World War II began in 1939. In May of 1940, The House of Commons decided that the current Prime Minister wasn’t equipped to lead them during the war. Winston Churchill became Prime Minister. He is a legendary orator, credited with keeping the British people encouraged throughout some of the worst bombing ever experienced by anyone. What is studied, discussed and debated is the public figure of Winston Churchill, Prime Minister. In his new book “The Splendid And The Vile”, Erik Larson reveals Winston Churchill – public and private. What happened in Britain during his first year in office? How did he handle such immense stress? What was the impact on his personal life?
Winston Churchill was quirky. He dictated letters, telegrams and minutes while in the bath and while in bed. He would walk around in bath towels and wearing robes. He never worried about his personal safety. Winston would stay up until 2 a.m. working, much to the dissatisfaction of his staff. He expected his staff to keep up with him. His secretaries worked day and night and would even accompany him on his weekend retreats. Churchill grasped the enormity of the task at hand and devoted himself wholeheartedly to it. Fortunately, nearly all his children had grown and led independent lives.
This book details his family life and the lives of various people that staffed 10 Downing Street. His wife, Clementine, supported his decisions and also watched over him. Their children lived in England throughout the war and would often stay with their parents during the weekend retreats. Larson quotes Clementine’s and Mary’s diaries. The diaries reveal the inner thoughts of the two women closest to Churchill. The insight is fascinating.
It was a chaotic time for everyone. Once Germany possessed France, England was their next target. Strategy meetings covering air, land, and sea were daily events. Bombings began. At first, people were terrified by the air raid sirens. As time went on, they began to be a part of everyday life. Churchill wanted to let people know that the government appreciated their sacrifices so, after each bombing, he toured the area. Seeing him brightened spirits and showed his concern. The depth of his compassion is truly touching.
Winston Churchill was a stubborn man. He would settle on a course of action and stick to it. He did not want to flee the city during bombings so he had 10 Downing Street reinforced to withstand bombs. He would go up on top of the roof at 10 Downing Street during air raids to watch the event. When the weekends came, Winston retreated to the country to get away.
Much of Churchill’s time was taken up trying to persuade America to enter the war. His overtures to Ambassador Kennedy were rebuffed. But as the war continued, Roosevelt sent several other advisors over to assess the situation in England. Every representative of Roosevelt was treated well but shown the harsh realities of this war. Through his persistence and diplomacy, Churchill is able to convince Roosevelt to provide aide. The Japenese attack on Pearl Harbor propels the U.S. into war.
Erik Larson took on a daunting task. Winston Churchill is legendary for his statesmanship and vast accomplishments. Instead of regaling us with war stories, we are given the complete Churchill. He was a great leader but he was also a father. He would get cranky with people. Winston expected to get his way. He has a strong belief in the ability of England to defeat Hitler. He worked continually to save England while being a husband, father and grandfather. Erik Larson shows us the whole picture.
Even though I know the details of this time period, I enjoyed this story immensely. It is refreshing to see the altruism of a person so long revered. Churchill had all the complications of life and family AND had to lead a nation through war. While this book is a fair and dispassionate look at Churchill, Larson gives us the gift of seeing Churchill’s humanity.
My Rating: 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻
Additional Thoughts: I’m not a history buff but I enjoyed this book. There seem to be so many books about different aspects of World War II, I couldn’t imagine an entire book about a single year in Churchill’s life. From page one, I found myself interested. I knew the facts but Erik Larson was able to breathe life into one incredible, amazing year of history and make it new again.