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

A quick read. Nice glimpse into the times when Churchill came into power & how he handled leadership responsibilities in a difficult time for England.

This is a well told story with some new aspects that I haven't seen before. This is a story that has been told many times, of the events to knock Great Britain out of WW II using air power - The Blitz as it has been described. I've read a good number of books on this topic as well as most of the major sources around Winston Churchill. I was pleased to see a new view of the historic events described from a different perspective with several story arcs tying the facts to what people were experiencing. The story mostly focuses on those close to Churchill with some additional material from diarists and minor embellishment to the facts around some of the many lives lost - much more interesting to get some minor feel for a person than to learn of their death as another number. I enjoyed finding that the title comes from paraphrasing a diarist's entry and it was fun to find it and remember reading their memoirs many years ago. It builds on works previously published, using first source material and keeping the major events in place while adding a new look at some of the more mundane aspects of life to deliver a story that shows the ordinary and extraordinary coexisting against the backdrop of war. The sources, bibliography and index were excellent. Despite the many story arcs presented, I had no problem keeping it straight over the intermittent reading of the story. A very satisfying read.

Very interesting book well written as are all his books. I wish history books had been like this when I was at school!

Other history books may have covered Winston Churchill's life in more detail, but this one covers a period critical to his legacy, specifically the years 1940 and 1941. Eric Larson's book portrays Churchill's essential leadership during one of Britain's worst trials of WWII, the Blitz. Larson describes the daily battles and personal traumas of England's prime minister. He gives intimate family portraits of Clementine, Churchill's wife, Mary, his daughter, and Randolph, his son. Close associates such as his secretary, security chief, advisers, and friends are all examined, in turn, to provide a complete picture of the atmosphere and community surrounding Churchill. Larson has done extensive research from personal diaries, public documents, and speeches. An intimate character study emerges of a leader whose perhaps most remarkable talent was to get people to believe in themselves. His rousing speeches and displays of confidence steadied a frightened public. German air raids, which killed thousands of British civilians, made people spend perilous nights in bomb shelters under blackout conditions. Throughout the trials of food scarcity, shelter uncertainty, and persistent bombings, Britain held together. Some of the more interesting stories about Churchill had nothing to do with his military acumen but rather his eccentricities. He did not suffer fools, despised people's habit of whistling, and took two baths a day. While bathing, he had his typist near him to record letters. He wore a special sky-blue one-piece suit, which his aides called "his rompers" to provide him with maximum comfort. Churchill was not self-conscious. Larson explores the German leadership from Hitler to Goebbels, Goering, and Hess. He provides the reactions of these men to British war strategies and Churchill's speeches. He covers the burgeoning friendship with President Roosevelt, first established through Roosevelt's charming emissary Harry Hopkins. If you are interested in the personalities behind WWII, you will enjoy this book. Larson has done a masterful job writing a comprehensive and highly readable study of Churchill's wartime life.

Another book on the Blitz etc? Yes but... very well researched and written. Has a different angle which immerses the reader in the events and how the central characters lived through it. I really enjoyed this book.

Based on the great many reviews already written about this excellent book, I am sure there is very little new information that I can add. Just as with all of the other books by this author that I have read, I have enjoyed this one very much. In this case, I got to know quite a bit of fascinating information about Winston Churchill and his family, friends and colleagues - especially on a personal level – as well as the horrible devastation unleashed upon Britain due to the blitz. I recommend this book to anyone interested in a really good read, particularly those with a penchant for World War II history.