Latest news with #TimBouverie
Washington Post
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
30 books to read this summer
Summer's here, and that means you can read — whatever you want. This list of books we're looking forward to in the coming months is certainly not comprehensive, and it's purposely democratic. If summer provides a little more time, most people want to use it to dig in to their preferred style, whether that's deep history, clock-stopping thrillers, introspective fiction or sunny romances. So here's to taking unnecessary limits off the term 'beach read.' Enjoy the season. (Some of these books are out already. For those that aren't, we've listed their expected publication date.) Summer's here, and that means you can read — whatever you want. This list of books we're looking forward to in the coming months is certainly not comprehensive, and it's purposely democratic. If summer provides a little more time, most people want to use it to dig in to their preferred style, whether that's deep history, clock-stopping thrillers, introspective fiction or sunny romances. So here's to taking unnecessary limits off the term 'beach read.' Enjoy the season. (Some of these books are out already. For those that aren't, we've listed their expected publication date.) By Tim Bouverie History | This volume charts the fraught relationships among the United States, the Soviet Union and other Allied countries during World War II. Drawing on extensive archival research, Bouverie shows how these nations came together and captures some of the conflicts that almost drove them apart. (Crown, June 10) By Tim Bouverie History | This volume charts the fraught relationships among the United States, the Soviet Union and other Allied countries during World War II. Drawing on extensive archival research, Bouverie shows how these nations came together and captures some of the conflicts that almost drove them apart. (Crown, June 10) By Taylor Jenkins Reid Fiction | The author of 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' and 'Daisy Jones & the Six' takes readers on another emotional journey back in time. When Joan Goodwin becomes one of the first female scientists in NASA's space shuttle program in the early 1980s, she's living a dream she couldn't have imagined. But when a mission goes awry, she'll have to recruit all her knowledge and courage to thwart disaster. (Ballantine, June 3) By Taylor Jenkins Reid Fiction | The author of 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' and 'Daisy Jones & the Six' takes readers on another emotional journey back in time. When Joan Goodwin becomes one of the first female scientists in NASA's space shuttle program in the early 1980s, she's living a dream she couldn't have imagined. But when a mission goes awry, she'll have to recruit all her knowledge and courage to thwart disaster. (Ballantine, June 3) By Garrett Carr Fiction | In 1973, a baby washes ashore in small-town Ireland, dramatically changing the tight-knit fishing community there in the years that follow. Carr's first novel for adults — after a trilogy for young adults and a work of nonfiction — received praise in Britain when it was published there earlier this year. The Guardian said the story gets at 'deep strands of truth by embedding the magic in the real and never letting the reader lose sight of either.' (Knopf) By Garrett Carr Fiction | In 1973, a baby washes ashore in small-town Ireland, dramatically changing the tight-knit fishing community there in the years that follow. Carr's first novel for adults — after a trilogy for young adults and a work of nonfiction — received praise in Britain when it was published there earlier this year. The Guardian said the story gets at 'deep strands of truth by embedding the magic in the real and never letting the reader lose sight of either.' (Knopf) By Sam Tanenhaus Biography | This long-awaited biography captures the man who did as much as anyone to define American conservatism in the second half of the 20th century. In novelistic detail, Tanenhaus writes of Buckley's privileged childhood and education, his founding of the influential magazine National Review, his more than 30 years hosting the weekly TV show 'Firing Line,' and his ideas about government that changed the country. (Random House, June 3) By Sam Tanenhaus Biography | This long-awaited biography captures the man who did as much as anyone to define American conservatism in the second half of the 20th century. In novelistic detail, Tanenhaus writes of Buckley's privileged childhood and education, his founding of the influential magazine National Review, his more than 30 years hosting the weekly TV show 'Firing Line,' and his ideas about government that changed the country. (Random House, June 3) By Yrsa Daley-Ward Fiction | Daley-Ward, a poet, model and actor who collaborated with Beyoncé on the film 'Black Is King,' is now a novelist as well. Her debut is about twin sisters, Clara and Dempsey, who are each adopted by different families after their mother disappears in London in 1995. Decades later, Clara believes she sees her mother — though she hasn't aged. (Liveright, June 3) By Yrsa Daley-Ward Fiction | Daley-Ward, a poet, model and actor who collaborated with Beyoncé on the film 'Black Is King,' is now a novelist as well. Her debut is about twin