pt. I. Operation Argonaut. The President's journey -- Meeting on Malta -- The Tsar's playground -- A red host -- pt. II. A warriors' summit. Reunion of the Big Three -- The winter offensive -- The German question -- Spoils of war -- pt. III. A new world order. The Security Council -- In the Führer's shadow -- Dividing the Balkans -- The battle for Poland -- "What would Ukrainians say?" -- pt. IV. The diplomats' chessboard. Counting votes in the United Nations -- Stalemate on Poland -- The bombline -- The Far Eastern blitz : Japan and China -- "Allies should not deceive" -- pt. V. The wheels of compromise. A Polish surrender -- The fate of Germany -- Liberated Europe and the Balkan deal -- Iran, Turkey, and the empire -- Secret agreements -- Prisoners of war -- pt. VI. The spirit of Yalta. The last supper -- Crossing the finish line -- Days of hope -- pt. VII. The coming storm. Signs of trouble -- Spy wars -- Stalin digs in -- After Roosevelt -- Epilogue

A major new history of the eight days in February 1945 when FDR, Churchill, and Stalin decided the fate of the world. Harvard historian Serhii Plokhy goes against conventional wisdom--cemented during the Cold War--and argues that an ailing Roosevelt did better than we think. Much has been made of FDR's handling of the Depression; here we see him as wartime chief