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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The author of The Devil in the White City and Dead Wake delivers an intimate chronicle of Winston Churchill and London during the Blitz—an inspiring portrait of courage and leadership in a time of unprecedented crisis
 
“One of [Erik Larson’s] best books yet . . . perfectly timed for the moment.”—Time • “A bravura performance by one of America’s greatest storytellers.”—NPR 
 
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • Time • Vogue • NPR • The Washington Post • Chicago Tribune • The Globe & Mail • Fortune • Bloomberg • New York Post • The New York Public Library • Kirkus Reviews • LibraryReads • PopMatters

On Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister, Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. For the next twelve months, Hitler would wage a relentless bombing campaign, killing 45,000 Britons. It was up to Churchill to hold his country together and persuade President Franklin Roosevelt that Britain was a worthy ally—and willing to fight to the end.

In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson shows, in cinematic detail, how Churchill taught the British people “the art of being fearless.” It is a story of political brinkmanship, but it’s also an intimate domestic drama, set against the backdrop of Churchill’s prime-ministerial country home, Chequers; his wartime retreat, Ditchley, where he and his entourage go when the moon is brightest and the bombing threat is highest; and of course 10 Downing Street in London. Drawing on diaries, original archival documents, and once-secret intelligence reports—some released only recently—Larson provides a new lens on London’s darkest year through the day-to-day experience of Churchill and his family: his wife, Clementine; their youngest daughter, Mary, who chafes against her parents’ wartime protectiveness; their son, Randolph, and his beautiful, unhappy wife, Pamela; Pamela’s illicit lover, a dashing American emissary; and the advisers in Churchill’s “Secret Circle,” to whom he turns in the hardest moments.
 
The Splendid and the Vile takes readers out of today’s political dysfunction and back to a time of true leadership, when, in the face of unrelenting horror, Churchill’s eloquence, courage, and perseverance bound a country, and a family, together.

From the Publisher

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crown (February 15, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 624 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0385348738
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385348737
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.1 x 1.32 x 8 inches
Reviewer: Stephanie W.B.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Outstanding biography of Churchill's first year as Prime Minister, during WWII's "The Blitz"
Review: Outstanding biographical portrait of Winston Churchill's first year as Prime Minister of Great Britain. This is also the year of "The Blitz": the Nazi Germany Luftwaffe's sustained air attack of Great Britain-specifically England and Scotland. While all of England and parts of Scotland were bombed, London, as the capital of England, sustained constant devastating bombing. Larson's book describes Winston Churchill's experience by using the words and stories of his family, friends, employees, political allies and enemies, and interestingly, his war allies and enemies. Larson is able to provide a detailed portrait of Great Britain's first year at war, from the details of Britain's Exploratory Forces and the evacuation at Dunkirk to the defeat at Tofrek and finally, the presence of the United States in the war, from the transfer of 50 ships of questionable value in return for the use of Great Britain's naval bases to the emergence of Roosevelt's Lend-Lease program, until finally, the entrance of the U.S. in the war as after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Post Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt declared war on Japan, and Germany, as part of the Axis powers: Germany, Italy, and Japan, declared war on the United States. One of the most interesting details about the book is that Larson ends the book just as the U.S. enters the war.Although the book is well-documented non-fiction, it reads like a novel. The impressions that present in form of dialogue documented in published papers and books in addition to quotations from the diaries and journals of Churchill's family and subordinates as well as the recorded wartime impressions from more both famous literary figures and more ordinary Englishpeople.Larson does an excellent job detailing the nuances of numerous relationships in the book without making the book overly complicated or confusing. The way he chronicles Churchill's courtship of Roosevelt is fascinating; as are the relationships of Pamela Digby Churchill (Harriman), his daughter cinemas, who carried out an affair with W. Averell Harriman, Roosevelt's special envoy to Churchill and subsequently, Station. (In a fascinating turn of events, Pamela and Harriman end up marrying each other much later in life). Detailed portrayals of the people surrounding Churchill are fascinating, and Larson explores Churchill's relationships with the people surrounding him, rather like planets orbiting the sun. Winston Churchill, who carried the weight of Great Britain (and some would say the free world) during WWIi, was an interesting, complex, and brilliant man, though certainly flawed. As a leader, he roseto a challenge that seemed insurmountable. Churchill had the ability to inspire people that few could match. Extraordinarily, this ability was perhaps matched by one of his contemporaries, F.D.R. Without these two men as leaders during WWII, it is questionable whether democracy would have prevailed at the conclusion of the war. Erik Larson's The Splendid and Vile captures his subject, Winston Churchill, in a brilliant and interesting way. I highly recommend this book.

