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The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Erik Larson (Author, Narrator), John Lee (Narrator), Random House Audio (Publisher)
4.7 out of 5 stars 44,413 ratings
Editors' pick Best Biographies & Memoirs

The number one New York Times best-selling author of The Devil in the White City and Dead Wake delivers a fresh and compelling portrait of Winston Churchill and London during the Blitz.

NAMED ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2020 BY The Washington PostHuffPostThe Seattle TimesLit HubThe WeekPopSugar

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 12 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, in cinematic detail, 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.

The Splendid and the Vile takes listeners out of today’s political dysfunction and back to a time of true leadership, when, in the face of unrelenting horror, Churchill’s eloquence, courage, and perseverance bound a country, and a family, together.

This audiobook includes a recording of Winston Churchill's 1941 Christmas Eve speech.

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  1. Listening Length
    17 hours and 49 minutes
  2. Author
    Erik Larson
  3. Narrator
    John Lee, see all
  4. Audible release date
    February 25, 2020
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Random House Audio
  7. ASIN
    B07X8QV4PV
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length 17 hours and 49 minutes
Author Erik Larson
Narrator John Lee, Erik Larson
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date February 25, 2020
Publisher Random House Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B07X8QV4PV
Best Sellers Rank

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4.7 out of 5 stars
44,413 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers praise this historical narrative for its extensive research from personal diaries and its engaging portrayal of Churchill as a great leader. The book reads like a page-turning novel with humorous anecdotes woven throughout. While some customers find it a fast-paced read, others consider it impossible to follow, and opinions about its length are mixed, with some appreciating the short chapters while others find it long-winded.

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Enthralling storyReadabilityInformation qualityCharacter developmentEntertainment valuePage turnerPacingLength
771 customers mention "Enthralling story"731 positive40 negative

Customers find the book's historical narrative engaging and well-researched, with one customer noting how the dry beginning became captivating.

"...As a work of history, the book reads almost as a thriller. It certainly captured this reader’s attention…and held it!..." Read more

"A well written book, easy to read and understand. The story gives you the daily insight of war and all of its work from those involved." Read more

"Once again, Erik Larson has written a historically accurate description of what Britain and Churchill faced with Nazi Germany...." Read more

"...Overall, I am left with a clearer understanding of Churchill as a man and military leader and a greater appreciation for the human impact of war...." Read more

615 customers mention "Readability"601 positive14 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as a page-turning novel that is easy to understand.

"A well written book, easy to read and understand. The story gives you the daily insight of war and all of its work from those involved." Read more

"...He has Churchill 's unique behaviors recorded. He, again, writes in such a format that you are an observer watching history unfold before your eyes...." Read more

"...A great orator, indefatigable, an embracer of life, a drinker, a man with a temper, stalwart, a bit of an eccentric...." Read more

"Larson's tome is unassailable. One gets a clear and pervasive view of one of the truly monumental times in World History...." Read more

494 customers mention "Information quality"484 positive10 negative

Customers praise the book's extensive research using personal diaries, providing insightful details throughout.

"...personal and social lives of these key players and makes extensive use of personal journals to keep the focus on the human impact of the war...." Read more

"...This book takes the blitz from the intimate perspective of the blitz from Churchhill orbit. It is fascinating and glorious and wonderful...." Read more

"...Although the book is well-documented non-fiction, it reads like a novel...." Read more

"Incredibly informative giving insights and details about pre WW2 and Joe Churchill was instrumental in directing his Nation to not just survive ;..." Read more

184 customers mention "Character development"179 positive5 negative

Customers appreciate the book's portrayal of Churchill as a great leader, with one customer noting how it reveals his very human side.

"...I am left with a clearer understanding of Churchill as a man and military leader and a greater appreciation for the human impact of war...." Read more

"...by Mr. Larsen of Joseph Goebbels, one of the most powerful leaders of the Nazi party, as he painted his fingernails and dressed up in lavish..." Read more

"...during WWIi, was an interesting, complex, and brilliant man, though certainly flawed. As a leader, he rose..." Read more

"...This helped me understand the war. Churchill was an amazing man. He was instrumental in the outcome of the war. This book explains it all" Read more

59 customers mention "Entertainment value"42 positive17 negative

Customers find the book entertaining, with the author adept at sprinkling in humorous anecdotes throughout the narrative.

