They might have ended up fighting on the same side, but when the Second World War actually started, Stalin was pretty much number two on the arch-enemy list of both Britain and the US - both nations hated Stalin almost as much as they hated Socialism. In fact, their hatred of the USSR leader was one of the reasons Hitler attacked the USSR in Operation Barbarrosa - he did not exoect the US and Britain to aid the USSR. In the end, however, that is exactly what happened, and by the time the War ended, the USSR, the US and Britain were co-ordinating war efforts and even dividing up Hitler's erstwhile empire. So what happened to change their minds? The Stalin Affair delves into this very matter, and does so brilliantly, thanks to access to new material.

Giles Milton is a wonderful narrator and this is what makes The Stalin Affair an absolutely riveting read. In many ways, this is a book really about Stalin in the Second World War and Milton draws up an image of a paranoid, vengeful and often sinister person whose obstinacy endangered his enemies and allies in equal measure. Stalin was indeed taken aback by Hitler's attack on the USSR, but although he did scream that "all was lost," he never once considered surrender. His willingness to take heavy casualties even while he stubbornly stuck to his goals horrified his allies, as did his tendency to often deliberately ignore what he had agreed to. The man was in every sense a maverick and had a cruel side to him, but the US and Britain needed him. And this led to them compromising and at times even indulging the USSR leader.

The Stalin Affair is a book that charts how the US and Britain's relationship with Stalin changed post Operation Barbarossa, and how it was never smooth sailing, Milton's narration gives the book an almost thriller-like feel, even though you actually know what is going to happen (Hitler will lose, Berlin will fall, et al). In some ways, the book resembles Doris Goodwin Kearns' epic Team of Rivals (which was about how Lincoln worked with his political rivals to win the Civil War) but is a far more entertaining read. While hardcore history fans might frown at Milton's style of writing, which some might consider too racy, I love it because it makes a very key part of history accessible to more readers, even while being very accurate in historical terms.