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Esplendor y vileza: La historia de Churchill y su entorno familiar durante el período más crítico de la guerra

Esplendor y vileza: La historia de Churchill y su entorno familiar durante el período más crítico de la guerra

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  • Create Date：2021-04-30 01:16:18
  • Update Date：2025-09-24
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Erik Larson
  • ISBN：8434433214
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

On Winston Churchill's first day as prime minister， Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium。 Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen， and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away。 For the next twelve months， Hitler would wage a relentless bombing campaign， killing 45，000 Britons。 It was up to Churchill to hold his country together and persuade President Franklin Roosevelt that Britain was a worthy ally--and willing to fight to the end。

In The Splendid and the Vile， Erik Larson shows how Churchill taught the British people "the art of being fearless。" It is a story of political brinkmanship， but it's also an intimate domestic drama， set against the backdrop of Churchill's prime-ministerial country home， Chequers; his wartime retreat， Ditchley， where he and his entourage go when the moon is brightest and the bombing threat is highest; and of course 10 Downing Street in London。 Drawing on diaries， original archival documents， and once-secret intelligence reports--some released only recently--Larson provides a new lens on London's darkest year through the day-to-day experience of Churchill and his family: his wife， Clementine; their youngest daughter， Mary， who chafes against her parents' wartime protectiveness; their son， Randolph， and his beautiful， unhappy wife， Pamela; Pamela's illicit lover， a dashing American emissary; and the advisers in Churchill's "Secret Circle，" to whom he turns in the hardest moments。

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Reviews

Marie Daniels ，

Already was a fan of Larson。 I love how he weaves stories， facts， diary entries into a longer narrative that is information and entertaining。 Had a few LOL moments as well and particularly enjoyed the fun reading of the audiobook。

Seanny ，

Got very boring halfway through。 Like a research paper

Sarah ，

Very very well written book。 If anything it had borderline too many unnecessary details in it。 Dragged on at times but for an individual who likes nonfiction would strongly recommend。

Jordan Donders ，

4。5 rounded up。 I was shocked by how much I enjoyed this， even more so that I listened to the 18 hour+ audiobook version。

Karl Waktare ，

Excellent historical account of Churchill

Mary ，

This book was slow going at first but guckly became engrossing。 I enjoyed learning about Churchill's private life， habits， and idiosyncrasies。 Of particular interest was the life of his family， Mary， Clementine， Pamela， and Randolph， and his dealings with Roosevelt。 Churchill was gleeful when Pearl Harbor was attacked and quickly declared war on Japan。I knew the Blitz was horrible but the death， jnjuries， and destruction were unbelievable。 The British are to be admired for their courage and reso This book was slow going at first but guckly became engrossing。 I enjoyed learning about Churchill's private life， habits， and idiosyncrasies。 Of particular interest was the life of his family， Mary， Clementine， Pamela， and Randolph， and his dealings with Roosevelt。 Churchill was gleeful when Pearl Harbor was attacked and quickly declared war on Japan。I knew the Blitz was horrible but the death， jnjuries， and destruction were unbelievable。 The British are to be admired for their courage and resoluteness。 。。。more

Beth Seabreeze ，

Fantastic， dense， well written book。 He is a great story teller！

Mary Ann ，

I love Erik Larson and have enjoyed many of his books tremendously！ This was a good read and I learned a lot， but I bogged down in the details。

Frank ，

Fun and educational read， nothing super spectacular， but put together well and interesting to hear about the stories。

Courtney ，

This book covers Churchill's first year as prime minister， which is the year that the Germans repeatedly bombed England in an attempt to force England's surrender。 You get a sense of Churchill's unique character and leadership qualities， lots of detail about the RAF and the relationships of those close to Churchill。 Being a book about war， you might think that there would be an emotional draw or suspenseful passages， but I didn't find that here。 I ended up reading a few pages before bed every ni This book covers Churchill's first year as prime minister， which is the year that the Germans repeatedly bombed England in an attempt to force England's surrender。 You get a sense of Churchill's unique character and leadership qualities， lots of detail about the RAF and the relationships of those close to Churchill。 Being a book about war， you might think that there would be an emotional draw or suspenseful passages， but I didn't find that here。 I ended up reading a few pages before bed every night and wasn't drawn to read during the day （a good indicator for me of how much I like a book）。 Interesting material and well-written， but not a page-turner。 。。。more

