The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

My second book for December was The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson. I have had this book on my Amazon wish list for some time because Janie mentioned it. I loaded it into the Kindle app before I left for the Army/Navy game. While Sharon has read several of Erik Larson's books, this is the first of his books that I have read.

The book covers the Winston Churchill's first year as prime minister of the United Kingdom stretching from May of 1940 through May of 1941. It paints a vivid portrait of the politician's intense and erratic personality. While the story focuses heavily on Churchill and his family, the book also provides a vivid account of the Blitz, the German bombing campaign that caused the British to live in fear.

I enjoyed the book; it was very readable. Although I have read a few World War II books, I frankly didn't realize the extent of the damage that the German Blitz did.

[Note to self], I need to read another book about Winston Churchill. I really enjoyed this book and Millard's Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill. I enjoyed Larson's writing style enough that I am going to add Larson's The Devil in the White City: A Saga of Magic and Murder at the Fair that Changed America to my reading list.