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A review by thisotherbookaccount
The Splendid and the Vile: Churchill, Family and Defiance During the Bombing of London by Erik Larson
4.0
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I’ve been a fan of Larson ever since I read The Devil in the White City. His style of narrative non-fiction is unpalatable to some, but to me it gives history a much needed dose of propulsion.
In The Splendid and the Vile, Larson turns the lens on #WW2, specifically the first year of Churchill’s prime ministership from May 1940 to May 1941. This was also a time of tension with Nazi #Germany, who had just conquered large swaths of Europe. The main narrative drive of the book, then, is about how Churchill and his men held off the Germans until the Americans arrived, as well as how #England, specifically #London, survived The Blitz.
It’s hard to believe the level of detail Larson goes into with his books. With a combination of letters, diary entries, declassified documents, radio broadcasts, newspaper articles and secondary interviews, Larson brings the history to life. Entire dialogues were reproduced as if he was there in conversation with Churchill or Hitler (all backed up by sources, of course). Instead of presenting a blow-by-blow, what-happened-when version of history, Larson is often able to unearth the stories, interesting trivia and minor details that historians forget.
Then, of course, there’s the Blitz. Larson’s descriptions are so detailed, he makes you feel like the Blitz happened only last week. Nearly every bomb, every death, every building turned to ash is accounted for. Between the destruction, though, you learn how Londoners truly lived up to the slogan, #KeepCalmandCarryOn.
My two complaints are that Larson is sometimes TOO detailed with his research. Like, I’m impressed enough, but do we really need Churchill’s packing list, or what food was served during a dinner party? I also couldn’t care less about Churchill’s family members and their romantic liaisons.
I’ve been a fan of Larson ever since I read The Devil in the White City. His style of narrative non-fiction is unpalatable to some, but to me it gives history a much needed dose of propulsion.
In The Splendid and the Vile, Larson turns the lens on #WW2, specifically the first year of Churchill’s prime ministership from May 1940 to May 1941. This was also a time of tension with Nazi #Germany, who had just conquered large swaths of Europe. The main narrative drive of the book, then, is about how Churchill and his men held off the Germans until the Americans arrived, as well as how #England, specifically #London, survived The Blitz.
It’s hard to believe the level of detail Larson goes into with his books. With a combination of letters, diary entries, declassified documents, radio broadcasts, newspaper articles and secondary interviews, Larson brings the history to life. Entire dialogues were reproduced as if he was there in conversation with Churchill or Hitler (all backed up by sources, of course). Instead of presenting a blow-by-blow, what-happened-when version of history, Larson is often able to unearth the stories, interesting trivia and minor details that historians forget.
Then, of course, there’s the Blitz. Larson’s descriptions are so detailed, he makes you feel like the Blitz happened only last week. Nearly every bomb, every death, every building turned to ash is accounted for. Between the destruction, though, you learn how Londoners truly lived up to the slogan, #KeepCalmandCarryOn.
My two complaints are that Larson is sometimes TOO detailed with his research. Like, I’m impressed enough, but do we really need Churchill’s packing list, or what food was served during a dinner party? I also couldn’t care less about Churchill’s family members and their romantic liaisons.