sisters, Clara and Dempsey, who are each adopted by different families after their mother disappears in London in 1995. Decades later, Clara believes she sees her mother — though she hasn't aged. (Liveright, June 3) By Katie Fricas Graphic novel | Retail worker Louise longs to finish her graphic novel about World War I carrier pigeons, and when she lands a job in a private library, she thinks she might have the chance. Fricas's willfully crude cartooning perfectly captures both the desire to make art and the messiness of living an artistic life. (Drawn and Quarterly) By Katie Fricas Graphic novel | Retail worker Louise longs to finish her graphic novel about World War I carrier pigeons, and when she lands a job in a private library, she thinks she might have the chance. Fricas's willfully crude cartooning perfectly captures both the desire to make art and the messiness of living an artistic life. (Drawn and Quarterly) By Alec Nevala-Lee Science | If 2023's 'Barbenheimer' summer is feeling too far in the rearview mirror, you can recapture some of the '-enheimer' half in this biography of the American physicist Luis W. Alvarez. He worked on the Manhattan Project and measured the blast at Hiroshima from an observation aircraft above the city. He also, to much controversy, proposed the theory that an asteroid strike killed off the dinosaurs. (W.W. Norton, June 10) By Alec Nevala-Lee Science | If 2023's 'Barbenheimer' summer is feeling too far in the rearview mirror, you can recapture some of the '-enheimer' half in this biography of the American physicist Luis W. Alvarez. He worked on the Manhattan Project and measured the blast at Hiroshima from an observation aircraft above the city. He also, to much controversy, proposed the theory that an asteroid strike killed off the dinosaurs. (W.W. Norton, June 10) By Brendan Slocumb Thriller | Like his previous novels, 'The Violin Conspiracy' and 'Symphony of Secrets,' the latest from Slocumb is set in the world of music. The story revolves around Curtis Wilson, who, growing up in Washington, D.C., found solace in reading comic books and playing the cello. His musical prowess takes him far, but in this fast-paced thriller, Wilson gets caught up in his father's criminal past and is forced to make sacrifices to stay alive. (Doubleday) By Brendan Slocumb Thriller | Like his previous novels, 'The Violin Conspiracy' and 'Symphony of Secrets,' the latest from Slocumb is set in the world of music. The story revolves around Curtis Wilson, who, growing up in Washington, D.C., found solace in reading comic books and playing the cello. His musical prowess takes him far, but in this fast-paced thriller, Wilson gets caught up in his father's criminal past and is forced to make sacrifices to stay alive. (Doubleday) By Chris Pavone Thriller | The doorman of the title is Chicky Diaz, who works at a ritzy New York apartment building called the Bohemia. He knows all. Diaz remains discreet and polite, even as he feels lesser-than amid the wealth and celebrity of the Bohemia's residents. Diaz is also a former Marine, and that training comes in handy when violence erupts in the city and he is called on to do more than open doors. (MCD) By Chris Pavone Thriller | The doorman of the title is Chicky Diaz, who works at a ritzy New York apartment building called the Bohemia. He knows all. Diaz remains discreet and polite, even as he feels lesser-than amid the wealth and celebrity of the Bohemia's residents. Diaz is also a former Marine, and that training comes in handy when violence erupts in the city and he is called on to do more than open doors. (MCD) By Melissa Febos Memoir | After a bruising breakup that capped years of ill-fated relationships, Febos decided to take an extended vacation from romantic love. The author of 'Whip Smart' and 'Girlhood' documents the year she spent solo, exploring how her disavowal of one type of attachment strengthened her many other bonds, including the one with herself. (Knopf, June 3) By Melissa Febos Memoir | After a bruising breakup that capped years of ill-fated relationships, Febos decided to take an extended vacation from romantic love. The author of 'Whip Smart' and 'Girlhood' documents the year she spent solo, exploring how her disavowal of one type of attachment strengthened her many other bonds, including the one with herself. (Knopf, June 3) By Karen Hao Current affairs | In this timely work of reporting, veteran technology journalist Hao turns a critical eye on OpenAI, the company leading the large language model revolution, while also telling the inside story of the chaos that almost engulfed it. Hao also surveys the environmental impacts of chatbots and analyzes where these technologies might be taking us. (Penguin Press) By Karen Hao Current affairs | In this timely work of reporting, veteran technology journalist Hao turns a critical eye on OpenAI, the company leading the large language model revolution, while also telling the inside story of the chaos that almost engulfed it. Hao also surveys the environmental impacts of chatbots and analyzes where these technologies might be taking us. (Penguin Press) By Rick Atkinson History | Atkinson follows his widely acclaimed 'The British Are Coming' (2019) with the second volume of his planned trilogy about the American Revolution. The action picks up