The Splendid and the Vile
Score Modern
What it's about
On Winston Churchill's first day as prime minister, Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium, and soon Britain stood alone. For the next twelve months, the Blitz killed 45,000 Britons, and Churchill had to hold his country together while persuading Franklin Roosevelt to help. Erik Larson tells that year through diaries and private papers of Churchill, his family and those closest to him.
Why it's worth reading
It spent five weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Larson makes history read like a novel, intimate and suspenseful.
You'll love it if you liked
The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, The Devil in the White City or The Guns of August
Good to know
It focuses on one year, 1940 to 1941, and the people around Churchill as much as the man. It moves fast for a big history.
Quick answers
Is The Splendid and the Vile worth reading?
Yes. It spent five weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It ranks #317 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 81.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Splendid and the Vile about?
On Winston Churchill's first day as prime minister, Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium, and soon Britain stood alone. For the next twelve months, the Blitz killed 45,000 Britons, and Churchill had to hold his country together while persuading Franklin Roosevelt to help. Erik Larson tells that year through diaries and private papers of Churchill, his family and those closest to him.
How long does it take to read The Splendid and the Vile?
About 15 hours (608 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Splendid and the Vile?
If you liked it, try The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill by William Manchester, The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson or The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman.
By the numbers
- Readers83 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller75 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
#1 New York Times bestseller (5 weeks at #1).
Where it ranks
- #57 of the 198 history books we rank
- #162 of the 1,575 modern books we rank
- #317 of the 2,819 books we rank
Bestseller
- #1 New York Times bestseller (5 weeks at #1)
- 44 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2020
Reads as
True story
More by Erik Larson
The Demon of Unrest
The Devil in the White CityIf you like this, read next
Between the World and Me
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Educated: A Memoir
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood