The Splendid and The Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, And Defiance During The Blitz by Erik Larson
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Web ID: 10876089A Splendid Account
I read “The Splendid And The Vile” in preparation for a book club. It was a great choice. It tells the story of Winston Churchill’s first year in office, 1940-1941, from the perspectives of its main characters. Winston Churchill is seen in his public, political, personal and familial personae. Clementine Churchill is portrayed as a wife and mother playing her part in a family amidst turmoil. Lord Beaverbrook is depicted as the scheming, manipulative office holder who rendered invaluable service, particularly as Minister of Aircraft Production, all while annoying the Prime Minister with his fourteen resignations. There are more minor characters such as, Harry Hopkins and Averill Harriman, envoys of President Roosevelt whom Churchill cultivated as conduits to the one man who could throw a life-line to a drowning Britain, and Randolph Churchill, adored but dissolute son of the Winston, and his wife Pamela who added joy and embarrassment to the Churchill family. The Nazi antagonists, Hitler, Goebbels, Goering, and Rudolph Hess introduce their goals, frustrations and prodding into the narrative. During it all love grow and fades. All of these individuals play their parts against the backdrop of a Britain under constant bombing designed to break its ability and will to fight. Repeated accounts of air raids, both as seen by the Luftwaffe crews and British civilians, convey a sense of the suffering the people endured and their unbroken spirit and unbowed mettle, which Churchill stoked and from which he drew his own resolve. I have read many volumes about World War II. Both biography and history, this one is unique. It presents Churchill’s courting of American involvement in the War from the British side, with the Americans in supporting roles, in juxtaposition to many tomes I have read. It intertwines the personal with the political, big history with little and Homeric personalities with fungible masses. Utilizing short paragraphs that change the scene, author Erik Larson has crafted a chronicle that is informative, and entertaining. I recommend it to any student of World War II or in search of a titanic story expertly told.
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The Splendid and the Vile
Not quite the "page turner" I felt "In the Garden of Beasts",was I still found it a compelling read.
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Great Christmas gift for Dad
Bought this for my dad for Christmas and he loved it! He's a big history buff and loves to read about Churchill specifically. He's also a fan of Larson's other works. He said he knew all the facts already but really liked how Larson tells the story.
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Great use of diaries!
Really enjoyed reading the perspectives of his associates at the time the event occurred. Larson quotes and draws heavily from diaries and contemporary newspaper narratives to paint a picture of how things were without the benefit of hindsight. Well done.
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Further Evidence of Greatness!
Further evidence of the greatness of Winston Churchill and Erik Larson’s ability to tell a great story! Loved this book!
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Great Historical Perspective On Daily Life
I have read other books by Larson and thought they were quite good and this one did not disappoint. Even though I have read a number of books on WWII, I never fully appreciate the day to day existence of the British during the early stages of the war. This gave a whole new perspective and understanding of just how they suffered but still held out against a common enemy and survived. My hats off to all the people who showed such courage and valor. They staved off a brutal and savage man. If England had fallen during before the US got into the war, things would have been much, much more difficult. I think we in the US owe them a debt of gratitude. Thank you, Erik Larson, for writing this book.
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Britain 1940-41
Day by day history of London's darkest year 1940-1941, which was Churchill's first year as Prime Minister. Poland and Czechoslovakia had fallen to Hitler, Holland and Belgium were invaded, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. Erik Larson forges this account based on personal diaries, recently declassified documents, the journals by Wm. Shire, and the national network of diarists tasked with keeping track of the public mood. Rather than a strict accounting of military events, but there are a few such as the sinking of the French Fleet by the British, this provides a very personal narrative about Churchill and his family, warts and all. The relationships between Churchill and his Secret Circle, and between he and his Cabinet, are played out over dinners at Chequers, 10 Downing Street including the bathroom, and Parliament. Highly recommend to anyone who studies history, especially social-political history. It has the personal tone of Isaac's Storm, and heavily sourced like Devil in the White City and In the Garden of the Beast. One inconsequential recommendation--if you are like me and do a lot of back and forth between the index and the text, the paper copy might be better. I read a kindle edition, and for this reason I wished I had read the paper.
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I love Erik Larson's books, but
I have read every Erik Larson book, and have found them all well written and informative. I would say the same about this book, but it could have been better. First, this may sound silly, but photos would have been great. Yes, we know what Churchill looked like, but probably not what the rest of the major and minor characters included in the book looked like. I like to be able to picture what real people looked like as I read about them. . Especially the diarists. They deserved more recognition. Also, the colossal damage should have been pictured. Secondly, I don't think the book did justice to all the people who died and all the buildings destroyed. I knew it was tough, but it was much worse than I ever imagined. A summation at the end with the numbers of deaths, injuries and destruction would have been helpful. Probably thanks to the movies, I believed that the plucky RAF was up in the sky battling the oncoming bombers. To find out they weren't, and then not to learn whether they ever did, is disappointing. A year is one way of looking at history, and we know how it ends, but this book left me with a lot of research to fill in the gaps.
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