There are few historical episodes more well known to Anglophones than the Battle of Britain. Even the words Churchill used to help save democratic civilization have become cliches: “Their finest hour”, “Blood, sweat and tears”, “Never have so many owed so much to so few.”
Given that libraries could be filled with volumes dissecting almost every angle of Churchill’s life and WWII, it’s hard to imagine that Erik Larson could offer anything particularly original.
He has chosen, however, not to emphasize the extensive scholarship on this era, but to use journals and other primary sources to retell the Battle of Britain as it appeared to those in Churchill’s immediate circle. Thus, we get details as various as teenage Mary Churchill’s love of dances juxtaposed with his pet scientist’s ability to explain radar technology in a way he could understand.
These personal portraits, drawn from contemporary sources, combine to form a unique saga of what it felt like to be around Churchill in this troubled era. Accomplished with real brilliance, I thoroughly enjoyed Larson’s narrative.
Personal taste for this kind of history will, obviously, differ. Should history be recounted with more ample reference to other scholars? Does the personal inform the world-historical as much as Larson suggests?
These are questions which ultimately have to be answered by every reader. But, to my taste, this technique was an immense success in shedding new light on this dark, but inspiring era, in human history.
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz Hardcover – Illustrated, 25 February 2020
by
Erik Larson
(Author)
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Product details
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 608 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0385348711
- ISBN-13 : 978-0385348713
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Best Sellers Rank:
86 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 4 in History of Europe
- 6 in Biographies & Memoirs
- Customer reviews:
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Review
"The kind of page-turner you always want in a history book but rarely get . . . Larson gives the reader a 'you are there' sense of the intensity of Churchill's work with his team on life-and-death challenges--and solving them at a pace I found to be mind-blowing."--Bill Gates, GatesNotes "Published in the midst of one of the greatest international crises since World War II, Larson's new book tells the story of London facing the Blitz during that war through the characters of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, members of his family and his various advisers. Readers are left with an indelible portrait of a nation coming together to face a brutal assault from German bombs under leadership that is wise, empathetic and strategic--not to mention highly witty and charming."--Time "Erik Larson, in his suspenseful new book, The Splendid and the Vile, captures the foreboding that settled on London leading up to the bombardment, as well as Churchill's determination not to give in. . . . Plus, there is Larson's reliable, cinematic writing and his intimate portrayal of Churchill."--The New Yorker "An enthralling page-turner."--O: The Oprah Magazine "A damn good story. There are narrative arcs, heroes, villains, and suspense aplenty to craft the kind of rich, immersive histories that have become Larson's trademark."--Rolling Stone "This is Erik Larson's moment. His affecting and affectionate chronicle of the Churchill family during the Blitz, the Nazi World War II bombing campaign against Great Britain, has found a hungry audience in the United States."--The Boston Globe
"Through the remarkably skillful use of intimate diaries as well as public documents, some newly released, Larson has transformed the well-known record of 12 turbulent months, stretching from May of 1940 through May of 1941, into a book that is fresh, fast and deeply moving."--Candice Millard, The New York Times Book Review "Larson's book offers a delicious slice of life of the world's last great statesman." --The Wall Street Journal "Fascinating . . . The entire book comes at the reader with breakneck speed. So much happened so quickly in those 12 months, yet Larson deftly weaves all the strands of his tale into a coherent and compelling whole."--Minneapolis Star Tribune "I have an early copy of this book on my desk and idly began reading the first pages--and suddenly time disappeared."--The Seattle Times "Still, it is a time of sadness, fear, grief and uncertainty for so many, and I find myself comforted by reading about other supremely challenging times in human history, and about resilience, and hope. For this, there is no better book right now than The Splendid and the Vile."--Mackenzie Dawson, New York Post "Nonfiction king Erik Larson is back."--PopSugar "Spectacular . . . Larson, as America's most compelling popular historian, is at his best in this fast-moving, immensely readable, and even warmhearted account of the battle to save Britain."--The Christian Science Monitor What sets [Larson's] work apart is his signature way of using painstaking research through personal journals and historical records to spin a gripping nonfiction tale through the ordinary lives of the men and women who succeeded, failed, and perished as a result."--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "The Splendid and the Vile delivers the great saga with a novelist's touch. It's like you're watching and hearing the days and nights of 1940 as a passenger on a double-decker London bus."--Chris Matthews, Churchill Bulletin
"The popular historian Erik Larson has done it again. As I read this book, I kept wondering what the swelling of powerful emotion was that I felt, sometimes in an almost physical sense."--Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny, in Air Mail "A propulsive, character-driven account of Winston Churchill's first year as British prime minister . . . Readers will rejoice."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Through the remarkably skillful use of intimate diaries as well as public documents, some newly released, Larson has transformed the well-known record of 12 turbulent months, stretching from May of 1940 through May of 1941, into a book that is fresh, fast and deeply moving."--Candice Millard, The New York Times Book Review "Larson's book offers a delicious slice of life of the world's last great statesman." --The Wall Street Journal "Fascinating . . . The entire book comes at the reader with breakneck speed. So much happened so quickly in those 12 months, yet Larson deftly weaves all the strands of his tale into a coherent and compelling whole."--Minneapolis Star Tribune "I have an early copy of this book on my desk and idly began reading the first pages--and suddenly time disappeared."--The Seattle Times "Still, it is a time of sadness, fear, grief and uncertainty for so many, and I find myself comforted by reading about other supremely challenging times in human history, and about resilience, and hope. For this, there is no better book right now than The Splendid and the Vile."--Mackenzie Dawson, New York Post "Nonfiction king Erik Larson is back."--PopSugar "Spectacular . . . Larson, as America's most compelling popular historian, is at his best in this fast-moving, immensely readable, and even warmhearted account of the battle to save Britain."--The Christian Science Monitor What sets [Larson's] work apart is his signature way of using painstaking research through personal journals and historical records to spin a gripping nonfiction tale through the ordinary lives of the men and women who succeeded, failed, and perished as a result."--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "The Splendid and the Vile delivers the great saga with a novelist's touch. It's like you're watching and hearing the days and nights of 1940 as a passenger on a double-decker London bus."--Chris Matthews, Churchill Bulletin
"The popular historian Erik Larson has done it again. As I read this book, I kept wondering what the swelling of powerful emotion was that I felt, sometimes in an almost physical sense."--Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny, in Air Mail "A propulsive, character-driven account of Winston Churchill's first year as British prime minister . . . Readers will rejoice."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
About the Author
Erik Larson is the author of five national bestsellers: Dead Wake, In the Garden of Beasts, Thunderstruck, The Devil in the White City, and Isaac's Storm, which have collectively sold more than nine million copies. His books have been published in nearly twenty countries.
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Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars
1,571 reviews

