The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz
by Erik Larson
Review of The Splendid and The Vile (2/15/2020)
Being a history buff the book was very interesting for me. I do not believe that this is one of Erik Larson's better novels. The novel gives you a good understanding of the situation England was in after the fall of Europe. But it also delves into the incidental details of the lives of family members, secretaries, and other minor characters. By removing these segments from the book it would be more interesting and a faster read.
The book does provide a historical reference to the spirit of the English people and how Churchill was the right person at the time for England. It is disappointing to see that the aristocratic younger people continued to play while the general population suffered from the air attacks.
I did like the author including insight into the thinking of the German leadership and outlining the errors that were made by the leadership to win England. As well as what it took to get the United States to provide support for the war effort.
Overall the reader needs to understand that the novel does provide an interesting historical perspective to the Battle for Brittainy.