with George Washington and the Continental Army exhausted but determined, and on the British side, King George III and Gen. William Howe worried about the war's increasing cost and attrition. Along the way, the conflict becomes a global one. (Crown) By Rick Atkinson History | Atkinson follows his widely acclaimed 'The British Are Coming' (2019) with the second volume of his planned trilogy about the American Revolution. The action picks up with George Washington and the Continental Army exhausted but determined, and on the British side, King George III and Gen. William Howe worried about the war's increasing cost and attrition. Along the way, the conflict becomes a global one. (Crown) By Bill Clinton and James Patterson Thriller | The third thriller co-written by Patterson and the former president once again focuses on the highest office in the land. This time, the country's first female president is seeking reelection. Meanwhile, her husband, a former NFL player, is on trial for murder. (Little, Brown/Knopf, June 2) By Bill Clinton and James Patterson Thriller | The third thriller co-written by Patterson and the former president once again focuses on the highest office in the land. This time, the country's first female president is seeking reelection. Meanwhile, her husband, a former NFL player, is on trial for murder. (Little, Brown/Knopf, June 2) By Rob Franklin Fiction | This debut is written across a large social canvas. In its opening scenes, Smith, a queer Black man not long removed from graduating at Stanford, is arrested in the Hamptons for possessing 0.7 grams of cocaine. He goes to Atlanta, his hometown, to get away from trouble, and then back to New York. All the while, Franklin writes about race, class and family expectations in America. (Summit, June 10) By Rob Franklin Fiction | This debut is written across a large social canvas. In its opening scenes, Smith, a queer Black man not long removed from graduating at Stanford, is arrested in the Hamptons for possessing 0.7 grams of cocaine. He goes to Atlanta, his hometown, to get away from trouble, and then back to New York. All the while, Franklin writes about race, class and family expectations in America. (Summit, June 10) By Evan Osnos Current affairs | Osnos takes readers on a tour through the age of oligarchy in this collection of his articles for the New Yorker. In the title essay, he examines the politics of the world's biggest privately owned boats with dizzying scope. Throughout, he pulls back the curtain on other aspects of the lives of the super-rich, showing how they're reshaping our world to their own benefit. (Scribner, June 3) By Evan Osnos Current affairs | Osnos takes readers on a tour through the age of oligarchy in this collection of his articles for the New Yorker. In the title essay, he examines the politics of the world's biggest privately owned boats with dizzying scope. Throughout, he pulls back the curtain on other aspects of the lives of the super-rich, showing how they're reshaping our world to their own benefit. (Scribner, June 3) By Martin Cruz Smith Thriller | The beloved Russian homicide detective Arkady Renko, who first appeared in Cruz's 'Gorky Park' in 1981, returns one last time, in a book set during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A diplomat has been killed at a hotel in Moscow, possibly attacked by two assailants. Renko joins forces with an American journalist to find the truth. (Simon & Schuster, July 8) By Martin Cruz Smith Thriller | The beloved Russian homicide detective Arkady Renko, who first appeared in Cruz's 'Gorky Park' in 1981, returns one last time, in a book set during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A diplomat has been killed at a hotel in Moscow, possibly attacked by two assailants. Renko joins forces with an American journalist to find the truth. (Simon & Schuster, July 8) By S.A. Cosby Thriller | Few thriller writers in recent years have ascended as quickly as Cosby. In The Post, Richard Lipez described him as 'one of the most muscular, distinctive, grab-you-by-both-ears voices in American crime fiction.' His latest, which his publisher describes as ''Godfather'-inspired,' involves a man who returns to his Virginia home after his father is in an accident to find his family being threatened by dangerous criminals. (Flatiron, June 10) By S.A. Cosby Thriller | Few thriller writers in recent years have ascended as quickly as Cosby. In The Post, Richard Lipez described him as 'one of the most muscular, distinctive, grab-you-by-both-ears voices in American crime fiction.' His latest, which his publisher describes as ''Godfather'-inspired,' involves a man who returns to his Virginia home after his father is in an accident to find his family being threatened by dangerous criminals. (Flatiron, June 10) By Katie Yee Fiction | In this novel, a woman newly diagnosed with cancer strikes up a conversation with her tumor — and names it after the woman with whom her husband is having an affair. A study in heartbreak and survival, Yee's book stands out as one of the most unusual literary debuts of the summer. (Summit, July 22) By Katie Yee Fiction | In this novel, a woman newly diagnosed with cancer strikes up a conversation with her tumor — and names it after the woman with whom her husband is having an affair. A study in