The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sheesh, you can't go wrong with an Erik Larson book! Excellent all-around, again. This is probably my 6th Larson book and I've enjoyed every one of them. So much to learn. Larson does such a masterful job of pulling together very detailed/specific facts, events, personalities--history just comes alive as it flows out of his pen. This focus on Winston Churchill's 1st years as Prime Minister of England--during the darkest days of WWII & Hitler's relentless & horrifying bombing Blitz of London & other key UK cities--gives one an inside scoop via Churchill's writings, minutes, speeches, as well as 360 insights from various family members' comments, diaries, writings & activities. Defiance extraordinaire! When it seemed like Britain's back was literally up against the wall of an impending & overwhelming invasion by the Nazis, who had just rolled over the mighty French defensive lines, Churchill is able to stand defiant (& alone--as the US was in isolationist mode--despite FDR's sympathies), igniting his countrymen & women to stand unitedly defiant, under withering nighttime bombing after bombing. The destruction and loss of life of civilians over this one year was staggering--and included thousands of innocent children. Hitler, Goring & his top advisors/generals were savages and used their savage & shameful tactics to try to cower the Brits into surrendering without much of a fight...which would have probably happened under the previous Prime Minister's government ("Peace in our time..."). Churchill was THE man, for such a time as that. No doubt about it--and Larson does a superb job of showing how true that is. Fascinating and satisfying book that illustrates what can happen when people will not stand for evil, but will stand up strong and do something about it, no matter what they have at their disposal.


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