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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John Lee
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Erik Larson
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Written by:
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Erik Larson
About this listen
The number one New York Times best-selling author of The Devil in the White City and Dead Wake delivers a fresh and compelling portrait of Winston Churchill and London during the Blitz.
NAMED ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2020 BY The Washington Post • HuffPost • The Seattle Times • Lit Hub • The Week • PopSugar
On Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister, Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. For the next 12 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 - and willing to fight to the end.
In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson shows, in cinematic detail, how Churchill taught the British people "the art of being fearless." It is a story of political brinkmanship, but it’s also an intimate domestic drama, set against the backdrop of Churchill’s prime-ministerial country home, Chequers; his wartime retreat, Ditchley, where he and his entourage go when the moon is brightest and the bombing threat is highest; and, of course, 10 Downing Street in London.
Drawing on diaries, original archival documents, and once-secret intelligence reports - some released only recently - Larson provides a new lens on London’s darkest year through the day-to-day experience of Churchill and his family: his wife, Clementine; their youngest daughter, Mary, who chafes against her parents’ wartime protectiveness; their son, Randolph, and his beautiful, unhappy wife, Pamela; Pamela’s illicit lover, a dashing American emissary; and the advisers in Churchill’s "Secret Circle", to whom he turns in the hardest moments.
The Splendid and the Vile takes listeners out of today’s political dysfunction and back to a time of true leadership, when, in the face of unrelenting horror, Churchill’s eloquence, courage, and perseverance bound a country, and a family, together.
This audiobook includes a recording of Winston Churchill's 1941 Christmas Eve speech.
©2020 Erik Larson (P)2020 Random House AudioWhat the critics say
"What Larson brilliantly provides are the finer details of the effects on England as he focuses on the family and home of its dynamic, idiosyncratic, and indefatigable leader.... 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)
"The kind of page-turner you always want in a history book but rarely get...Larson gives the reader a ‘you are there’ sense of the intensity of Churchill’s work with his team on life-and-death challenges - and solving them at a pace I found to be mind-blowing." (Bill Gates, GatesNotes)
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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
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-04-23
A time of dread, punctuated by hope
Imagine the events in Great Britain after Dunkirk, only the path that they take aren't known to the main players. A fascinating look at Churchill's circle from 1940 to the end of 1941. A useful tonic to current events.
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2 people found this helpful
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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
- cathy
- 2021-11-13
soo good!!
Totally enjoyed learning more about the people behind the historical time. I never knew Churchill was such a child-at-heart. Highly recommend this book
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- mary pedersen
- 2020-08-07
Battle of Britain, a great read for all ages
Was not certain I wanted to read more Churchill but so well researched, written , and wonderful narration. Well done !!
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Alex
- 2024-09-04
Great book, incredible performance.
The book itself is so well put together and detailed, but the performance of this audiobook deserves a 6/5, wonderfully done!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Emerson
- 2020-04-13
Excellent!
This is a fascinating account of England during the blitz, with perspectives from the personal diaries of everyone from Churchill, his family, secretary, British people, German officials etc. I can’t recommend it enough!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Llewellyn
- 2021-01-30
Fascinating !
I have read many books on Churchill and the war, but this one gives an intriguing inside look into the character of the man that steered Britain through its darkest hour.
It also gives new insights into how our parents and grandparents thought and behaved in that terrible time.
I thoroughly recommend
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lisa Slater
- 2020-05-08
I never write reviews.....
But this time I have to. I read this during the Covid-19 pandemic. If anyone wants/needs to learn about what true government leadership and courageous civil participation looks like, read this book. It is intimate without being mundane, it is factual without being just a list if facts but shows how truth in the face of adversity can embolden, motivate, and bring out the best in everyone: politicians and civilians while not ignoring the ever-present nay-sayers and defeatists. Every quote comes from a primary source of someone who was actually present. It blends the day to day lives of the Churchill family with those of the “ordinary” British while providing a dramatic, fast paced description of unfolding events from both the highest level of British and German government officials. Read it. Read it now. And ponder how much better off we would be if we had leadership like Churchill’s right now.
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8 people found this helpful
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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
- William Chan
- 2020-05-31
Thoroughly Enjoyable Book and Production
Great writing as usaula by Larson thst helps the reader gets immersed in the story. Very well performed. I can almost imagine it is the very Winston Churchill himself reading some of the monologues. A terrific way to spend 15+ hours!
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1 person found this helpful
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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
- Bruce
- 2022-02-20
Captivating Listen
Kept me on the edge of my seat. A good combination of the Churchill journey and the great British war struggle.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mark T
- 2024-08-04
Riveting
in the context of history we often misunderstand the moments in time completely! This author puts us there, in that moment in time!
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