The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance during the Blitz

 Book: The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance during the Blitz
Basic Information : Synopsis : Characters : Expectations : Thoughts : Evaluation : Book Group : New Words : Book References : Good Quotes : Table of Contents : References

Basic Information: 

Author: Erik Larson

Edition: ePub on Libby from the Mountain View Public Library

Publisher: Crown

ISBN: B07TRVW6VX

Start Date: November 13, 2020

Read Date: November 29, 2020

464 pages

Genre: History, Biography, World War II, Churchill, OSHER

Language Warning: Low

Rated Overall: 3½ out of 5

History: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

Germany invades Poland and Great Britain declares war on Germany. This causes instability and the Prime Minister is replaced. Winston Churchill is chosen to lead the government. The book follows the next year in Churchill’s life. This includes the German bombing of England, Churchill’s speeches, defeats in battle, including Dunkirk, and his family life. It mostly ends after one year, but there is a chapter about being notified of Pearl Harbor and its effect on England. Also what happened to several of the main characters after the book ends.

Cast of Characters:

• Winston Churchill
• Clementine Churchill-Winston’s wife
• Mary Churchill-Winston’s 18 year old daughter who got engaged and broke it off
• Pamela Churchill-Daughter-in-law to Winston, eventually would get divorced from Randolph
• Randolph Churchill-Winston’s son, married to Pamela. Gambler, alcoholic, obnoxious
• Eric Duncannon-Suitor of Mary Churchill
• John Colville-one of Churchill’s many personal secretaries. Kept a diary which Larson used. Became an RAF pilot with an American made Mustang, performing reconocise
• Lord Beaverbrook (Max Aitken)-Hard driving fix-it man for Churchill. Churchill’s councilor. Stimulated the production of aircraft, then tanks. A man driven by a task. Also had a reputation of someone who acquired secrets for personal gain.
• Lindman(The Prof)-the scientific consultant of Churchill. Tried to make aerial mines.
• Averell Harriman-American emissary from FDR. Had an affair with Pamela Churchill while still married.
• Hermann Goring-In charge of the Luftwasse
• Joesph Goebbels-German propaganda minister
• Rudolf Hess-Second in command of Germany. Tried to broker a peace agreement with England
• Adolf Galland-German flying ace. Talked about in another book I read, A Higher Calling
• Walter Henry Thompson-From Scotland Yard, Churchill’s body guard. Almost always by his side
• Joe Kennedy-ambassador to Great Britain. Pessimistic about the country’s chances.
• Harry Hopkins-Roosevelt’s trusted friend who was a source of information to him.

Expectations:

• Recommendation: PBS Interview with Erik Larson. Also an OSHER book.
• When: April 3, 2020
• Date Became Aware of Book: April 3, 2020
• How come do I want to read this book: I have read several other book by him. Interesting author
• What do I think I will get out of it? A bit more insight into the most difficult time for the British

Thoughts:

Inspector Thompson, Churchill’s bodyguard. Was he the only bodyguard for Churchill? Larson does not mention anybody else, except in one place where it talks about Thompson instructing other guards. First, this guy needs to be around Churchill 24x7. He would get blamed if anything happened to Churchill. How could he alone protect Churchill from a serious attempt on Churchill’s life? So I got to think there was others charged with protecting Churchill. Still this guy seems to be ever on the alert for anything untoward.

Churchill seemed to have the knack of inspiration. He was there when disasters hit. When one of the first bombs hits a subway station, killing 40 people. Churchill goes and is among those who survived or needed to recover bodies. Did the crowds hold it against Churchill? No they rose up and proclaimed him one of their own, willing to be there with the people, empathizing with them, sharing their griefs.

While reading this book, I saw a Zoom seminar from CSU, Sacramento’s History department. At the end, they were asked about the place of popular history. The panel did not think much of them. Mostly because they perpetuated myths of a culture. So as I was reading this book, I was wondering what myths this was pushing? There are some and that is the importance Churchill placed on the United States-I am not sure how strong of a myth this is vs reality. Also how Churchill seemed to be invincible during war.

A Note to Readers

Larson understood better the difference between watching an event from afar, such as 9/11 in New York, versus being there. In the same way, it is difficult to understand how Great Britain , particularly End on and specifically London was able to bear up to 57 nights of attack, plus other sporadic bombings.

To find out about it, he wrote about Churchill’s first year as Prime Minister. This is the year when he made his greatest speeches and showed the world what courage and leadership looked like.

Bleak Expectations

Background to Great Britain’s preparations for war and particularly for being bombed.

Part One: The Rising Threat

Chapter 1: The Coroner Departs

Churchill becomes the Prime Minister when Chamberlain is forced to resign.

In talking about Inspector Thompason, Larson says that he is like so many others who made the government work. People who are silent, often not seen, but without them, the government collapses.

Churchill wrote on the evening of his appointment: Coveting power for power’s sake was a “base” pursuit. “But power in a national crisis, when a man believes he knows what orders should be given, is a blessing. It also goes with the person chosen to exercise power like that needs to be an honorable person.

… one of Churchill’s great strengths was perspective. Larson saw that Churchill could put events into their proper places and deal with them that way.

 

Chapter 2: A Night at the Savoy

Talks about Mary Churchill, Winston and Clementine's youngest living child. What she was doing during the time leading up to Churchill becoming Prime Minister.

Also describes Jack Colville, Churchill’s assistant private secretary.

Chapter 3: London and Washington

The German air force was believed to be larger and better than the British. Churchill figured out how to win the war-bring the United States into conflict. On the other hand, the United States was not interested. Joseph Kennedy, ambassador to England thought little of the English chances.

Chapter 4: Galvanized

Churchill built out his cabinet. He appointed himself a post he created, the ministry of defense. Not as out of place as it sounds. Before becoming Prime Minister, he was in charge of the Navy. #10 Downing St was being turned from a quiet bureaucratic place to someplace which was electrictrifying. Churchill micro managed everything he had contact with.

Part of Churchill’s personality: true to his reputation, was flamboyant, electric, and wholly unpredictable. Is this good or bad? Could Churchill control how these traits were used?

Churchill would do some of his best work in a bathtub. He would do dictation from there. Also hold meetings there as well. Today I suspect he would be brought up on harassment charges.

Churchill felt a grave responsibility. The people of London and England looked to him to be able to save them. But Churchill realized that They trust me, and I can give them nothing but disaster for quite a long time. And then later on in the House of Commons, the famous quote I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.

Germany broke through and conquered Holland and Belgium quickly. What worried the English was the speed they were able to accomplish this. One night Churchill received a call from the French command which said, we are defeated. Churchill could not believe they were defeated so quickly. He made a couple of trips to ascertain first hand how dismal the situation was. It was bad.

Chapter 5: Moondread

The assumption which the British made is that they would get full economic and financial support from the United States. Without that, they would not survive as a nation. If France fell, Great Britain would be next to feel Hitler’s terror. Would the British people hold up was a central question.

Churchill divided the production of places from the RAF and gave it to Lord Beaverbrook. Bevaverbrook did not have a reputation as a team player. He would strive to get his task done regardless of price. He recruited people from all walks, regardless of background. He said that They are all captains of industry, and industry is like theology,.. If you know the rudiments of one faith you can grasp the meaning of another.

Chapter 6: Göring

Hitler made a decision to regroup, giving time for the British to evacuate. This was made upon two things: first a tested general said his forces needed to regroup after suffering losses. Second, Goering, in charge of the Luftwaffe said that they could take care of the British from the air.

