The Splendid and the Vile

Erik Larson's book The Splendid and the Vile depicts in vivid detail how Churchill taught the British people "the art of being fearless". It's a political thriller, but it's also a touching domestic drama set against the backdrops of Churchill's prime-ministerial country home, Chequers; his wartime retreat, Ditchley, where he and his entourage go when the moon is full and the bombing threat is at its peak; and, of course, 10 Downing Street in London.

Drawing on diaries, original archival documents, and once-secret intelligence reports—some only recently released—Larson casts a new light on London's darkest year through the eyes 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 transports readers from today's political chaos 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.

View Details: amazon.com/dp/0385348711