Clyn ，

This book offers the perspective of a country fighting for their life against an enemy who they can’t overcome alone， and the the country that can save you can’t decide whether or not they want to make it their business to get involved。 Of course I’m talking about Great Britain fighting Hitter during WWII， and their struggle to survive long enough for America to decide whether getting involved is worth the pride of entering another world war。 The book mostly reveals the character and personality This book offers the perspective of a country fighting for their life against an enemy who they can’t overcome alone， and the the country that can save you can’t decide whether or not they want to make it their business to get involved。 Of course I’m talking about Great Britain fighting Hitter during WWII， and their struggle to survive long enough for America to decide whether getting involved is worth the pride of entering another world war。 The book mostly reveals the character and personality of Winston Churchill and the pivotal role he played in defeating Germany as England’s prime minister。 It also gives a very accurate picture of what living through a World War was like for those enduring the relentless attacks of the Luftwaffe was like。 The book covers less than two years of the war and everything in it is historically documented， which gives it an authenticity I appreciated。 I wonder if our country could come together and make the sacrifices those of the WWII generation。。。often described as the greatest generation。 This book demonstrates the character of great leaders and a great nation in a time of national crisis。 。。。more

Ruth Castle ，

If you are interested in history， particularly WW2 history， you will find this an interesting read—a nonfiction work that reads much like a novel。 Very well researched。

Edgar ，

Avoiding long winding prose， the author follows a gripping narrative path， full of humor， charm， and drama。 In almost equal parts。 This book manages to cover war without the high tension of other war books。 I was able to read this without nurturing a solemn despair。

Greg Tosto ，

I am a huge fan of Erik Larson’s （Devil in the White City is one of my favorites） so I was very excited to read this book。 While I definitely enjoyed it， it wasn’t as un-put-down-able as some of his other works。 Larson typically has the ability to write historical biographies like novels， but with The Splendid and the Vile， this wasn’t exactly the case。 I enjoyed the intimate look into the life of Churchill and his family， particularly his son Randolph and daughter in law Pamela。 Larson’s depict I am a huge fan of Erik Larson’s （Devil in the White City is one of my favorites） so I was very excited to read this book。 While I definitely enjoyed it， it wasn’t as un-put-down-able as some of his other works。 Larson typically has the ability to write historical biographies like novels， but with The Splendid and the Vile， this wasn’t exactly the case。 I enjoyed the intimate look into the life of Churchill and his family， particularly his son Randolph and daughter in law Pamela。 Larson’s depiction of Churchill’s daughter Mary， however， was drawn out and unnecessary。 While it was interesting to view the war through the eyes of an 18 year old， I felt that Mary came off self-absorbed and almost selfish。 Ultimately， The Splendid and the Vile is a story of perseverance on the part of the British people， led by their fearless leader， Winston Churchill。 Larson proved that Churchill was the perfect， and arguably the only man who could successfully lead Great Britain through the onslaught of Nazi bombings throughout the summer of 1940。 。。。more

Chastain ，

Wow！！ This one really takes you on a journey with the Churchill’s and through GB’s WWII experience。 The side bits of his family life， his friendships and British life， and detailed war battles， as well as German officers’ personalities and contributions to Hitler’s War were almost overwhelming to digest， but gave me new clarity to that era。I really appreciated the final wraps of what these people did following the war。What a great historian Larson is！

Karen Stevenson Cole ，

This was an insight to England's journey through the world of Winston Churchill。 The research provided insights to people as well as events。 If history had been presented to me like this in high school I would have actually enjoyed the subject！ This was an insight to England's journey through the world of Winston Churchill。 The research provided insights to people as well as events。 If history had been presented to me like this in high school I would have actually enjoyed the subject！ 。。。more

Shannan ，

Wow， that was a long and arduous literary journey。 It was entirely worth it， even though at times it felt like I was mentally swimming in molasses。 So many people， details， and air raid after air raid after air raid。 But， also very satisfying in all of its little details。