Chapter describes Goering. He was shrewd and ruthless. He also seemed to play fantasy roles. He collected art, from the standpoint of when areas were conquered, he took pieces of art he liked. Hitler was stand-offish. Goering was somebody which the populace could reach out and touch. Larson quotes an American journalist who was in Germany, William Shrier as saying the public directed toward the “fantastic, medieval—and very expensive—personal life he leads. It is the sort of life they would lead themselves, perhaps, if they had the chance.

Joseph Beppo Schmid-A close friend of Hermann Göring, Schmid commanded the Luftwaffe's Military Intelligence Branch-Wikipedia

Chapter 7: Sufficient Bliss

John Colville was in the pursuit of a woman which is more of a side-show to the book. Gay Margesson. She would not marry him. She told him that happiness could only be attained if one lived for the moment. While death could rain on them, this seems somewhat logical.

Churchill ordered the evacuation of Dunkirk. The German Army let the Luftwaffe do its job. But Goering thought he had more time.

Chapter 8: The First Bombs

Dunkirk. That word says it all.

Churchill demonstrated a striking trait: his knack for making people feel loftier, stronger, and, above all, more courageous. How does that work. In a leader, we want to be shown what to do and we have a tendency to follow that lead. But also in a democracy, we select our leaders, do we select them based upon what we want to see in ourselves?

Recognizing that confidence and fearlessness were attitudes that could be adopted and taught by example, Churchill issued a directive to all ministers to put on a strong, positive front. Churchill wanted his people to lead by example.

Churchill wanted to take the offensive to the Germans. Dunkirk was successful, but not an offensive move.

Interesting to see the type of polling involved. Sounded pretty sophisticated and immediate.

Chapter 9: Mirror Image

If the English could bring over 300,000 soldiers across in small boats, so could the Germans invade in a similar fashion.

Chapter 10: Apparition

Churchill also had bad mood days. Such as when Italy declared war on Britain. Churchill would lash out on anyone close at hand. His bodyguard, Inspector Thompson was one who got a fair share of this.

France was falling and quickly.

The Prof showed that the Germans had a radar system. Also in a meeting, he showed that they had a new system which could bring devastation to England.

Part Two: A Certain Eventuality

Chapter 11: The Mystery of Swan Castle

The Prof had been made Churchill’s scientific advisor along with in charge of statistics. During a meeting, Dr Jones talked about a navigational beason which the Germans seemed to be using. This beam when intersected with a second beam could give bombers the exact location to drop their payload.

In interrogating a prisoner, the German said that the English would never find the device. Jones felt this might mean It also suggested that the device might in fact be hidden in plain sight. Is this a reference to Buchann’s 39 Steps?

Churchill requested aid from the Americans.

At one point, Churchill said to Colville that If words counted, we should win this war.

Chapter 12: The Ghosts of Dull People

Life at Chequers, like the Prime Minister’s Camp David. Chequers was to be a place of rest and relaxation, away from the daily cares and work of being Prime Minister. Churchill bent this rule considerably. Churchill took on Frances wanting to surrender here and the United States reluctance to aid.

Chapter 13: Scarification

Churchill would accept the French surrender to the Germans, only if they yielded the fleet to Great Britain control.

Lancastria-a British ocean liner requisitioned by the UK Government during the Second World War. She was sunk on 17 June 1940 during Operation Ariel. Having received an emergency order to evacuate British nationals and troops in excess of its capacity of 1,300 passengers, modern estimates range between 3,000 and 5,800 fatalities—the largest single-ship loss of life in British maritime history. From Wikipedia

The British forbade the newspapers from reporting on this. Six weeks later the United States papers reported it. Churchill learned that secrecy breeds mistrust.

Chapter 14: “This Queer and Deadly Game”

France falls. Churchill broadcasts what is called his finest speech to the nation. It is said that the people needed to hear from him to retain their confidence.

Churchill convenes a meeting on the German navigational beam. Dr. Jones is invited late. He made the case in story terms, raising the stark reality that the Germans could bomb at night. The RAF did not have the technology to fight at night.

Churchill faced personal financial difficulties. A mysterious 5,000 pound check ended up in his account. Wonder how that would play out today?

Chapter 15: London and Berlin

With France’s fall, Churchill’s mood became foul. German propaganda now centered on Great Britain. Goebbels thought that the English people would force Churchill to sue for peace.

Chapter 16: The Red Warning

The terms of the French Armistice included that the French fleet would not be used by the Germans, but needed to return to French ports. The British government did not believe the German’s intentions were honorable.

England prepared for invasion.

Churchill was becoming more and more short with people. Clementine noted that Churchill was fond of a French saying which meant that One leads by calm.

Chapter 17: “Tofrek!”

Chequers provided a place where Churchill could be in a more relaxed environment, not that he relaxed. Churchill assumed that what happened there stayed private.

Talked about Randolf and Pamela Churchill and the differences between them.

Chapter 18: Resignation No. 1

The first of many resignations from Lord Beaverbrook. Resignation may have been because of wanting to leave after production had increased or to gain more power.

Chapter 19: Force H

Plans were made to capture the ships of the French fleet. A great many were in the Mediterarrian. Germany with these ships would have a decisive advantage. Churchill needed to give the final order. Churchill called this a hateful decision. A fleet of French ships was at Mers el-Kebir. The British gave them an ultimatum to surrender. They refused saying they would not yield to the Germans or English. The French refused, the British attacked sinking one ship and damaging two others.

Hitler now laid plans to invade Britain. He felt that Britain’s position is hopeless. He needed to have complete air superiority over Britain.

Chapter 20: Berlin

Hitler wanted Great Britain to surrender peacefully. With the British attack on the French fleet, he realized this would not happen. He engaged Hess to engineer Churchill’s removal.

Chapter 21: Champagne and Garbo

Colville goes on date with Gay.

Chapter 22: Have We Sunk So Low?

The battle comes to England in the form of bombings of different parts of England. The RAF seems almost powerless to stop them. Invasion preparations were made, including arming the Queen, digging trenches and creating sand reinforced fortifications.

Beaverbrook started a Spitfire fund which helped build planes. But even more important it generated a spirit that everyone was part of the effort.

Chapter 23: What’s in a Name?

Whose baby would be called Winston? Churchill chose his grandson.

Chapter 24: The Tyrant’s Appeal

Hitler gives a speech which Giebbels thinks will persuade England to quit. The first unofficial reply was from a BBC commentator which was to tell Hitler, forget it. Goebbels' purpose was to sow mistrust among the English public. Germany had secret transmitters, prepped for transmitting to foreign countries. They were now focused on spreading misinformation to the English public.

Adolf Galland-Luftwaffle ace. Talked about as a leader of men in the book A Higher Calling.

Chapter 25: The Prof’s Surprise

Describes a dinner at Chequers where the military and various ministers gave Churchill an update. The Prof seemed to rankle feathers by stats which seemed to indicate more readiness than there was.

Chapter 26: White Gloves at Dawn

Churchill desperately wanted the Americans' support, but did not understand how the United States politics worked-Roosevelt could not command it, he could only support it. Churchill imagined the president to have more power than he did. Why could Roosevelt not do more to translate that spiritual allegiance into material aid, even direct intervention? Roosevelt could not just send the destroyers to England, but had to work out a way which it would not be viewed as aid. The Americans want to trade destroyers for access to various locations, such as Bermuda. But Roosevelt felt this still would need Congressional approval.

