The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik LarsonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the captivating tale of how Winston Churchill, London and all of England survived the first year of World War II and the relentless bombing raids Hitler and the Nazis inflicted in order to break their spirit. Larsen uses quotes from diaries and letters to elevate the story above the facts and figures and dates and make it personal, populated with well-rounded personalities acting and reacting to events impossible to comprehend. He even almost succeeds at making Churchill himself into someone anyone can identify with. Yet the apparent reality of Churchill defies the attempt and he remains larger-than-life. This is a must-read for anyone interested in this period of history.
Disclosure: Thank you to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for providing a free copy of this book in return for my honest review.
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