Erik Larson, author of the "Devil in the White City" has, once again, made a memorable period of history come alive for readers of all ages. "The Splendid & the Vile" documents Churchill and his family's experiences during the Blitz.
Larson shows the reader Churchill's
…more struggles to get a complacent Britain ready to respond to the Nazi threat. He also portrays not just the politics of the time but the inner workings of the Churchill family; wife Clementine, daughter Mary and pregnant daughter-in-law Pamela as they each react to the night-time bombings and general upheaval of this period. The reader learns how much Clementine dearly loved her husband but was also willing to speak up when necessary and remind him that "one leads by calm". Nelson, Churchill's black cat attended most staff meetings and also helped him stay calm when his political foes saw no immediate threat of invasion.
Larson made this period of history very personal to the reader. Who knew that children, at the age of 5 were given Mickey Mouse gas masks or that the King sought help from the British ambassador in the United States to remedy the shortage of bathroom tissue in the palace.
This is not a dry history book but a view into how a family, and ultimately how a country lived through times that seem insurmountable to the modern American. (less)
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