Chapter 27: Directive No. 17

Preparations for the German air power to take on the RAF and destroy it in prelude to an invasion.

Chapter 28: “Oh, Moon, Lovely Moon”

To Churchill, everything mattered. He was able to go from one subject to another. But he also wanted the information concise and correct. He wrote a memo/munte on this subject. There were four points:

• Points should be laid out in crisp, short paragraphs,

• Complicated matters or statistics can be put as an appendix

• Many reports can be made into only a memo

• Cumbersome or filler prose should be eliminated

I think I would have failed as a direct report to him. I often got lost in the weeds in my reports.

He concluded his memo by saying:

• Let us not shrink from using the short expressive phrase, even if it is conversational

• [It[ may at first seem rough as compared with the flat surface of officialese jargon. But the saving of time will be great, while the discipline of setting out the real points concisely will prove an aid to clear thinking

Churchill at a lunch exhibited the confidence which pushed England to eventually win the war: We shall win … but we don’t deserve it; at least, we do deserve it because of our virtues, but not because of our intelligence

Part Three: Dread

Chapter 29: Eagle Day

The big day for Goering. He was sending huge waves of bombers to do in England. Things were not good for him, the weather caused the first wave to turn back. Before the Luftwaffe ruled the skies when attacking other countries, but the limits of both the bombers and fighters capabilities showed when they had to go the longer distances to England. Also it became evident that Goering was out of touch with modern fighting conditions.

Chapter 30: Perplexity

The British side was mystified about the purpose of the bombing. Was this a wider offensive? Why wasn’t London bombed? How much could England stand if this continued?

Roosevelt decided to use administrative authority to do the lend-lease to Britain. For each side, presentation was key. Both could be in trouble politically if it was presented wrong.

Second day of attacks. The Germans continue to lose aircraft at a rate greater than the British.

Chapter 31: Göring

Third day of intense bombing. Germans attacked from the south and tried to slip in an unprotected flight of bombers from the north. Both attacks did not go well for the Germans.

Chapter 32: The Bomber in the Pasture

Churchill visits the RAF. The count is dramatically in the RAF’s favor. The part which was not counted was the planes destroyed on the ground.This was cause for concern for Lord Beaverbrook. It was realized that the RAF was the target of the bombings.

There was a bit of surrealness to the battles. It was intense up in the skies. Below, people would play tennis and golf, or go to parties as if nothing was happening.

Chapter 33: Berlin

Goebbels was sure the English was ready to rise up in revolt to the terror of being bombed. Evidently he did not have as good of intelligence as the British did. Also he was not above using manufactured propaganda to illustrate a point. Children killed on a German playground because of a bombing. But the bombing was done by mistake by German bombers.

Chapter 34: Ol’ Man River

British maritime losses were mounting. Needed to do the deal with America, so he accepted the United States version, but was going to put his own twist on it.

Churchill kept a box of phrases he wanted to use sometime in a speech.

More of Colvilles personal life

Chapter 35: Berlin

Hitler disappointed that the bombings had not brought Great Britain to the peace table. Still set for invasion in mid-September.

Chapter 36: Teatime

The Prof was portrayed as a man who cared more for numbers than people. But he did a lot for those around him, such as paid medical bills of young lab workers, or opposed the rationing of tea. He realized it was tea which helped people cope with the bombing.

Chapter 37: The Lost Bombers

German bombers were aiming for another city, but got lost and released their bombs over London, thinking they were elsewhere.Hitler was furious because he wanted England to come to the peace table.

Chapter 38: Berlin

With London bombed, England launched a reprisal attack on Berlin. Little damage, no death, but a psychological shock. 

 

Chapter 39: Ah, Youth!

This started a back and forth between the two cities. Larson notes that Churchill slept well, even during all of this.

Blenheim bomber

Mary Churchill on having a tour of an airfield and seeing the Blenheim bomber: It made me feel very useless. There can never be a true measure of my love for England—because I am a woman & I feel passionately that I would like to pilot a plane—or risk everything for something which I believe in so entirely & love so very deeply. She is feeling the pain of not being able to be active in her love of country.

Joe Kennedy left London for the country to escape the bombing. The British thought he was yellow.

Chapter 40: Berlin and Washington

Hitler orders retaliation against London. He knew this would cause civilian casualties. This ups the game. Hess felt that the war heating up and him unsuccessful in coming up with a peace settlement.

In the United States, a means to do the gift of destroyers was created. Britain would allow the United States to use some of its bases, in recognition of the friendly nature of relations, the United States would hand over destroyers. No money to change hands.

The America First Committee was created by Yale Law students with Charles Lindnergh signing on. This became very popular. Trump's America First has its roots back in the 1930’s and 40’s to keep America out of the War.

Chapter 41: He Is Coming

Hitler promises retaliation, not only equal, but multiplied. Also since the British were bombing at night, so would the Germans. Goering planned a massive bombing attack. Simple, direct and back since the fighter support had limited range. While the British had figured out the navigation beam directing the bombers and altering it, the Germans had a newer beam and were more complicated. There was a special crew set up to follow this beam. The rest of the bombers would follow this special group.

Chapter 42: Ominous Doings

Invasion looks intimate. Churchill convenes a dinner with his high ranking people and they do a thought exercise on how if Churchill was Hitler, what would he do? Churchill revises his early warning system and gives it out for discussion.

Interesting how Churchill stimulates thought, then when he produces a plan, he is open to letting it be torn apart.

 

Chapter 43: Cap Blanc-Nez

Goering goes on a picnic along the coast of France with his commanders. It is to watch his fleet of bombers fly towards England.

Part Four: Blood and Dust

Chapter 44: On a Quiet Blue Day

Larson positions where key players are at on Saturday, Sept 7, 1940. The first wave of bombers arrive in London at tea time. The RAF initially thought the attack was on airfields. Once they realized the mistake, they attacked the bombers. But the bombs fell and everything was coated in dust going back centuries. Then the second wave hit at night. The RAF was helpless as they did not have the tools to fight at night.

 

Chapter 45: Unpredictable Magic

Churchill goes to the site of a bombed subway station. Those there were uplifted by his presence. He wept at the sight. He stayed out even during a bombing. When he returned to 10 Downing Street, Ismay, his chief military assistant, was upbraided for exposing Churchill to danger. His response: anybody else care to try to control the Prime Minister is welcome to try it.

Lord Beaverton took the bombing as a warning. He broke apart the production and storage of planes to smaller units so that no one bomb could destroy a massive amount. Hence it was common to find a plane stored in a barn in the countryside.

Hess continued to try to figure out how to get a peace agreement. He was told that the English considered the paper a peace agreement written on more valuable than any agreement and assurance the Germans would make.

Chapter 46: Sleep

A byproduct of the bombing, excitement over it, and the anti-aircraft guns was the lack of sleep. Londoners would be awake at night to go to shelters. Then awakened again when the all-clear sounded. Invasion fears were mounting in September as there were perfect conditions for it. Children were being sent to Canada for safety reasons. One ship, the City of Benares, was attacked and sank. Four days after the ship’s departure, six hundred miles out at sea, with a gale raging, the ship was torpedoed by a U-boat and sunk, killing 265 souls, including seventy of the ninety children on board.

