The Splendid and the Vile: Churchill, Family and Defiance During the Bombing of London

(Paperback)

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THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Every time Churchill took to the airwaves it was as if he were injecting adrenaline-soaked courage directly into the British people Larson tells the story of how that feat was accomplished Fresh, fast and deeply moving. New York Times
A startling, gripping portrait of what it was like to be alive in Britain during the Blitz, and what it was like to be around Churchill.

On Winston Churchills first day as prime minister, Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. For the next twelve months, the Nazis would wage a relentless bombing campaign, killing 45,000 Britons and destroying two million homes.

In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson gives a new and brilliantly cinematic account of how Britains most iconic leader set about unifying the nation at its most vulnerable moment, and teaching the art of being fearless.

Drawing on once-secret intelligence reports and diaries, #1 bestselling author Larson takes readers from the shelled streets of London to Churchills own chambers, giving a vivid vision of true leadership, when in the face of unrelenting horror a leader of eloquence, strategic brilliance and perseverance bound a country, and a family, together.

Reviews

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

PICKED BY BARACK OBAMA AND BILL GATES AS A BEST BOOK OF 2020

If you want to look back at a really important part of history with fresh eyes, this is the book for you Gripping and wonderful
Alan Carr

An enthralling page-turner
O: The Oprah Magazine

Fresh, fast and deeply moving Larsons deft portraits show the essential connection that words created between the powerful and the powerless, capturing the moments that defined life for millions struggling to survive the decisions of a few
New York Times Book Review

There are countless books about World War II, but theres only one Erik Larson There are many things to admire aboutThe Splendid and the Vile, but chief among them is Larsons electric writing. The book reads like a novel, and even though everyone (hopefully) knows how the war ultimately ended, he keeps the reader turning the pages with his gripping prose.
NPR

A particularly gripping read, written with bounce and brio. Larson pulls together vivid vignettes some moving, some amusing, a few grim A fine writer of narrative nonfiction history.
Robbie Millen, Times

This book is peppered with eye-popping details A deeply compelling work of history Without resorting to heroism, it makes one long powerfully for real leadership
Lit Hub

I have an early copy of this book on my desk and idly began reading the first pagesand suddenly time disappeared.
Seattle Times

Larsons skill atintegrating vast researchand talent forcapturing compelling human dramas culminate inan inspirational portrait of one of historys finest, most fearless leaders
Booklist(starred review)

Acaptivating historyof Churchills heroic year, with more than the usual emphasis on his intimates.
Kirkus Reviews(starred review)

Author Bio

Erik Larson is a writer, journalist and novelist. Nominated for a Pulitzer prize for investigative journalism on The Wall Street Journal, he has taught non-fiction writing at San Francisco State and Johns Hopkins.