Aran Joseph Canes
5.0 out of 5 stars
What’s Well-Known becomes New When Retold as Personal Saga
26 February 2020 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase
354 people found this helpful

C. M Mills
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Splendid and the Vile is a great historical examination of Churchill during the blitz
29 February 2020 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase
As a longtime fan of Eric Larson I eagerly purchased his newest history The Splendid and the Vile (the title is based on a remark made by Churchill's private secretary John Colville. Colville was watching the bombs burst on London one night during a Luftwaffe attack). The book examines the first year Winston Spencer Churchill (1874-1965) served as prime minister from May 10, 1940 to the following May. During that momentous period the British suffered fifty-seven nights of bombing by Goering's vaunted Luftwaffe flying to Britain from their bases in Northern France and Belgium. In addition to his public role we see and become acquainted with Churchill's family especially his eighteen year old daughter Mary. We also meet his daughters Diana and Sarah who was wed to the entertainer Vic Oliver (whom Churchill did not care for). Winston's son Randolph was recently read to the beautiful Pamela but was unfaithful to her. Randolph had a serous drinking problem and served in the 4th Hussars and as a member of the British House of Commons. We even meet Churchill's big cat Nelson (named after Lord Nelson). During the momentous year of 1940 we see Churchill wooing US President Franklin D. Roosevelt as he fought to get Lend-Lease through the Senate. Americans were isolationistic in belief until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 catapulting into the war on an active bases as Britain's greatest ally. Churchill enjoyed good friendships with Lord Beaverbrook his air minister and good advisor Professor Lindemann among many others.
This is not dry history! Larson writes like a novelist but his book is backed up by years of research. The reader gets to know the figures in the book and to care for their fates. England was a brave nation as in their finest hour they faced the horrors of the Nazi menace with great courage and determination to never surrender. Anyone who is interested in Churchill, World War II or history in general will profit from this excellent book. This is the kind of book which could well get a young person hooked on history! Kudos to Erik Larson!
This is not dry history! Larson writes like a novelist but his book is backed up by years of research. The reader gets to know the figures in the book and to care for their fates. England was a brave nation as in their finest hour they faced the horrors of the Nazi menace with great courage and determination to never surrender. Anyone who is interested in Churchill, World War II or history in general will profit from this excellent book. This is the kind of book which could well get a young person hooked on history! Kudos to Erik Larson!
251 people found this helpful

Charlotte Schmuck
5.0 out of 5 stars
Book Printed Upside Down
27 February 2020 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase
I have not started reading the book yet, although I am sure it will be excellent. I notice that the pages were accidentally printed upside down so they aren't facing the same way the text on the binding is! I do not have a problem with turning a book upside down, just wanted to let everyone know this may be an issue!
171 people found this helpful

Daryl Childs
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting...
26 February 2020 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase
I just received my book by Erik Larson "The Splendid and The Vile" and although I have yet to read this book I found it interesting that once I opened the box, took the book out and opened it - it was upside down! The book I received - and I cannot image that I will be the only one - was printed upside down. Hard to imagine something like this happening from Crown Publishing but, in the end, it just makes it more interesting!
135 people found this helpful

John Warrant
1.0 out of 5 stars
There is nothing splendid about this book
4 April 2020 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase
I'm a big fan of Eric Larson and enjoyed most of his books. Lately, he's been slipping. And this one is simply phoned in. It reads like a cut and paste job. Larson found a bunch of letters and diaries from people around Churchill and interspersed snippets from them among bombing raids. Or so it seems. There is no real narrative. The story seems to be ... Churchill got handed an impossible job when he became Prime Minister, the Germans were really bad people who kept bombing England, many of those around Churchill seemed to be having a merry time while everyone else got bombed, and Churchill managed to get Roosevelt into the war (with the help of the Japanese who bombed Pearl Harbor). Sorry for ruining the plot but that's it. HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. Mr. Larson, please get back on your game and give us something like Devil in the White City again.
101 people found this helpful