Chapter 47: Terms of Imprisonment

Mary Churchill’s life at Chequers. Churchill went to an RAF field and observed how the strategy and tracking were done. Upon his return trip, Churchill said, There are times when it is equally good to live or to die. I wonder about this statement and the thinking behind it. The live part is obvious. But the die part, I wonder. Does he mean it is good to die for one’s country? Or with a purpose? The battle that day, known as the Battle of Britain Day, went heavily against the Germans.

Chapter 48: Berlin

The losses shocked Goering. This halted all day operations against Britain so only the night attacks were made. Goebbels needed to defend an attack on Buckingham Palace. They made up that the English were using it to store ammunition.

Chapter 49: Fear

Mary Churchill now faced the impact of war. She volunteered with the Woman Voluteer Services finding places for those who were made homeless due to the bombings. Pamela Churchill’s baby was due in a couple of weeks. In reference to the searchlights, anti aircraft guns, planes, John Colvile wrote in his diary: Never was there such a contrast of natural splendor and human vileness. This is where Larson gets the name of the book.

Chapter 50: Hess

Hess sends a mysterious letter to the Duke of Hamilton. The censors intercept and it never gets delivered.

Chapter 51: Sanctuary

Germany started dropping parachute bombs which drifted which said there was no precision to where they would land. Purpose: to terrorize the populace. Chances of a particular person dying, slim. Chances someone in London would die, almost certain. During the daytime, there was a sense of normalcy. Getting bombed-near a miss-would bring elation and happiness to the survivors. A Gallup Poll found that 33 percent of the public had begun growing their own food or raising livestock.

The Churchill's were covered by rationing, but being Prime Minister came with benefits, particularly since they also were required to host various people.

Various air raid shelters became communities, even publishing their own newspapers. Various hotels became places to stay at night since they were considered more reinforced. Even Holland’s exiled Queen Wilhelmina was staying in a hotel.

One oddity was that London’s Museum of Natural History was bombed. It contained old seeds. When the firefighters put out the blaze with water, some of the old seeds actually sprouted.

Sex between lovers, not necessarily married to each other became common.

Chapter 52: Berlin

Galland is summoned to see Goering. Goering could not see why the Luftwaffe was suffering the loses they were. Galland tried to make Goering understand that the RAF was as strong as ever. Japan signed up with Germany and Italy. England’s whole resolve to continue to fight did not make sense to the German leadership.

Chapter 53: Target Churchill

Churchill seemed to be addicted to the thrill of the bombings. He would not come to a shelter, but stayed watching. Even when bombs fell close by, he acted as if nothing was to be afraid of. Many people felt not only for his safety, but of the nation if he was killed. It was said that he does not belong to you alone but to all of us. Not only when he was at 10 Downing St, but at Chequers was he vulnerable. At Chequers the landscape was like an arrow pointing to where the residence was. The area received a treatment to camouflage it. Also Churchill got gifts which seemed like a way he would be exposed if cigars were poisoned .

Airplane manufacturing lost time due to being called off during air-raid warnings. The Prof was figuring out ways to kill enemy soldiers, sometimes in quite barbaric ways. The defeat in Daktar was a threat to Churchill being able to govern. Randolf Churchill became part of the House of Commons.

A bomb was dropped about 100 yards from the soldiers stationed at Chequers. Pamela Churchill delivered a baby boy. Churchill and others felt the bomb was meant for him. So they took a second retreat home with a friend.

Chapter 54: Spendthrift

Randolf Churchill was not a model character. Gambled, alcoholic, womanizer, belligerent, and spent money he did not have. He ran up debt so their credit was no good. He made the equivalent of $120,000/annual in his day or about $1.9 million today. Pamela Churchill moved out of Chequers once Randolf was transferred to Scotland. She now had to pay the family bills alone. 

 

Chapter 55: Washington and Berlin  

Roosevelt starts the draft in preparedness. Wilke goes into isolationist mode. The lack of clear victory in the air over Britain put Hitler into a quandry. So he did not go with invasion since Germany lacked air superiority. If the United States joined Great Britain, certainly Russia would attack Germany in the East. Hitler needed to eliminate this problem, so he cultivated plans to attack Russia. Meanwhile Goering was developing plans to level an English city.

Chapter 56: The Frog Speech

Churchill was worried that the Vincy French would join Germany full throttle, instead of tacitly. Solution was to give a speech directed to the French people. Moving speech. Goebbels worried that the Germans were listening to the BBC.

Churchill’s pale blue siren suit

Chapter 57: The Ovipositor

Roosevelt wins re-election. Britain finds that the war is draining its ability to provide food and armaments. Roosevelt did not respond to Churchill’s congratulations. The Prof’s aerial bombs probably got its first victim. The Prof was still trying to distort the German navigational beams. A sophisticated bomber had gone down off the coast of England and the Prof wanted it salvaged to find out how the navigation worked. The armed forces were having a jurisdiction war about who was to salvage it. The plane was lost. But the navigation equipment had come ashore.

Chapter 58: Our Special Source

Intelligence has it that Coventry and Birhmingham were to be bombed between Nov 15-20th, at least that is what a prisoner had noted. In an intercept there was a massive raid scheduled for that time frame, but it sounded more like London. The attack would happen a day earlier than expected.

From Larson’s description, it did not sound very certain that Coventry would be the target. In other code-breaking books, it definitely was Coventry. I wonder how much was really known?

Chapter 59: A Coventry Farewell

Coventry was the target. Intelligence knew that the navigation beams were aimed at Coventry. Not London by 3pm. The bombing was massive. The cathedral was bombed. The bombing went on for eleven hours.

Interesting.Lord Beaverbrook was met with scorn. He had worked the people of Coventry hard and now they wanted to know, what for? He shed tears and tried to be Churchill like. But later when the King came, he was greeted with awe. Maybe because there was no guile found, only empathy and sorrow.

The world saw barbarism. The Germans saw they deserved this attack and now they knew what war was about.

So why is the code-breaking books all say that the intelligence knew it was Coventry and did nothing? If it was the navigational beams, why not evacuate Coventry? Or move the fighters to go there?

Chapter 60: Distraction

Personal lives of Jon Colville and Pamela Churchill. Churchill’s grandson is christened. Lord Beaverbrook writes another letter of resignation.

Chapter 61: Special Delivery

Churchill’s letter to Roosevelt may have been the most important letter to the President the Prime Minister wrote. He tried to capture a balance of confidence and need. The letter reached Roosevelt while he was touring the Caribbean on a destroyer looking at the places which the British had lent to the United States, and relaxing.

The intelligence of how many planes the Luftwaffe had was sketchy. Even more galling was the RAF could not give him any figures on the planes it had available. Seems as if there was a discrepancy of 3,500 planes out of 8,500. A retired judge was given the task of figuring it out.

Chapter 62: Directive

Diarists reported on expectations for 1941

Chapter 63: That Silly Old Dollar Sign

Roosevelt’s idea on how to help England takes form. Harry Hopkins was sent to Great Britain to find out the status of the country.

Chapter 64: A Toad at the Gate

The British ambassador to the United States died. Churchill asked Lord Halifax to take over which was a demotion for him. Churchill sent Lord Beaverbrook to do the task.Halifax knew that Beaverbrook lived for intrigue and that he had been waging a war of whispers against him. Halifax did not want to go.By December 16, 1940 it was announced he would be going.

The effect of the devastation of Coventry was greater on the country than the bombing of London’s East End. The blackout was the most depressing thing followed by the lack of transportation. Clementine Churchill went into the air raid shelters to see what the conditions were like. She reported to Churchill with a list of things to get fixed.

