The Splendid and the Vile

The next Brown Bag Book Club meets on Thursday, August 26 at 12 p.m. via Zoom. Register here. Beginning in September, this book club will meet in person on the 4th Thursday monthly at 12 p.m. at Parr Library.

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

There are many books about Churchill and Britain’s finest hour, but not many about the early days. Bestselling author Erik Larson focuses on Churchill’s first year as Prime Minister, May 1940-May 1941. In that year Britain experienced the fall of France, Holland, and Belgium, German occupation of Norway, the evacuation of Dunkirk, and the churning hell of the blitz. 

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The story is strengthened by the use of diaries of members of Churchill’s family and inner circle. A telling fact or interesting vignette can enliven a remarkable story. The reader feels the immediacy of life at the time, the fear, the sounds and smells of a bombing. “Listening” to Churchill, the ultimate wordsmith, on the radio instilling steel and courage, into a harassed and fearful people can remind us today that there is always hope.

The Brown Bag Book Club will meet at noon on Thursday, August 26, 2021. To join our virtual discussion please register here.