A review by thopp84
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson

5.0

There truly is no one better than Erik Larson when it comes to writing non fiction that reads like fiction and that is compulsively readable. I have loved his previous books so as soon as I heard that he had a new one, I knew that I would need to read it as soon as possible. Here, he gives us an intimate portrait of Winston Churchill's first year as Prime Minister during a time when Hitler was determined to conquer Britain. It shows us how Churchill's leadership led his nation through that dark time and how he managed to keep Hitler back. I like how he explores all the aspects of Churchill's leadership from the ways he was perceived by the public to his family life and the drama of his children. A great read, one that kept me enthralled until the end. Larson is very detailed, sometimes a bit too much so, but he never loses the narrative thread and the book never loses its power or resonance. It was somewhat refreshing and also a bit sad to read this book about what real leadership looks like during a crisis. Something we are missing right now desperately. Overall, this is a fantastic read and one that I will recommend highly.