Chapter 65: Weihnachten

England’s resolve, even after Coventry, is perplexing to the Germans. Hitler ordered planning to invade Russia, Goebbels did not want too much in the way of a Christmas celebration. He felt it weakened public morals. Hess felt a compulsion to get a peace treaty with England. Enough so that he started planning a personal emissary to go there.

Chapter 66: Rumors

Various rumors had to be combated.

Chapter 67: Christmas

The RAF would not do bombings on Christmas Eve or Day, unless the Germans attacked. Christmas bells would not be rung. Gift giving would go on. John Colville’s love had gotten engaged. The King gave his Christmas speech, while not stirring, it was moving. He had a speech impairment.

Chapter 68: Egglayer

The floating aerial mines the Prof wanted deployed. Initial time full of defects.

Chapter 69: Auld Lang Syne

Roosevelt gave a fireside chat, calling America the arsenal of democracy. On the same night, the Luftwaffe gave the financial district of London an intense bombing. The Germans were outraged by the talk. Churchill felt the Germans were fools to have aroused the American sympathies with the intense bombings, underscoring Roosevelt’s talk. The German raids in 190 killed 13,596 citizens, injuring 18, 378.

Part Five: The Americans

Chapter 70: Secrets

1941, January-March. Snow fell on London, making it scenic. Lord Beaverbrook resigned again-Churchill would not accept it. Instead, he was given the additional responsibility to secure civilian and material supplies-food and steel. Beaverbrook rejected it.

A newspaper reporter had reported on aFrench secret about the Vichy government. The leaker was Ève Curie-I have had an interest in the Curies since reading the book, Madame Curie in 6th grade. The book was written by Eve Curie. The journalist was expelled from the country. A second leak was about the design of a secret aircraft in an American aviation magazine. Churchill was furious.

The judge in charge of finding out how many aircraft the RAF and Luftwaffe had came back just as murky as before.

A battle in Libya was going well and Roosevelt gave Congress the outline of the lend-lease program. Churchill realized how close Hopkins and Roosevelt were.

Chapter 71: The Eleven-thirty Special

Harry Hopkins arrived at 10 Downing St. He did not look well. Churchill noted later on the Hopkins was a soul that flamed out of a frail and failing body. He was a crumbling lighthouse from which there shone the beams that led great fleets to harbor. That is a tribute,

Hopkins' mission was to learn all he could about Britain’s situation and needs.Churchill and Hopkins got along great.

Churchill envisioned a United States of Europe-can you say the European Union which Great Britain left? How did Hopkins react to that idea? He said that Roosevelt would not care at all. All he wanted was Hitler taken care of. Hopkins wrote Roosevelt and said that Churchill controls all, it is only he whom Roosevelt needs to consider. Also Britain needs the United States help.

Chapter 72: To Scapa Flow

Scapa Flow in Scotland was Great Britain's primary naval base. Churchill took Hopkins to see it.They would go up via train. A whole lot of people were on the train, including Hopkins. General Lee, the US Naval attache noted that Churchill enjoying himself and with his vast knowledge of history, his power of expression and his huge, energy, putting up a show for Hopkins. Hopkins is really the first representative of the president he has had a fair go at. I’m sure he never confided in or even cared for [Joseph] Kennedy.

Chapter 73: “Whither Thou Goest”

Trip to Scapa Flow. Churchill excited, Hopkins cold. Churchill fired a new model antiaircraft gun which jammed and misfired. No harm, but close. Hopkins was asked what he would tell Roosevelt. He quoted the Book of Ruth about going wherever Naomi was going. Another Hess attempt at going to England.

Chapter 74: Directive No. 23

German planning of invasion of Russia continues. Goering not happy.

Chapter 75: The Coming Violence

Hopkins on his way back to Washington DC. Churchill gives a speech which the world listens to. The King writes in his diary that he could not have had a better Prime Minister.

Chapter 76: London, Washington, and Berlin

Lend-Lease not passed yet. Heavy on Churchill’s mind. Coville takes first steps to get into the RAF. In Washington, a report circulated that if Great Britain lasted a year, then there was a pretty good chance that it would outlast Germany. Hitler wants Japan to be more aggressive in the Pacifc to tie down British troops there.

Chapter 77: Saturday Night

The debutante ball of the season was going to be held. Mary Churchill was going.Excitement. Wendell Wilkie throws support behind Lend-Lease.

Chapter 78: The Tall Man with the Smile

Averill Harriman was being dispatched to England. His task was to coordinate delivery of American goods. Harriman was favoring American intervention in the war. “All in all I left feeling that the President had not faced what I considered to be the realities of the situation—namely that there was a good chance Germany, without our help, could so cripple British shipping as to affect her ability to hold out.” As Harriman talked with people in Washington, he realized that they did not have a good idea of the British need. This would be his task, to have Churchill rely on his war strategy.

Chapter 79: Snakehips

Snakehips was a popular dancer at a club. The ball was starting to go strong. Bomb dropped on the club, not where the ball was going, but where Snakehips danced. Several descriptions of the bomb blast, including the death of Snakehips.

Chapter 80: Bayonet Quadrille

Colonel William Donovan had come over as an observer. He was to become the head of OSS. An after dinner time with music playing on the gramophone and Churchill in his blue siren suit. Churehill then executed a series of rifle drills and bayonet maneuvers, looking in his rompers like a fierce pale blue Easter egg gone to war.

Chapter 81: The Gambler

On a long voyage to Egypt to avoid submarines in the Mediteraean, Randolph Churchill lost a substantial amount of money gambling. Half of it was to the person who would inherit money from maybe the richest man in Great Britain, part of which was Wentworth Woodhouse, a vast mansion in Yorkshire thought by some to be the inspiration for Jane Austen’s Pemberley. When the news broke to Pamela Churchill, she thought she might be pregnant. She went to Lord Beaverbrook for help whose Secrets were his favorite possessions. Beaverbrook offered a gift of money which she refused, but accepted that she and her son could move into his country house and be looked after. She lost her second pregnancy, and realized that her marriage was over.

Chapter 82: A Treat for Clementine

Averill Harriman flight to London, long. On his way over in Lisbon, he bought tangerines for Clementine Churchill. Interesting thing. When Bulgaria formed an alliance with Germany, it was thought that Greece was lost. But Churchill dispatched some soldiers from Libya and Egypt to fortify Greece. Nobody thought that it would hold off the Germans, but it seemed like the honorable thing to do.Rommel comes to the desert in Africa. Still more bombings. Haririman arrives in London five days after starting.

Upon arrival in England, Churchill had him come directly to Chequers. Harriman told him that he needed to understand the situation completely. Churchill said that he would tell all and laid out the complete status of all there was. His biggest concern was the Battle of the Atlantic. Ships were sinking too fast because of the Germans. Harriman’s secretary liked walking in the dark. He said the Most impressive thing is the silence,Almost everybody walks about like a ghost.

David Niven who was about to leave with the British commandos invited his friend Harriman to use a temporary membership into the Boodles club. This is the club which the Scarlet Pimpernel was part of.

Chapter 83: Men

The new ambassador and Harriman dined with the Churchills. During a bombing, they all went to the roof to observe “the fun”. Virginia Woolf committed suicide by drowning. Certain things around Chequers gave the camouflage people problems. Such as a farmer plowing a field left it in such a state that it seemed to point at the house, a large number of parked cars indicated important guests.Mary Churchill fell in love with a flyer.

