As the last battles of WWII were fought, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin—the so-called "Big Three" —met in the Crimean resort town of Yalta. Over eight days of bargaining, bombast, and intermittent bonhomie, they decided on the endgame of the war against Nazi Germany and how the defeated nation should be governed, among many other weighty matters. Drawing on the lively accounts of those who were there, Diana Preston takes a new look at the conference that created the post-war world.

"Colorful personalities, piquant details, and a diverse array of perspectives make this a satisfying introduction to the subject."—Publishers Weekly