Howard Cincotta ，

With its epic drama and copious documentation， the 1940-41 Battle of Britain has become one of the most mythologized and written-about episodes in modern history。 At its center， of course， rests the astonishing figure of Winston Churchill — mercurial， histrionic， eloquent， heroic， and larger than life。 Erik Larson has shrewdly chosen to keep his focus steady and tight on Churchill and his remarkable circle of family， advisers， and military staff during the crucial year of the Blitz， when Britain With its epic drama and copious documentation， the 1940-41 Battle of Britain has become one of the most mythologized and written-about episodes in modern history。 At its center， of course， rests the astonishing figure of Winston Churchill — mercurial， histrionic， eloquent， heroic， and larger than life。 Erik Larson has shrewdly chosen to keep his focus steady and tight on Churchill and his remarkable circle of family， advisers， and military staff during the crucial year of the Blitz， when Britain stood virtually alone in the face of constant aerial assault and bombing。Larson also pays meticulous attention to the interplay of technology and tactics in the Blitz。 Britain’s fate was dictated not simply by the skill and heroism of Spitfire and Hurricane pilots， but by production capacity， radar， navigation beacons， code breaking， phases of the moon， and weather。 Churchill’s preoccupation with aerial mines， for example， proved to be a dead end; but the ability to manipulate Germany’s nighttime navigation beams caused many bombers and bombs to go astray。 （The overall inability of RAF fighters to fly at night， however， contributed to the mass destruction of cities like Coventry and Portsmouth。）The heart of the story， of course， is Churchill himself， who in 1940 “mobilized the English language and send it into battle，” in part because， after Dunkirk， he had few military options left。 The RAF may have matched the Messerschmitt fighters in the skies over England， but German U-boats sank vast tonnages of merchant ships， British troops were ousted from Norway， and the Wehrmacht defeated the British in North Africa and Greece。 How did Churchill endure these pressures？ In Larson’s telling， he relied on a circle of loyal friends and allies， from the self-effacing private secretary John Colville to the bombastic Lord Beaverbrook， who alienated everyone but increased aircraft production to unprecedented levels。 He also keep to what can only be called a hard-working but sybaritic routine of mornings in bed， two baths a day， and continuous consumption of alcohol and cigars。 At his late-evening meals， he declaimed on the war， history， and other topics to his， for the most part， enthralled dinner guests。 Larson effectively imparts the surreal quality of those days: London bomb devastation juxtaposed with daughter Mary Churchill’s swank champagne parties; green fields pocked with the wreckage of swastika-emblazoned bombers; and the contrast of weekends at Chequers， the prime minister’s country residence， with fetid subway bomb shelters。Meanwhile， Churchill remains defiant， thundering in Parliament and touring rubble-filled streets while privately importuning Roosevelt for desperately needed supplies that only began arriving with Lend Lease。 In Germany， Hitler and Goering become alternately baffled and enraged that Churchill couldn’t see that Britain had lost and should sue for peace。 Still， nothing deterred Hitler from his aim of attacking the Soviet Union， his monumental strategic error of the war。In the end， perhaps Britain’s greatest contribution was simply to endure， bolstered by Churchill’s language and defiance， until Pearl Harbor could finally enlist America in the conflict to defeat Nazi totalitarianism in Europe and Japanese militarism in the Pacific。 。。。more

Nina ，

This is the sixth book I’ve read by Erik Larson， and they’ve all been terrific。 He can write non-fiction like no one else， using telegrams， letters， speeches and most importantly， personal diaries as first-hand sources to build his sagas。 This book focused on the period of WWII before the US finally entered。 How much suffering in Europe could have been avoided if we had come in earlier！ The title of the book comes from the diary of one of Churchill’s deputies， who marveled at watching lethal bom This is the sixth book I’ve read by Erik Larson， and they’ve all been terrific。 He can write non-fiction like no one else， using telegrams， letters， speeches and most importantly， personal diaries as first-hand sources to build his sagas。 This book focused on the period of WWII before the US finally entered。 How much suffering in Europe could have been avoided if we had come in earlier！ The title of the book comes from the diary of one of Churchill’s deputies， who marveled at watching lethal bombs falling on a lovely city in a lovely spring: “Never was there such a contrast of natural splendor and human vileness。” I was intrigued by Mass-Observation。 Had never heard of it before。 The organization was established two years before the war and recruited hundreds of volunteers to keep daily diaries “with the goal of helping sociologists better understand ordinary British life。 The diarists were encouraged to hone their observational skills by describing everything on their own fireplace mantels and on the mantels of friends。” The quotes from some of the diaries about what people saw and felt as the war progressed are moving。 They bring an whole immediacy to the conflict。 Americans have no idea what it is like to be under fire night after night， watching thousands die around you， sleeping in unsanitary shelters after your house burns， suffering incredible shortages of food and supplies （for years， even after the war ended）， and wondering if your children will survive。 And still， they dragged themselves to work every day past smoking ruins and bodies。 When the blitz ended， 29，000 civilians had been killed and another 28，000 seriously injured， maimed， or disfigured。 Can hardly contemplate so many civilian deaths。 Churchill had his faults and odd eccentricities， but I don’t know who else could have done what he did during WWII to keep England from falling to the Nazis。 Highly recommend the book。 。。。more