A new ambassador, John G. Winant. In a book by Lynne Olsen called Citizens of London, she talks about Winant, Harriman and Edward Morrow as being three Americans who stood with London. Pamela Churchill and Harriman began an affair with both of them still married. Beaverbrook was happy for this as it gave him more secrets to procure.

Part Six: Love amid the Flames

Chapter 84: Grave News

Mary Churchill is proposed to by Eric Duncannon. Bad news on the war: Rommel is winning in the desert, the Germans are showing Yugoslavia whose boss. And it is said that 29,000+ civilans have been killed in the bombings. Invasion still looks like it may happen. Instead of talking about victories, In a speech the next day on the “war situation,” which he had scheduled originally to congratulate British forces on their victories, he talked of the new reversals and of the war spreading to Greece and the Balkans. After the speech, it seemed clear to the House of Commons that Churchill, more than ever, was staking his hopes and Britain’s future on Roosevelt. Harriman felt it as well.

Churchill and a lot of dignitaries headed off to Bristol to bestow awards to various people. At one of their stops, Mary found it very moving, but also disconcerting. “It is rather frightening how terribly they depend on him. The night before reaching Bristol, the Germans bombed it, making going through the city safely harder.But to the people Churchill was a hero, a symbol of all their hopes and all of their courage. Rather than basking in the glory, Churchill hid behind a newspaper with tears coming down. He said that They have such confidence. It is a grave responsibility.

Roosevelt extended the United States safe shipping zone to being ⅔’s of the way to England. Harriman was moved by Bristol and anonymously donated 100 pounds to it.Clementine Churchill responded that whatever happens, they no longer feel alone.

Chapter 85: Scorn

The Germans were furious about that the English had not surrendered. They were still bombing Berlin. Churchill tried to warn Stalin that the German attack was coming soon to Russia.

Chapter 86: That Night at the Dorchester

Another night of bombing. Graham Greene describes it as One really thought that this was the end, but it wasn’t exactly frightening—one had ceased to believe in the possibility of surviving the night. Larson describes the scene. But the London people were pretty calm., like it was a thunderstorm, even though chaos was happening all around them. General Lee had these thoughts: I had the sickening feeling that hundreds of people were being murdered in a most savage way almost within a stone’s throw, and there was nothing to do about it.

Harriman and Pamela Churchill were having dinner together when the bombs fell. After talking a bit, Harriman invited her back to his apartment so they could talk better, As one person said, A big bombing raid is a very good way to get into bed with someone.

Chapter 87: The White Cliffs

Mary Churchill went on a dinner date. Read Alice Duer Miller’s poem, The White Cliffs. Afterwards Mary cried. The lines which affected her:

I am American bred,

I have seen much to hate here— much to forgive,

But in a world where England is finished and dead,

I do not wish to live.

Colville takes an RAF physical. May pass, if his eyesight can be improved with contacts.

 

Chapter 88: Berlin

Goebbels is optimistic about the progress with the war with England.

Chapter 89: This Scowling Valley

Greece was lost and 36,000 troops were evacuated. In a speech there was some incongruity-morale was highest in the worst bombed areas. On the other hand, he pointed out that between the United States and Britain there were more people and more steel than the Germans. They have more wealth, more technical resources, and they make more steel, than the whole of the rest of the world put together. Afterwards, he told his cabinet that the life and honor of Great Britain depends upon the successful defense of Egypt. He told his officers that there would be no surrender in Egypt of British troops. The concern was how Roosevelt would look at the situation. Goebbels looked at the situation in terms of how to use both the situation and speech to German advantage. And, of course, another Hess attempt, no success in getting off the ground.

Chapter 90: Gloom

Lord Beaverbrook submitted his resignation. Churchill accepted it. But made him Minister of State. A post allowing Beaverbrook to go where there are inefficiencies and have changes made. A list of losses in the war, including Plymouth bombing, sunk destroyer and Rommel recking havoc. Churchill was growing weary of Roosevelt's reluctance to enter the war. He had hoped that by now the United States and Britain would be fighting side by side, but always Roosevelt’s actions fell short of Churchill’s needs and expectations.

Chapter 91: Eric

Churchill was crabby . He wanted action on why the RAF was leaving cities defenseless at night. Eric Duncannon was at Chequers to make a marriage proposal. But he takes his time about it. He eventually does propose and Mary Churchill says yes, much to the families annoyance.

Paul Signac-a French Neo-Impressionist painter who, working with Georges Seurat, helped develop the Pointillist style

Chapter 92: Le Coeur Dit

Note from Mary Churchill’s diary.

Chapter 93: Of Panzers and Pansies

Parliament debates if Churchill is conducting the war right and if he should remain as Prime Minister. Some wanted a stronger government. But the main thing was about waging the war effectively. Churchill spoke to them and revisited the I have nothing to give but blood, sweet and tears. The House of Commons loved it. They voted overwhelmingly to keep Churchill

Harriman realized that Great Britain had no hope to win the war, unless the United States intervened.

Mary Churchill is debating in her diary what to do with Eric.

 

Chapter 94: Le Coeur Encore

Mary Churchill’s diary.

Chapter 95: Moonrise

Goebbels thinks Churchill’s talk is not appropriate. But he has a new respect for his heroism and cunning. Mary Churchill continues in limbo about Eric Duncannon.

Part Seven: One Year to the Day

Chapter 96: A Beam Named Anton

Hitler cannot sleep, so his inner circle needs to listen to him. He is egged on to do a massive reprisal of attacks on Berlin.

On to Mary Churchill. Pamela Churchill’s advice: Do not marry someone because they want to marry you but because you want to marry them.

London is to be bombed again.

Chapter 97: Interloper

Hess’ flight to England to negotiate peace. Goering realizes what is happening and has Galland try to stop him. But it was too late. The plane was spotted, but the RAF did not think it was a German plane.

Chapter 98: The Cruelest Raid

Huge raid in London, intent to do maximum damage regardless if military or civilian. One of the targets was Churchill. Hess was lost in Scotland. Ran out of fuel and parachuted out. Got captured and held prisoner. The Duke of Hamilton is notified and it is recognized as Hess

.

Chapter 99: A Surprise for Hitler

Colville walks around London and tells Churchill of the damage. Colville is apprised of the important German visitor. Hitler when he found out what Hess had done went berserk. Mary Churchill delayed the engagement for six months.

Chapter 100: Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Larson really loves the phrase whether by design or accident concerning unexplored bombs. Rose Macaulay’s house was totally destroyed with all of the contents, including her collections. It was the loss of the books that she grieved above all. She discovered just a couple of fragments of her collections. She managed to make an inventory of her books she had lost.The old House of Commons was destroyed. It was believed that the RAF was now learning how to fight at night and that the bending of navigational beams could be effectively used.

Hess was a problem for Germany, particularly the propaganda area. Goering asked Messerschmitt how he could have aided a lunatic like Hess? His reply: How am I supposed to believe that a lunatic can hold such a high office in the Third Reich. Maybe this is a line which will be used a time after the Trump presidency. Churchill directed that Hess be treated well, but in the Tower of London. Roosevelt got a kick out of the episode.

The first year of Churchill’s leadership came to an end. Larson sums it up by saying Somehow, through it all, Churchill had managed to teach them the art of being fearless. Churchill would not agree. He would say that he never gave them courage. I was able to focus theirs.

