‘Masters and Commanders is a magnificently researched, superbly written account of how the US and UK’s top civilian and military leaders overcame mutual suspicions and conflicting priorities to win the war in Europe.’
Arthur Herman, New York Post

‘Roberts’s analysis of the shifts of Anglo-American sentiment, and above all his descriptions of the great Western Allied summit conferences of the war, are masterly. Andrew Roberts is an exceptionally diligent researcher who has drawn upon a remarkable range of sources, some of them hitherto unexplored. The overwhelming merit of his book lies in the quality of the author’s analysis and judgments. Roberts’s portrait of the relationship between the four men who made the Allied strategy through the war years is a triumph of vivid description, telling anecdotes, and informed analysis. His book reinforces his claim to stand amongst the foremost British historians of the period.’
Sir Max Hastings, New York Review of Books

‘British historian Andrew Roberts skillfully dissects the contentious relationship among Brooke, Marshall, Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roberts’s account of their duels with each other is the most compelling part of the book.’
Lynne Olson, The Washington Post

‘Andrew Roberts operates as an independent historian, combining the temperament of a sedulous researcher with the fluency of a true writer of narrative and the cool eye of a close student of human behaviour.’
Josiah Bunting, Commentary

‘With his usual brisk and vivid prose, Mr Roberts shows how these men and their busy staffs overcome conflicting interests and coordinated strategy among the Western Allies to win the war.’
Dr William Hay, Wall Street Journal

Like a good novelist, he never introduces a character without giving the reader a concise biography of him, and he manages to maintain the flow of his narrative so that one is kept reading by the sheer force of events, while keeping him or her awake when discussions of policy become heavy going by glimpses of the real man behind the words… Still, all in all, if you wanted to know how “the Grand Alliance” worked, and how the decisions were made that eventually led to the Allied victory in World War Two, this would be the book to read… In short, Roberts has taken all the material and condensed it down into one very readable and notably fair-minded volume.
Michael Korda, The Daily Beast

‘The literature on this subject has grown to massive dimensions in recent decades and it is thus difficult to see how anyone could add much value. Roberts, however, has succeeded in doing so, partly through his sheer skill as an historian, his penetrating judgement when presented with conflicts and contradictions on the documents, and a graceful writing style through which he assists the reader through one complex debate after another over wartime strategy. Like all outstanding works of history, this one is written with a purpose to instruct the present through an understanding of the past. In this sense, Masters and Commanders is the best type of history, faithful to the past yet relevant to the present.’
James Piereson, The American Spectator  

‘Masters and Commanders is a riveting read, in no small part because Roberts is a master storyteller who has real empathy for all four participants in the quartet and is able to show how their sometimes casual conversations and decisions changed the lives of tens of millions fighting across the globe. As a careful critic, he does not demand that the four be perfect, but instead appreciates just how difficult it was for them to prove to be so good at what they did.
Masters and Commanders is an intellectual achievement of the first order that offers a much needed revisionist and positive portrait of the odd-duck Brooke and new appreciation of how Roosevelt’s political skills translated into strategic insight. Only a historian of Andrew Roberts’s talents and judiciousness could have had such command of imperial archives and private British documents—and would have been so evenhanded and so astute in traversing this minefield of wartime Anglo-American relations.’
Victor Davis Hanson, The New Criterion

‘Roberts succeeds in deepening our understanding of the complex interactions between Winston Churchill (the “masters” of the title) and their senior military advisers (or “commanders”), Field Marshal Alan Brooke and General George C. Marshall.  Committee work may not be terribly glamorous, but Masters and Commandersshows that it can be vitally important, and also surprisingly entertaining.’
Max Boot, The New York Times Book Review

‘So much has been written about World War II. Is it possible that another 700 pages is warranted or welcome? British historian Andrew Roberts makes a compelling case for the affirmative withMasters and Commanders.’
David Holahan, Christian Science Monitor

‘The most detailed account to date of Allied strategic decision-making during the war. Masters and Commanders is a fabulous resource of information, using many sources that had until now been unavailable to historians.’
Brian John Murphy, America in World War Two

‘Roberts offers an outstanding example of a joint biography in this study of the actions and interactions of Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, George Marshall and Alan Brooke. The president, the prime minister and their respective army chiefs of staff were the vital nexus of the Anglo-American alliance in WWII. The path was anything but smooth. London-based historian Roberts demonstrates his usual mastery of archival and printed sources to show how the tensions and differences among these four strong-willed men shaped policy within a general context of consensus.’
Publishers Weekly Review

‘A well-told story, with fresh insights into the decision-making processes and the influence of personality upon great events.’
Edwin B.Burgess, Library Journal

‘A richly detailed examination of the military and civilian leaders of
Britain and America during World War II. Roberts’s narrative sometimes reads like an exercise in game theory, with each player trying to secure maximum advantage without ending the game or, worse, losing all. His book will be of value to students not just of military history, but also diplomacy, business and other endeavors requiring negotiation. Excellent and essential.’
Kirkus (starred review)

‘Roberts reinforces his reputation for high-quality military history with this comprehensive synthesis of primary sources about the fundamental strategic decisions of World War II.’
Gilbert Taylor, Booklist