The Splendid and the Vile Book Summary

Book Summary

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Brief Summary

Churchill’s steady leadership and resolve helped enable the UK to stand strong against the Nazis, despite untold levels of destruction and suffering caused by continuous, aggressive air raids. Churchill was committed to enlisting American aid for the war, and his resilience paid off when Roosevelt committed his support at the end of 1940. In the summer of 1941, Hitler decided to open a two-front war by launching Operation Barbarossa in the east, which ended the threat of a Nazi invasion of England. After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, the US officially joined the war, and Churchill believed the Allies’ ultimate victory over the Nazis was secured.

About the Author

Erik Larson is a journalist and bestselling nonfiction author. Six of his books have been named on the New York Times bestseller list. The Devil in the White City was a National Book Award finalist and a Hulu series adaptation of the book is in the works. Previously, Larson was a staff writer for The Wall Street Journal. His work has also appeared in Time Magazine, The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, and Harper’s.

Larson has taught nonfiction writing at San Francisco State, the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, and the University of Oregon. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and earned a master’s in journalism from Columbia University. Larson lives in Manhattan with his wife and three daughters.

Topics

Biography & Memoir

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What You’ll Learn

How Churchill’s resilience and steadfast leadership helped Britain persevere
Why American aid and support was essential for the British war effort
How Hitler’s decision to pursue Operation Barbarossa in the east changed the course of the war

Who Is This For

Historians and students who want to learn more about the battle between the Nazis and the British
World War II buffs who are curious about the London Blitz
People who are interested in Churchill’s life and leadership during World War II

Key Insights

Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s first year of leadership was marked by continuous air raids, death, and destruction, but he met these challenges with resilience and grim resolve. He refused to back down to the Nazis and focused his efforts on enlisting the American aid and support that would help the British win the war. Despite sustaining high civilian death tolls and mass homelessness, the UK held against the Nazis until Churchill was able to secure Roosevelt’s support. A third-ranking Nazi official, Rudolf Hess, tried to arrange a secret peace deal with Britain, but by the time he delivered his message, Churchill had no interest in pursuing peace. In June of 1941, Hitler diverted his attention to the east, launching an attack on Russian Bolsheviks, which distracted him from his efforts in England and ended the threat of a Nazi invasion of the UK. In December of 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States fully into the war and securing Churchill’s confidence that the Allies would emerge victoriously.

Churchill Needed To Enlist American Help

By May of 1940, the Nazis had invaded France, and Winston Churchill, the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, knew that Britain would soon be forced to enter the war to defend their ally. Churchill had only recently been appointed Prime Minister, after the Parliament's vote of no confidence in his predecessor, Neville Chamberlain, who had tried to appease Hitler and failed.

The Nazis possessed formidable military force, and most people doubted that the UK had any chance of defeating them. However, Churchill had confidence in Britain’s ability to win the war, but he also knew that American involvement would be necessary in order to ensure victory. Convincing the US to help Britain was Churchill’s main goal. However, in order to convince the US President, Franklin D Roosevelt, to enter the war in support of the UK, he had to convince them that Britain had a good chance of defeating the Nazis.

The US government did not want to get involved in the war, especially so soon after they had come back from World War I. They were also mistrustful of Churchill. They feared he would be an unreliable ally, and some were skeptical of his drinking habits. Churchill was an eccentric man, who had unusual working habits. He liked to bathe twice a day, and would retrieve phone calls naked from his private secretary if he received one while in the bath. He kept odd hours and would wander the halls in flowery dressing downs.

Despite Churchill’s eccentricities, the...