Janelle ，

Fantastic read。 I normally do not read non-fiction， this was a book club read。 Am so glad I read it。 What a life he lead and what interesting people he surrounded himself with。

Carolyn Fitzpatrick ，

I loved Devil in the White City but I just couldn't get into this one。 It probably didn't help that I recently finished a very informative and exciting novel set during the Blitz。 Churchill's wardrobe choices and family drama failed to keep my interest， and I did more and more skimming as the book went on。 The only parts I liked was when Clementine told people off。 I loved Devil in the White City but I just couldn't get into this one。 It probably didn't help that I recently finished a very informative and exciting novel set during the Blitz。 Churchill's wardrobe choices and family drama failed to keep my interest， and I did more and more skimming as the book went on。 The only parts I liked was when Clementine told people off。 。。。more

Bea Lathrop ，

I liked this book a lot--well-written & entertaining！

Barbara ，

An excellent and interesting book about Winston Churchill and those who surrounded him during the time of the Blitz。 The accounts are gripping even for those familiar with the topics。 It is similar to another book that I liked equally， "Citizens of London。" Both cover a lot of the same ground and， reading them both， is recommended for people who want good accounts of the time period。 It is of special interest to me as my mother and grandparents lived through the Blitz and none of them talked muc An excellent and interesting book about Winston Churchill and those who surrounded him during the time of the Blitz。 The accounts are gripping even for those familiar with the topics。 It is similar to another book that I liked equally， "Citizens of London。" Both cover a lot of the same ground and， reading them both， is recommended for people who want good accounts of the time period。 It is of special interest to me as my mother and grandparents lived through the Blitz and none of them talked much about it。 This helped to fill in their stories for me。 。。。more

Brian ，

If you liked Larson's other books， then you will love this one。Its filled with massive amounts of personal details form the Churchill family and from the time period。 If you liked Larson's other books， then you will love this one。Its filled with massive amounts of personal details form the Churchill family and from the time period。 。。。more

Maranda Johnston ，

Thoroughly enjoyed this。 Wasn't as dry as other non-fiction books。 It only covers one year but it goes into depth and you learn a lot about the characters。Not only gives you an understanding of what was going on on a global stage， but also focused on the lives of Churchill and his inner circle。 Highly recommend Thoroughly enjoyed this。 Wasn't as dry as other non-fiction books。 It only covers one year but it goes into depth and you learn a lot about the characters。Not only gives you an understanding of what was going on on a global stage， but also focused on the lives of Churchill and his inner circle。 Highly recommend 。。。more

John Amundsen ，

Larson has a gift to bring history and historical actors to life。 There’s a surfeit of Churchill biographies， but this one describes not just the ins and outs of the wartime prime minister and his family， but the lives of ordinary Britons during such a dark and uncertain time in its history。

Patrick ，

Good not great。 Some interesting color on daily living pieces together from numerous diaries of the protagonists。

JESSICA ，

True to his usual self， Eric Larsen gives us an intense and intensely researched account of the German blitz on Britain during WWII

Andres Leon ，

This was a mover！ Facts made cinematic。Learning about leadership in difficult times was the main reason why I picked this one up。 And it completely fulfilled my expectations。 Following Churchill’s day to day affairs while defending the UK from The Blitz， Germany’s bombardment of the Island， was eye-opening。 Leadership can have so many colors and not one true form or definition。 Reading the details of Churchill’s leadership during one of the toughest periods of our time is nothing less than gold。

Dave Hale ，

Well researched and written！Reading history books about WWII isn't the most exciting to do over a weekend， but Mr。 Larson adds interest by personifying events and players。 Well done！This story once again illustrates the resolve and commitment of the Greatest Generation！ Well researched and written！Reading history books about WWII isn't the most exciting to do over a weekend， but Mr。 Larson adds interest by personifying events and players。 Well done！This story once again illustrates the resolve and commitment of the Greatest Generation！ 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Esplendor y vileza: La historia de Churchill y su entorno familiar durante el período más crítico de la guerra

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Esplendor y vileza: La historia de Churchill y su entorno familiar durante el período más crítico de la guerra&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Esplendor y vileza: La historia de Churchill y su entorno familiar durante el período más crítico de la guerra&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0