Dec. 7, 1941, marks the date when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, ushering the United States into World War II.
As much as this date is cemented in the World War II history of the United States and, hopefully, in the minds and hearts of most Americans, bestselling author Erik Larson takes readers on a compelling inside look at the political drama focused on a critical period in Great Britain’s history leading up to America’s entry into the conflict, in his “The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz.”
Britain had declared war on Germany in September 1939 in response to Hitler’s invasion of Poland. It was a fearful time for people, knowing that bombing and invasion were now serious retaliatory threats. By the following year, in May 1940, Poland and Czechoslovakia had fallen.
He Takes the Reins
He rose to the challenge in masterful fashion, seemingly undaunted by the mounting pressures that faced him daily on either the foreign or family front.It’s the unfolding of each day that Larson brings vividly to life. Even though we know historically the ultimate outcome, his narrative (much inspired by private diaries and journals of those surrounding Churchill, some recently available to the public) keeps readers turning the pages. Interestingly, the UK had a vast social research project called Mass-Observation, which was a network of local diarists.
The read is hefty, more than 500 pages—heavier still if you are holding the hardback edition (as I did)—but, trust me, it adds to the ambiance. It brings the weightiness of the situation ever more present.
The fates of nations were at stake, but what is so strikingly revealed in Larson’s narrative is the fact that those pressing decisions were in large part determined by the leadership of two men: Winston Churchill and then president Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The interplay, communiqués, and conversations between Churchill and Roosevelt were, of course, politically and personally motivated and the outcome pivotal to the destinies of so many lives.
Churchill desperately needed more than the spiritual and moral support of the United States. He needed destroyers, arms, and food supplies. Roosevelt, faced with his own challenges and a country unwilling to go to war, was seeking a third term in office. Early on, at one point, he basically said “best of luck.”
Country and Family
The people adored him. He had their heart. Even in the most dire and tragic circumstances, his personal charisma and eloquence lifted spirits and infused his subjects with renewed vigor and perseverance even as they buried their dead. Many of his speeches continue to be shared and reread, his oratory skills legendary.
Churchill was a family man. He had grown children, the youngest being Mary, all going through their own challenges. Larson brings all of the passionate dynamics of Churchill’s personal life to the foreground, balancing this to the ever-present demands on the foreign front.
It’s an engrossing narrative with no lack of suspense, tension, and often delicious detail. Churchill was a curious fellow; his penchant for odd behavior was in sharp contrast to his keen strategic mind.
I particularly enjoyed learning more about Clementine, Churchill’s wife, who while orchestrating their social life at country getaways, remained a steadfast companion and counselor. And, to her credit, she did much to sway Churchill’s decision to improve the conditions of the many shelters necessitated by Hitler’s Luftwaffe.
Larson talks about the intense psychological effects of continued blackouts; the lack of electricity, water, and transportation; food shortages; the layers of broken glass, the destruction of cherished buildings, and the ongoing devastation.
He is deft at describing—and made all the more tragic and touching—the fates of individuals: the singer at a night club, the death of children on an outbound ship, the spouse of one, the friend of another.
While London was at the core of bombing raids, the destruction of smaller cities and towns struck acute terror into Britain’s citizenry. The full moon, in all its splendid glory, gave way to vile consequences as it lit the way for the German onslaught.
Churchill’s sheer will, courage, perseverance, guts, and grace bound a country and a family together in the darkest of times.
Whether you are a Larson fan (“The Devil in the White City,” “In the Garden of Beasts,” “Dead Wake,” “Thunderstruck”) or discovering the master of this genre for the first time, “The Splendid and the Vile” is an informational, insightful, inspiring, and enthralling read: Larson at his best and most brilliant.