Chapter 101: A Weekend at Chequers

Six months later, December 7, 1941. They were listening to the radio when the announcement of Pearl Harbor being attacked. Churchill said they would declare war on Japan. Winant’s summary was There is nothing half-hearted or unpositive about Churchill—certainly not when he is on the move. There was visible relief in England that the United States would be entering the war. Churchill at great risk to himself sailed to the United States and spent Christmas there. They flew into Washington DC after coming to Chesapeake Bay. What they say was the light of the city at night, representing Freedom, Hope , Strength.

Epilogue: As Time Went By

A run down of several people in the book including Mary Churchill, John Colville, Lord Beaverbrook, The Prof, Pamela Churchill, Averrel Harriman, the Germans, and Winston Churchill.

Some interesting things:. During a raid, Churchill would dashed off in his car to Hyde Park to see Mary’s battery at work. About the Germans, Larson says that Goering noted the timing of the Russian campaign was fatal, Only the diversion of the Luftwaffe to the Russian front saved England.

Resources and Acknowledgments

Below are just the things which peaked my attention.

Larson notes that he was trying to find my personal Churchill. So this is not a critical look at Churchill, but Larson’s way of making him more than just pages in a history book.

Larson mentions something called the Vonnegut curve which he used to organize his thoughts. Apparently it is a method for graphing out a story. The Harvard Business Review has a story on it. Also OpenCulture has a piece on it. Larson’s story of Churchill could be graphed as Churchill at a high point becoming Prime Minister. War drags on, London is bombed and Parliament is questioning is he the right person for the job. He starts to climb out of that hole as things turn around.

Larson’s commentary is that it is in frivolity that Churchill often revealed himself.

There are plenty of notes and references

Evaluation:

 Larson’s book, The Splendid and The Vile takes us through the first year of Winston Churchill’s stent of being Prime Minister during World War II. The purpose of this book is so that Larson can find my personal Churchill. The story Larson tells is engaging and fact filled, based upon the diaries and writing of the participants.

There is a couple of weaknesses. The first, Larson tries to personalize Churchill by including stories of those who surrounded Churchill. While the stories are good, sometimes they are distracting from Churchill’s story. The second concern is that there is not a good appraisal of Churchill. Not much is said about any missteps he might have taken, nor about does the author agree with the reliance Churchill placed on American assistance, or any other subject. Larson wants to tell a story, not talk about anything deeper.

I enjoyed reading the book. It was an easy read. The bottomline is what Larson says towards the end: Somehow, through it all, Churchill had managed to teach them the art of being fearless.

 

 
Notes from my book group:

What strengths does Churchill show? Shat weaknesses? Does Larson do a good job of talking about them?

Churchill did some of his best thinking and work from his bed and bathtub. Where do you do your best thinking? What would you do if you were called into a meeting and found your superior taking a bath?

What do you think Great Britain’s response would have been without a person of Churchill’s courage and integrity?

Lord Beaverbrook did not hire aviation people. He said that They are all captains of industry, and industry is like theology,.. If you know the rudiments of one faith you can grasp the meaning of another. Do you find this to be true? If so, is there a need for experience in a field? At what level?

Larson says that Churchill demonstrated a striking trait: his knack for making people feel loftier, stronger, and, above all, more courageous. Is this true of leadership in that they make us better than what we think of ourselves? In a democracy, do we get the leader we want? What we deserve?

It was said that one of Churchill’s favorite sayings was that One leads by calm. How did Churchill exhibit that? Also he liked to do thought games with his commanders. How did this help him solve problems? He allowed his subordinates to comment and tear apart plans? Why?

When was the last United States leader which the country had a united confidence in like Churchill? What qualities made that leader?

It seemed like Churchill micromanaged everything. Larson said that To Churchill, everything mattered. Was this an effective style for him? For his subordinates? In what circumstances should this be used?

Churchill was not an affluent Prime Minister. He had money troubles. Some of his supporters gave him money. Did that influence him to favor these people? How would that play out today? How come we would not allow it in today’s politics?

When the bombing started, it seemed like many people had sex for the first time. What made this time in their lives a time to have sex (or as the book says, lose their virginity)?

When Churchill gave a speech, it seemed like not only was he speaking to Britain, but to the whole world. And the whole world listened to his words. How did Churchill match his words with the needs of his people? How did he use his speeches to set the tone for the coming days or what had happened? Why did the rest of the world listen? Are there occasions today where the world listens to speeches? What are they and why does the world listen?

What part did Hitler’s fixation on Russia play in allowing Great Britain to resist Germany’s attack? Do you think the United States response before Dec 7, 1941 was more important than Germany attacking Russia?

Why did Churchill spend Christmas in Washington DC in 1941?

Throughout the book, Larson notes the polling which took place. Was this an effective way for Churchill to understand the people? How else did he gauge the spirit of England? What place should immediate polling have in the United States?

In a recent seminar, there were some historians who were asked about popular history presentations, such as those with David McCoullugh, Stuart Ambrose, and I would think Erik Larson. They felt that these popular histories are not held in

Many of these questions are either from or adapted from LitLovers.

• Why the title of The Splendid and the Vile?

• Does this story work as a biography? What was Larson trying to show? How did he do it? He says that he felt John Colville’s diary was trying to show Churchill as a person. So Larson was trying to do the same with Cov\lville. Did he succeed?

• Did the ending seem fitting? Satisfying? Predictable?

• Which character was the most convincing? Least?

  • Which character did you identify with?

  • Which one did you dislike?

• Every story has a world view. Were you able to identify this story’s world view? What was it? How did it affect the story?

• In what context was religion talked about in this book?

• Was there anybody you would consider religious?

  • How did they show it?

  • Was the book overtly religious?

  • How did it affect the book's story?

• Why do you think the author wrote this book?

• What would you ask the author if you had a chance?

• What “takeaways” did you have from this book?

• What central ideas does the author present?

  • Are they personal, sociological, global, political, economic, spiritual, medical, or scientific

  • What evidence does the author use to support the book's ideas?

    • Is the evidence convincing...definitive or...speculative?

    • Does the author depend on personal opinion, observation, and assessment? Or is the evidence factual—based on science, statistics, historical documents, or quotations from (credible) experts?

  • What implications for you, our nation or the world do these ideas have?

  • Are these idea’s controversial?

    • To whom and why?

• Are there solutions which the author presents?

  • Do they seem workable? Practicable?

  • How would you implement them?

• Describe the culture talked about in the book.

  • How is the culture described in this book different than where we live?

  • What economic or political situations are described?

  • Does the author examine economics and politics, family traditions, the arts, religious beliefs, language or food?

• How did this book affect your view of the world?

  • Of how God is viewed?

    What questions did you ask yourself after reading this book?

  • 
    

• Talk about specific passages that struck you as significant—or interesting, profound, amusing, illuminating, disturbing, sad...?

  • What was memorable?

