The Splendid and the Vile
A Saga of Churchill, Family and Defiance During the Blitz
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The Splendid and the Vile
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Narrated by:
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Matt Addis
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By:
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Erik Larson
About this listen
‘Every time Churchill took to the airwaves it was as if he were injecting adrenaline-soaked courage directly into the British people … Larson tells the story of how that feat was accomplished … Fresh, fast and deeply moving.’ New York Times
A STARTLING, GRIPPING PORTRAIT OF WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE ALIVE IN BRITAIN DURING THE BLITZ, AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE AROUND CHURCHILL.
On Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister, Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. For the next twelve months, the Nazis would wage a relentless bombing campaign, killing 45,000 Britons and destroying two million homes.
In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson gives a new and brilliantly cinematic account of how Britain’s most iconic leader set about unifying the nation at its most vulnerable moment, and teaching ‘the art of being fearless.’
Drawing on once-secret intelligence reports and diaries, #1 bestselling author Larson takes readers from the shelled streets of London to Churchill’s own chambers, giving a vivid vision of true leadership, when – in the face of unrelenting horror – a leader of eloquence, strategic brilliance and perseverance bound a country, and a family, together.
©2020 Erik Larson (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedCritic Reviews
THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
PICKED BY BARACK OBAMA AND BILL GATES AS A BEST BOOK OF 2020
‘If you want to look back at a really important part of history with fresh eyes, this is the book for you … Gripping and wonderful’
Alan Carr
‘An enthralling page-turner’
O: The Oprah Magazine
‘Fresh, fast and deeply moving … Larson’s deft portraits show the essential connection that words created between the powerful and the powerless, capturing the moments that defined life for millions struggling to survive the decisions of a few’
New York Times Book Review
‘There are countless books about World War II, but there’s only one Erik Larson … There are many things to admire about The Splendid and the Vile, but chief among them is Larson’s electric writing. The book reads like a novel, and even though everyone (hopefully) knows how the war ultimately ended, he keeps the reader turning the pages with his gripping prose.’
NPR
‘A particularly gripping read, written with bounce and brio. Larson pulls together vivid vignettes – some moving, some amusing, a few grim … A fine writer of narrative nonfiction history.’
Robbie Millen, Times
‘This book is peppered with eye-popping details … A deeply compelling work of history … Without resorting to heroism, it makes one long powerfully for real leadership’
Lit Hub
‘I have an early copy of this book on my desk and idly began reading the first pages—and suddenly time disappeared.’
Seattle Times
‘Larson’s skill at integrating vast research and talent for capturing compelling human dramas culminate in an inspirational portrait of one of history’s finest, most fearless leaders’
Booklist (starred review)
‘A captivating history of Churchill’s heroic year, with more than the usual emphasis on his intimates.’
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
What listeners say about The Splendid and the Vile
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 20-10-2023
Brilliant!
Loved this retelling of the beginning of WW2, especially with all the diary entries. Learnt so much!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Fiona Gregory
- 28-01-2022
Enjoyable Comparisons of Life in Churchill’s Britain and Hitler’s Reich
The Splendid and the Vile
This is my third book by author Erik Larson and I can see why I always enjoy his history books. They are so well researched and constructed that they read more like a narrative than a dry prose.
Primary source material and descriptions are cleverly incorporated into each chapter, that you feel as though transported back to the period in time, this case, 1940 London England.
It’s the start of the German Route on the French, Belgian and British Expeditionary Force. Churchill has just come to the Prime Ministership after the resignation of Neville Chamberlaine. The Lords are horrified. The King, Queen and the public are delighted.
It is a baptism by fire and water to be sure. But Churchill is proves up to the task because of his experience, his determination and singular power of oratory. Hitler had met more than his equal.
It’s part biography on Churchill and his family, including his marriage with Clementine, indulged & entitled son Randolph and almost adult daughter Mary. My favourite description of Churchill is where, rather than cowering in the air raid shelters under Number 10, he was to be found on the roof watching the action, much to his wife’s consternation.
There’s information about war production, inventions such as air raid shelters, barge balloons, radar and code making & breaking devices.
It includes action from early in the War, where Britain lost almost all allies within weeks. It includes the:
Blitzkreig;
Rout of the French army;
Surrender of the French Government;
Evacuation of Dunkirk;
Destruction of the French Navy;
Multiple appeals to Roosevelt for aid;
Lend/Lease arrangement;
Battle of Britain from both sides of the conflict;
Perils of the London Blitz;
Rationing;
Living for the moment whilst faced with death each night;
Sleeping and ablution conditions in air raid shelters; (inspections & reforms by Clementine!)
Stoicism of the Royal Family;
Atlantic Convoys & Wolf packs;
Operation Barbarossa;
Pearl Harbour;
And briefly, the end of the War and subsequent War Trials.
The Audible version is read by Matt Addis and he gives it just the right touch of voice differentiation that you can distinguish the direct quotes (he does a very good job of an English female accent, east end and even Churchill distinctive cadence) from the narrative.
Worth its five stars
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- elizabeth b.
- 12-07-2020
Fabulous
This is a terrific book so interesting and narration by Matt Addis. What an interesting man Churchill was. This is well worth a listen.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 18-06-2022
A Gripping Must Read . . .
Thank goodness so many people kept diaries during WW2! The narration of this gripping "story" of England surviving through the toughest and most frightenly challenging times has been a result of such research based on these records of day to day experiences as well as other historical records. Such a tribute to the author to meld history through personal experiences so successfully. The result was indeed a gripping tale which was difficult to put down.! So beautifuly read too.
A wonderful read. Thank you Eric Larsson
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 09-04-2021
Absolutely brilliant
The best book I have ever read. Amazing. Loved it. So sad when I got to the end.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bambi
- 27-05-2023
Terrific
Surprisingly riveting. The immense mass of detail is superbly handled, creating the feeling of being a fly on the wall in the Churchill family during the first year of the war. The stories of his circle, including his staff, top brass - the Prof, General Ismay, and others; American envoys, his daughters, are interwoven with German High Command and others to form a 3-D view of events, switching with ease from the experience of an air-raid warden to Goering to Mary Churchill. Can’t believe that such a detailed history - every word factual - could be so gripping and at times even amusing. A masterpiece. I was almost enraged when it ended. I do hope there will be more. Max Addis’ reading was perfect, including his imitation of Churchill.
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