(Subdue) The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson – 5 Stars

[Hannah]

I added this to my TBR having seen both Joy and Joanne giving this book 5-star ratings, and I was really not disappointed! This book looks at not just Winston Churchill the Prime Minister during the Blitz, but also the role he had as a father trying his best to protect his family as well as the country. This book is also the first non-fiction book that I have read about the Blitz, and it really brought home to me the absolute devastation and fear people who remained in London, including my Grandad and his family, must have felt throughout, and how they tried to keep their lives going as normally as possible. I liked how, using a range of documents, we saw lots of different people’s stories and views on events, and I really liked seeing this more personal side to the war and some of the key people involved.

[Joy D]

So glad you enjoyed this too, Hannah!

[Joanne]

Also happy that you loved it!

[Olivermagnus]

This was a five star read for me as well as a great audio. Glad to see you liked it too.

[NancyJ]

I really liked this book too. It was a surprisingly fast read.

[Booknblues]

5 star read for me as well. I'm sure it made my top 10 the year I read it.

[Robin P]

I loved The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America and In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin (even though it had Nazis in it!). But I couldn't get into this one. It was right after I had seen the movie about Churchill and it seemed like I knew what was going to happen. I should probably try again.