New Words:
 

• Dogsbody (1): in the British Navy-a junior officer, or more generally someone who does drudge work. A rough American equivalent would be a package handler "gofer", "grunt"or "lackey".
• Septicemia (2): blood poisoning, especially that caused by bacteria or their toxins.
• Cloying (2): disgusting or distasteful by reason of excess, also : excessively sweet or sentimental
• Hagiography (5): the writing of the lives of saints.
• Bodkin (8): a blunt, thick needle with a large eye used especially for drawing tape or cord through a hem.
• Quietus (8): death or something that causes death, regarded as a release from life.
• Scarify (13): to make scratches or superficial incisions in (the skin, a wound, etc.), as in vaccination. to lacerate by severe criticism.
• Sangfroid (14): self-possession or imperturbability especially under strain
• Niblick (28): An iron-headed golf club with the face slanted at a greater angle than any other iron except a wedge; a nine iron.
• Ovipositor(57) : a tubular organ through which a female insect or fish deposits eggs.
• Apolaustically (58): in a manner that expresses or shows regretful acknowledgment of an offense or failure.
• Coventration (59): To bomb intensively; to devastate sections of (a city) by concentrated bombing, such as that inflicted on Coventry, Warwickshire, in November 1940
• Galoomphing (62): moving in a clumsy, ponderous, or noisy manner; inelegant
• Quotidian (63): of or occurring every day; daily.
• Ichthyosaurus (70): fish-lizard
• astrakhan collar (72): strakhan is black or gray curly fur from the skins of lambs. It is used for making coats and hats. ... a coat with an astrakhan collar
• Paladin (82): any of the twelve peers of Charlemagne's court, of whom the Count Palatine was the chief.
• Pointillist (91): a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image.
• Freshet (96): the flood of a river from heavy rain or melted snow.
• Impetigo (Epilogue): a bacterial infection of the skin

 Book References:

• The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon
• Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler
• Occult Theocrasy by Edith Starr Miller
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• My Life and Loves by Frank Harris
• Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
• A Dictionary of Modern English Usage by Henry Watson Fowler
• Great Contemporaries by Winston Churchill
• The War Speeches of William Pitt the Younger by William Pitt the Younger
• A Farewell to Arms by Earnest Heminway
• Rebecca by du Maurier
• The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
• Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler
• And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
• Locksley Hall by Alfred Tennyson
• The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
• Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
• Flying Visit by Peter Fleming
• Oxford English Dictionary
• The Fringes of Power by John Colville
• Defender of the Realm by Paul Reid
• Churchill Roy Jenkins
• Finest Hour by Martin Gilbert
• How Churchill Waged War by Allen Packwood

Good Quotes:

• First Line: No one had any doubt that the bombers would come.

  Last Line: He added beneath his name a single word: “Finis”.

• 
  

• Coveting power for power’s sake was a “base” pursuit. “But power in a national crisis, when a man believes he knows what orders should be given, is a blessing. Winston Churchill, Their Finest Hour, pg 15

• One leads by calm. French saying, Chapter 16: The Red Warning

Table of Contents:

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Epigraph
• A Note to Readers
• Map
• Bleak Expectations
• Part One: The Rising Threat
• Chapter 1: The Coroner Departs
• Chapter 2: A Night at the Savoy
• Chapter 3: London and Washington
• Chapter 4: Galvanized
• Chapter 5: Moondread
• Chapter 6: Göring
• Chapter 7: Sufficient Bliss
• Chapter 8: The First Bombs
• Chapter 9: Mirror Image
• Chapter 10: Apparition
• Part Two: A Certain Eventuality
• Chapter 11: The Mystery of Swan Castle
• Chapter 12: The Ghosts of Dull People
• Chapter 13: Scarification
• Chapter 14: “This Queer and Deadly Game”
• Chapter 15: London and Berlin
• Chapter 16: The Red Warning
• Chapter 17: “Tofrek!”
• Chapter 18: Resignation No. 1
• Chapter 19: Force H
• Chapter 20: Berlin
• Chapter 21: Champagne and Garbo
• Chapter 22: Have We Sunk So Low?
• Chapter 23: What’s in a Name?
• Chapter 24: The Tyrant’s Appeal
• Chapter 25: The Prof’s Surprise
• Chapter 26: White Gloves at Dawn
• Chapter 27: Directive No. 17
• Chapter 28: “Oh, Moon, Lovely Moon”
• Part Three: Dread
• Chapter 29: Eagle Day
• Chapter 30: Perplexity
• Chapter 31: Göring
• Chapter 32: The Bomber in the Pasture
• Chapter 33: Berlin
• Chapter 34: Ol’ Man River
• Chapter 35: Berlin
• Chapter 36: Teatime
• Chapter 37: The Lost Bombers
• Chapter 38: Berlin
• Chapter 39: Ah, Youth!
• Chapter 40: Berlin and Washington
• Chapter 41: He Is Coming
• Chapter 42: Ominous Doings
• Chapter 43: Cap Blanc-Nez
• Part Four: Blood and Dust
• Chapter 44: On a Quiet Blue Day
• Chapter 45: Unpredictable Magic
• Chapter 46: Sleep
• Chapter 47: Terms of Imprisonment
• Chapter 48: Berlin
• Chapter 49: Fear
• Chapter 50: Hess
• Chapter 51: Sanctuary
• Chapter 52: Berlin
• Chapter 53: Target Churchill
• Chapter 54: Spendthrift
• Chapter 55: Washington and Berlin
• Chapter 56: The Frog Speech
• Chapter 57: The Ovipositor
• Chapter 58: Our Special Source
• Chapter 59: A Coventry Farewell
• Chapter 60: Distraction
• Chapter 61: Special Delivery
• Chapter 62: Directive
• Chapter 63: That Silly Old Dollar Sign
• Chapter 64: A Toad at the Gate
• Chapter 65: Weihnachten
• Chapter 66: Rumors
• Chapter 67: Christmas
• Chapter 68: Egglayer
• Chapter 69: Auld Lang Syne
• Part Five: The Americans
• Chapter 70: Secrets
• Chapter 71: The Eleven-thirty Special
• Chapter 72: To Scapa Flow
• Chapter 73: “Whither Thou Goest”
• Chapter 74: Directive No. 23
• Chapter 75: The Coming Violence
• Chapter 76: London, Washington, and Berlin
• Chapter 77: Saturday Night
• Chapter 78: The Tall Man with the Smile
• Chapter 79: Snakehips
• Chapter 80: Bayonet Quadrille
• Chapter 81: The Gambler
• Chapter 82: A Treat for Clementine
• Chapter 83: Men
• Part Six: Love amid the Flames
• Chapter 84: Grave News
• Chapter 85: Scorn
• Chapter 86: That Night at the Dorchester
• Chapter 87: The White Cliffs
• Chapter 88: Berlin
• Chapter 89: This Scowling Valley
• Chapter 90: Gloom
• Chapter 91: Eric
• Chapter 92: Le Coeur Dit
• Chapter 93: Of Panzers and Pansies
• Chapter 94: Le Coeur Encore
• Chapter 95: Moonrise
• Part Seven: One Year to the Day
• Chapter 96: A Beam Named Anton
• Chapter 97: Interloper
• Chapter 98: The Cruelest Raid
• Chapter 99: A Surprise for Hitler
• Chapter 100: Blood, Sweat, and Tears
• Chapter 101: A Weekend at Chequers
• Epilogue: As Time Went By
• Dedication
• Resources and Acknowledgments
• Bibliography
• Reader’s Guide
• Also by Erik Larson
• About the Author

References:

• Publisher's Web Site for Book
• Author's Web Site
• Wikipedia-Author
• Amazon-Book
• Amazon-Author
• Barnes and Noble
• GoodReads-Book
• GoodReads-Author
• New York Times Review
• NPR Review
• Winston Churchill.org
• Kirkus review
• Columbia Magazine
• Time Magazine
• Rolling Stone
• Howard Blum’s blog
• Notre Dame magazine