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

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As a reader and an author, I find that nothing is better than reading a book of superb craftsmanship. Larsen’s latest masterpiece, set in Churchill’s London during the height of the Nazi air blitz, blends new details, large and small, gobs of facts, and a deep insight into Churchill himself into a mix so smooth it reads like a page-turning novel.

Larson would have stood out in any era as one of the all-time greats. In the world of nonfiction, few have ever achieved his heights. Perhaps the greatest compliment to an age, a place, or a person is to be worthy of a Larson book. I have read Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania and The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America and thought they could not be topped, but The Splendid and the Vile does so as the master continues to refine his art.

Simply put, there is nothing better than an Erik Larson book, whether you want to learn or just be entertained. He is without equal, and I eagerly await his next winner.


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