heartbreak and survival, Yee's book stands out as one of the most unusual literary debuts of the summer. (Summit, July 22) By Honorée Fanonne Jeffers Essays | Jeffers had a breakout hit in 2021 with her novel 'The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois,' one of The Post's 10 Best Books that year. Her new collection of essays is animated by the same capacious interest in the history of Black women, from colonial times and earlier up to the present day. Some of the book's most powerful writing is about her own family. (Harper, June 24) By Honorée Fanonne Jeffers Essays | Jeffers had a breakout hit in 2021 with her novel 'The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois,' one of The Post's 10 Best Books that year. Her new collection of essays is animated by the same capacious interest in the history of Black women, from colonial times and earlier up to the present day. Some of the book's most powerful writing is about her own family. (Harper, June 24) By Jemimah Wei Fiction | Growing up in a one-bedroom apartment in 1990s Singapore, Genevieve gets a surprise: a new sister, adopted by her parents and a living reminder of her grandfather's deception. Over the years, Genevieve and the younger Arin bond as they strive for greatness; but only one of them makes it, complicating their connection. (Doubleday) By Jemimah Wei Fiction | Growing up in a one-bedroom apartment in 1990s Singapore, Genevieve gets a surprise: a new sister, adopted by her parents and a living reminder of her grandfather's deception. Over the years, Genevieve and the younger Arin bond as they strive for greatness; but only one of them makes it, complicating their connection. (Doubleday) By Carley Fortune Romance | Fortune's latest bestseller is about Alice, a successful but burning-out photographer who takes her ailing grandmother to a lake cottage so both of them can recuperate. It's a place where Alice had spent very meaningful time as a teenager, and as an adult she remeets Charlie, someone from that earlier time who might have more to offer her now. (Berkley) By Carley Fortune Romance | Fortune's latest bestseller is about Alice, a successful but burning-out photographer who takes her ailing grandmother to a lake cottage so both of them can recuperate. It's a place where Alice had spent very meaningful time as a teenager, and as an adult she remeets Charlie, someone from that earlier time who might have more to offer her now. (Berkley) By Ali Hazelwood Romance | Four months after releasing her most recent bestseller, 'Deep End,' the prolific Hazelwood is back. This time, sparks fly between a 20-something grad student and her brother's best friend, a successful tech executive who's pushing 40 and claims he has no interest in her. Yeah, right. (Berkley) By Ali Hazelwood Romance | Four months after releasing her most recent bestseller, 'Deep End,' the prolific Hazelwood is back. This time, sparks fly between a 20-something grad student and her brother's best friend, a successful tech executive who's pushing 40 and claims he has no interest in her. Yeah, right. (Berkley) By Mattie Lubchansky Graphic novel | In the year 2081, anthropologist Lucius Pasternak leaves the walled city of New York to investigate an intentional community that has been thriving in the Catskills since well before the collapse of the United States decades before. Lubchansky's cartoonishly dynamic visual style belies a growing sense of dread as Pasternak tries to make sense of the people he's come to study and the world beyond their sanctuary. (Pantheon, July 29) By Mattie Lubchansky Graphic novel | In the year 2081, anthropologist Lucius Pasternak leaves the walled city of New York to investigate an intentional community that has been thriving in the Catskills since well before the collapse of the United States decades before. Lubchansky's cartoonishly dynamic visual style belies a growing sense of dread as Pasternak tries to make sense of the people he's come to study and the world beyond their sanctuary. (Pantheon, July 29) By Claire Hoffman Biography | Aimee Semple McPherson, a charismatic and wildly popular evangelist, disappeared in 1926. When she reappeared weeks later, she claimed she had been kidnapped. But had she? This is among the questions Hoffman explores in her engaging and deeply researched biography of a larger-than-life and largely forgotten figure who pioneered the megachurch. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) By Claire Hoffman Biography | Aimee Semple McPherson, a charismatic and wildly popular evangelist, disappeared in 1926. When she reappeared weeks later, she claimed she had been kidnapped. But had she? This is among the questions Hoffman explores in her engaging and deeply researched biography of a larger-than-life and largely forgotten figure who pioneered the megachurch. