarly examination of the legal status and lived realities of religious minorities, particularly Jews and Muslims, within democratic societies.
This book provides an in-depth, scholarly reflection on the challenges that arise in guaranteeing religious freedom and protection of the rights of religious minorities in law and practice. Currently, the protection of religious minorities constitutes one of the foundations of the international human rights protection systems and is provided for in the constitutions of all democratic states. The volume identifies, analyses, and assesses the legal status of religious freedom and protection of religious minorities, with special focus on Jewish and Muslim minorities in the European and Israeli legal environments. It compares the discourses on the scope and boundaries of religious…
Why do the French care so much about women’s dress? How can we explain the French obsession with women’s dress? Why are they obsessed only with Muslim dress, and not with other forms of dress? What makes Muslim dress so special to deserve such a close attention, and treatment? How can we explain those strong French sentiments designed to protect the Republic against women’s dress? How this obsession, that translates into coercive laws, can be reconciled with the French motto of liberté, égalité and fraternité? And if such coercion cannot be reconciled with the French motto, what rationalizations are utilized by the French decision-makers to explain negation of basic liberties, signaling out Muslim women and undermining community fraternity? These were the questions that ignited my research for this book. The Republic, Secularism and Security analyses French cultural policies in the face of what the French government perceives as a challenge to its Republican secular raison d'être. Islamic ways of life seem to challenge existing conventions relating to freedom of religion and to the distinction between private and public.
