Cover via Open Library
Matt's pick · not sponsored
The Splendid and the Vile
- Churchill
- WWII
- the Blitz
- London
- leadership
- family
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Why I'd hand it to you
Larson covers Winston Churchill's first year as prime minister, from May 1940 through the Blitz, when London was being bombed night after night. He leans on diaries from Churchill's family and staff, especially his daughter Mary, so the book feels like you are in the house rather than in a war room. It is human, sometimes funny and easy to read. If you want strategy, battles or a full Churchill biography, this isn't it, and the gossipy side threads won't work for everyone. For a close-up portrait of leadership under pressure and a family living through it, it is a strong pick.
— Matt Jordan
Quick summary
- Book
- The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
- Who it's for
- Readers who want a personal, close-up look at Churchill's opening year in office rather than military strategy or a full biography.
- Key topics
- Winston Churchill in 1940–41
- The Blitz on London
- Churchill's family and staff
- Leadership in wartime
- Shelves
- History, Biography