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) By Lucas Schaefer Fiction | In the summer of 1998, 16-year-old Nathaniel Rothstein discovers a boxing gym and finally starts to come out of his shell. But then he vanishes. A decade later, his uncle begins a search for answers, taking him to strange places where he'll meet even stranger characters. This is a bold, provocative debut in which nearly everyone is trying to escape (or blur) their identity. (Simon & Schuster, June 3) By Lucas Schaefer Fiction | In the summer of 1998, 16-year-old Nathaniel Rothstein discovers a boxing gym and finally starts to come out of his shell. But then he vanishes. A decade later, his uncle begins a search for answers, taking him to strange places where he'll meet even stranger characters. This is a bold, provocative debut in which nearly everyone is trying to escape (or blur) their identity. (Simon & Schuster, June 3) By Katie Sturino Romance | Sturino is a body-acceptance advocate and the founder of beauty brand Megababe. Sunny Greene, the plus-size 35-year-old narrator of her debut novel, brings her message of positivity to fiction. Recently divorced, Sunny is determined to move into the next phase of her life — which includes juggling several potential relationships — with confidence. (Celadon, June 24) By Katie Sturino Romance | Sturino is a body-acceptance advocate and the founder of beauty brand Megababe. Sunny Greene, the plus-size 35-year-old narrator of her debut novel, brings her message of positivity to fiction. Recently divorced, Sunny is determined to move into the next phase of her life — which includes juggling several potential relationships — with confidence. (Celadon, June 24) By Gary Krist True crime | Early one evening in November 1870, A.P. Crittenden, an attorney and politician, was shot by his lover, Laura Fair. Krist's gripping book explores the scandal that led to the killing and the trials that ensued, while also delving into the social history of 19th-century Northern California as it underwent dramatic change. (Crown) By Gary Krist True crime | Early one evening in November 1870, A.P. Crittenden, an attorney and politician, was shot by his lover, Laura Fair. Krist's gripping book explores the scandal that led to the killing and the trials that ensued, while also delving into the social history of 19th-century Northern California as it underwent dramatic change. (Crown) By Gary Shteyngart Fiction | The reliably entertaining and incisive Shteyngart returns with the story of a family narrated by 10-year-old Vera, who observes her Russian Jewish father, WASP mother and older brother in a near-future America. Vera's desire to meet her Korean biological mother is just one strand of the book's interest in identity and what it means to belong in an increasingly divided country. (Random House, July 8) By Gary Shteyngart Fiction | The reliably entertaining and incisive Shteyngart returns with the story of a family narrated by 10-year-old Vera, who observes her Russian Jewish father, WASP mother and older brother in a near-future America. Vera's desire to meet her Korean biological mother is just one strand of the book's interest in identity and what it means to belong in an increasingly divided country. (Random House, July 8) By Denne Michele Norris Fiction | Everett, an accomplished violist, has just married the man of his dreams when he learns that his estranged father — a severe reverend — has been in a terrible car accident. That event forces Everett into a confrontation with his past as he tries to make sense of the man who raised him and the person he is now. (Random House) By Denne Michele Norris Fiction | Everett, an accomplished violist, has just married the man of his dreams when he learns that his estranged father — a severe reverend — has been in a terrible car accident. That event forces Everett into a confrontation with his past as he tries to make sense of the man who raised him and the person he is now. (Random House) By Mark Doten The Post called Doten's novel 'Trump Sky Alpha' (2019) a 'tour de force of vicious satire' and 'speculative fiction as burning ring of fire.' The author pulls just as few punches and experiments just as wildly in this collection of stories that attempt to capture the more demented and dismaying aspects of Americans at one another's throats and terminally online. (Graywolf, Aug. 19) By Mark Doten The Post called Doten's novel 'Trump Sky Alpha' (2019) a 'tour de force of vicious satire' and 'speculative fiction as burning ring of fire.' The author pulls just as few punches and experiments just as wildly in this collection of stories that attempt to capture the more demented and dismaying aspects of Americans at one another's throats and terminally online. (Graywolf, Aug. 19)
Telegraph
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Britain, the US and Russia, all friends? Those were the days
In Allies at War, the historian Tim Bouverie, author of a well-received history of appeasement six years ago, has produced an ambitiously all-encompassing study of the diplomatic relations between the United States, the British Empire, the Soviet Union, the Free French and Nationalist China during the Second World War. 'Their collaboration was sophisticated, diverse, mighty and conquering,' he writes. 