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

Synopsis: Erik Larson provides an account of Hitler’s first year as Prime Minister during the Blitz of London. This is not new material, but the focus is not just on Churchill, but on his family and surrounding players. On Churchill’s first day as Prime Minister, Adolph 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, HItler would wage a relentless bombing campaign killing 45,000 Britons. It was up to Churchill to hold his country together and persuade President Franklin Roosevelt that Britain was a worthy ally. This story is told through the eyes of Churchill, his youngest daughter Mary, his wife Clementine, and son Randolph.

Review: It’s hard to believe that there could be any new, fresh ways to write about World War II and Winston Churchill, but here it is. I have to admit that I had no idea how truly eccentric Winston Churchill could be! This book made me appreciate the value of leadership. Through sheer determination, Winston Churchill was able to rally the British people to withstand devastating loss and hardship. Capitulation to Hitler would have been so easy, and you get the sense that would have happened had anyone else been Prime Minister at that critical moment in history. Churchill was not universally loved at that time, and had plenty of detractors, so it was truly remarkable that he was able to hold the British people together. I’ve read many books by Erik Larson, and he always has a knack for bringing history to life. This book was one of my favorites by this author.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: Yorkshire pudding seems like a quintessentially English food, and these popovers are similar, just in individual portion sizes. I also learned that Churchill loved picnics, so these would be nicely portable too!

Popovers:

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven AND popover pan (or muffin tin) to 450 degrees. Spray with nonstick spray and pour batter into the pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn heat back to 325 and bake additional 20-25 minutes.