Reviewer: John Berry
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: The bombing of England in the days leading up to United States entering the war!
Review: As an American, I really didn't recall school history teachers talking about England prior to the U.S. entering WWII. Rightfully so I suspect because after all it was American History. But then again, World History classes didn't discuss the subject either. Erick Larson however with his very detailed style of writing, did a masterful job of describing the dire consequences England was facing during this period. Winston Churchill had just become Prime Minister and his army was fleeing for their lives at Dunkirk. The only good news was, not as many British Soldiers were killed in this evacuation as predicted. If one may call that good news. Mr. Larson really has the reader feeling how alone England really was in their efforts of defending democracy from the German Empire. Germany's Blitzkrieg rolled over Europeans with great ease and the soon realized vulnerable French, were now the only defense between them and the German army. The French had prepared for the invasion by building a massive line of impenetrable connected bunkers. Who knew the German army would just go around them. Shortly, the French negotiated a surrender with Germany and now there was no protection from being invaded. For the 1st year of Churchill's administration each and every day the British people were unnerved at the prospect of be invaded. The only thought Hitler and his staff didn't consider was resistance. Hitler mistakenly took the entire British Empire as nothing to be concerned about and with his advisors were convinced they could take England with their air bombardment followed up by a ground invasion. What i learned from this book is more about the resolve of the British people. For many days, several in a row, the clouds over England at night were full of bombers applying massive destruction to a historic empire. And yet, people went out to dinner, attended movies, plays and actually danced many nights away at local and regional night clubs. I'm sure there were people that stayed in bunkers, basements or what have you, but for the most part, people seem to treat the bombs as an inconvenience as they went about their work days. I really enjoyed the description by Mr. Larsen of Joseph Goebbels, one of the most powerful leaders of the Nazi party, as he painted his fingernails and dressed up in lavish outfits to attend public parties. There seems to be no denying that Churchill had is idiosyncrasies as well. Mr. Larson described how he enjoyed putting on his uni suit and marching around in front of his dinner guests to military marching tunes until way into the early hours of the following day. There were at times I thought perhaps too much ink was spent on Mary Churchill but then again, it sets the tone for what all British citizens were up to as well. I have read all of Erick Larson's books and as soon as I saw this one offered for a pre purchase via Amazon I clicked the order button with out even reading the bibliography. It's not my favorite Larson book, but by far not my least favorite. Very entertaining and causes one to reflect on some of the similarities we are all facing with this deadly Covid19 Virus.Treat yourself and buy this book.

Reviewer: Christine A. Hoskins
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Inspiring story of a great leader
Review: A really good book, especially for anyone interested in WWII history, British history, and Churchill. I like how Larsen brings to life not just Churchill but many in his inner circle, his wife and children, his staff, his friends. As an American I was really interested in Churchill’s relationship with Franklin Roosevelt, Averill Harriman, and others in the US government as the war progressed.My Kindle copy was corrupted and eventually would not open on my Kindle device, although it would open on my iPad.

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Good read
Review: This is the first Larson book I've read. Loved it. Tons of intimate details on the many characters. Ill definitely read more from him.

Reviewer: Paul Stusiak
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This is a well told story with some new aspects that I haven't seen before.This is a story that has been told many times, of the events to knock Great Britain out of WW II using air power - The Blitz as it has been described. I've read a good number of books on this topic as well as most of the major sources around Winston Churchill. I was pleased to see a new view of the historic events described from a different perspective with several story arcs tying the facts to what people were experiencing.The story mostly focuses on those close to Churchill with some additional material from diarists and minor embellishment to the facts around some of the many lives lost - much more interesting to get some minor feel for a person than to learn of their death as another number.I enjoyed finding that the title comes from paraphrasing a diarist's entry and it was fun to find it and remember reading their memoirs many years ago.It builds on works previously published, using first source material and keeping the major events in place while adding a new look at some of the more mundane aspects of life to deliver a story that shows the ordinary and extraordinary coexisting against the backdrop of war. The sources, bibliography and index were excellent.Despite the many story arcs presented, I had no problem keeping it straight over the intermittent reading of the story.A very satisfying read.

Reviewer: Jano
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I enjoyed so much to read. It has been a pleasure time to invest in this reading, I personally believe W.Churchill was a true leader that saves England to be defeated.

Reviewer: Compradora
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: O tempo de guerra não é só de bombardeios, ataques, destruição. Junto a tudo isso, pessoas crescem, vão à escola, se divertem em festas. Civis são parte da história, sempre.

Reviewer: Stefano Perrotta
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: What a book. Historical and engaging. Showing and making you feel how it was really like to leave the Second World War in England .

Reviewer: Lurkas
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Larson is a master at connecting personalities and human emotion to historical events. This takes us much further than a dry littany of factual occurrences. His first person accounts from contemporaneous diary accounts breathes life into Churchill‘s struggle to preserve Great Britain. A captivating book.