'Yet it was also fractious, suspicious, duplicitous and rivalrous.' It was certainly mighty. In 1943 alone, the Allies produced no fewer than 2,891 ships, 60,720 tanks and 147,161 warplanes, against the Axis's 540 ships, 12,825 tanks and 43,524 warplanes. The way this overwhelming amount of weaponry was ultimately deployed was agreed upon between the Allies despite what Bouverie calls 'profound differences in ideology, ethics, personality, political systems and post-war aims, as well as disagreements over strategy, diplomacy, finance, imperialism, the allocation of resources and the future peace'. Although Allies in War rightly concentrates on the decision-making of the 'Big Three' – Winston Churchill, Franklin D Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin – that story has been told well and often. Where Bouverie is especially strong is in describing the much less familiar struggles going on elsewhere, which constantly feed back into the narrative of the Big Three's interaction. For example, bar the works of Rana Mitter and a few other scholars, the influence of Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist China on the outcome of the war has been consistently under-represented; yet around 15 million Chinese people died in it. Similarly, Colin Smith is one of the few historians to have investigated the conflict between Britain and Vichy France from June 1940 until November 1942, which, although war was never officially declared, saw action on land, at sea and in the air. The British-Free French campaign to oust the Vichy French from the Middle East tends to rate no more than a paragraph or two in most histories of the war, yet it threw up a series of complex issues at the time. Bouverie commendably covers China and Vichy and all the profound diplomatic consequences they entailed for the Alliance, as well as important areas such as Allied relations with Franco's Spain and neutral Ireland, the Iraqi revolt of May–June 1941, how to deal with liberated Italy and Yugoslavia, the problems thrown up by sphinx-like Turkey, and the short but decisive British intervention in the Greek civil war. All of these issues needed to be discussed between the Allies, and some led to strains and stresses that were hammered out in very different ways, especially once the centre of power began inexorably to move away from Britain and her empire and towards the two superpowers that were to emerge after the war: the Soviet Union and the United States. Bouverie has not only been diligent in covering all the publicly available sources concerning the major players, but he has also worked in the papers from 100 private collections, those of foreign ministers, ambassadors, civil servants, emissaries, translators and observers. These may not have been principal figures, but he argues, wisely, that 'the opinions of those beneath and around the wielders of power are critical, since they reveal the context in which decisions were made; the nexus of attitudes, prejudices, knowledge, advice and assumptions from which political action derives.' That said, there are problems associated with relying on the recollections of members of entourages, particularly on the Soviet side. ' Stalin forbade his associates from taking notes during meetings (the exception being translators),' Bouverie records, 'while apparatchiks found it safer to repeat party prejudices than speak truth to power.' Speaking truth to power was never very good for your health in the Soviet Union; thankfully, the recently-published diaries of Ivan Maisky, the Russian ambassador to London from 1932 to 1943, have proved an invaluable source. Bouverie presents his new evidence from these fresh sources in an agreeably witty style, with vivid pen-portraits of the various eccentric figures that diplomacy tends to throw up, especially in wartime. One such was Archie Clark Kerr, later Lord Inverchapel, the British ambassador to Moscow from 1942 to 1946, whom Bouverie describes as 'a raffish and eccentric Scot' who wrote his despatches with a quill pen and had, during the First World War, disguised himself as a Cossack in order to take part in a Russian cavalry raid. As ambassador to Baghdad in the 1930s, Clark Kerr had 'delighted in and despaired of the antics of the 23-year-old King Ghazi, whose fondness for 'pillow fights' was curtailed only after an especially vigorous bout with his Hejazi servants landed him (and subsequently the Queen) with syphilis'. Forced to take refuge in a Kremlin air-raid shelter during his first meeting with Stalin, Clark Kerr bonded with his host by telling dirty stories and discussing pipe-smoking. It was, as he reported to the foreign secretary Anthony Eden, a case of 'two old rogues, each one seeing the roguery in the other and finding comfort and harmony in it'. Later, during a banquet in honour of the American vice-president Wendell Willkie, 'he demonstrated the correct way to use a Tommy gun by pretending to rake the bellies of Stalin, Molotov and [Willkie] with the weapon.' Yet politicians and diplomats, however charming and raffish, could only achieve so much. 'Only Hitler could have brought them together,' is Bouverie's conclusion about the Allies in the Second World War. Anything less than the simultaneous threat that Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan and (to a much lesser extent) Fascist Italy posed to the rest of the world could not have kept the fissiparous alliance in one piece. An obvious question raised by this extremely timely book must be this: at a time when Donald Trump and JD Vance seem actively to be encouraging the fracturing of the assumptions that have kept the peace between the Great Powers for 80 years, can even today's threat, posed by communist China, imperialist Russia, theocratic Iran and neo-feudal North Korea, keep the Western alliance together?