"...As an entertaining and concise history of all the characters, their connections and involvement in WW2 it was first class, but no great climax or..." Read more

"...The more intimate stories are sometimes humorous, sometimes touching, memorable for sure--Colville's unrequited love; Snakehips' fate; Lord..." Read more

"...I enjoyed it for the most part. However as I was reading, my interest would wane and would go back and forth...." Read more

"...Brilliant, reactive, warm, cold, funny, infuriating Winnie...." Read more

37 customers mention "Page turner"31 positive6 negative

Customers describe the book as a page turner, with one noting that every page is riveting.

"...Larson always has a delightful delivery, research and spin. Enjoyable book. Love Larson" Read more

"...The other device that makes this story, like the others, such a page-turner, is that it uses a chronological, diarized format...." Read more

"...not only covers the essence of the primary "front story", but provides page-turning, almost novelistic "back-story" information regarding Churchill,..." Read more

"...But then the narrative flow kicks in and it becomes a page turner...." Read more

152 customers mention "Pacing"91 positive61 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it reads like a fast-paced novel while others say it's impossible to follow.

"...history to life with the character development, drama, and pacing of a novel. As usual, the detail is astoundingly meticulous, as is the footnoting...." Read more

"At times, it got dry, and things just started repeating over and over. You could have cut the book down a third and still got the whole story...." Read more

"...fan of Larson's work and have found each book fascinating in subject, quick and intense to read. This one is the best...." Read more

"...because Eric Larson captured (with some exceptions) a clear picture of life in WW II...." Read more

34 customers mention "Length"20 positive14 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's length, with some appreciating its 500 pages while others find it long-winded.

"...The book is well-written. The chapters are short and easy to read...." Read more

"...This book is a long and winding tale, I hope that one day he gets back to history story telling like “In the Garden of Beasts”." Read more

"...The book is 500 pages long...." Read more

"...The book is rather long but I just flew through the pages totally entranced. The only thing I wanted was pictures that usually accompany his books...." Read more

Book fell apart after first time opened.
5 out of 5 stars
Book fell apart after first time opened.
Content of book so far is excellent, however the construction of this book is defective and lost its pages after opening for first time. See pic, book never left the bookshelf until it was opened and several pages are now torn and not readable. I will update rating if seller can please provide replacement copy? Update: customer service quickly shipped out a replacement book. My review has been updated to reflect this, and how much I really enjoyed this, another truly unique, and enjoyable (heartfelt and painful) read from Larson.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Andrew Desmond
    5.0 out of 5 stars One Year in a Life
    Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2025
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Winston Churchill was, arguably, one of the more extraordinary figures of modern British history. His life covered parts of two centuries wherein he was, variously, a journalist, politician, soldier, author and prime minister.

    Erik Larson’s “The Splendid and the Vile” focusses on a brief but compelling period of Churchill’s long life; namely, the first year of his prime ministership. By and large, this was a period of many failures as Britain (and its empire) stood alone against the Nazi threat. It was also the period when Churchill was at his most pugnacious. He was the man for the occasion. Perhaps no other Briton could have stood in his place.

    As a work of history, the book reads almost as a thriller. It certainly captured this reader’s attention…and held it!

    The book is an intimate portrayal of Churchill’s life. We are introduced to his family, his daily troubles, his failures and his (comparatively few) triumphs. If I was to find one criticism of the book it’s that the politics of the time was largely ignored. Clement Atlee receives only one mention and that on the book’s penultimate page. But this aside, the book is a riveting read and a significant addition to the seemingly endless library of Churchill books.

    Recommended.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Larry Spencer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Quite the story.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A well written book, easy to read and understand. The story gives you the daily insight of war and all of its work from those involved.
    Helpful
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  • N. Wallach
    4.0 out of 5 stars Almost first person view of Churchill's first year as Prime Minister during World War 2
    Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The Splendid and the Vile
    Story of Churchill’s first year in office as Prime Minister of Britain during World War 2. The focus is more on how he ran the government and on some of the people around him, rather than what was happening during the war. What is interesting about this is how small his group of advisors is and how he relied on them for different aspects. His relationship with Beaverbrook reminds one these days of what is happening between Trump and Musk. It is also interesting to note how the same thing is happening in the U.S. with Roosevelt relying on Hopkins and another small coterie of close advisors while navigating the shoals of Congress and the U.S. Public to join the war.

    The family relationships around Churchill are detailed to some extent. Only two of his four children are discussed (Randolph and Mary). Of those, I knew that Randolph was a problem, but had not realized that Randolph’s wife (Pamela) ended up divorcing him after the war and many years later marrying Averill Harriman (whom she had an affair with during the war) and becoming the U.S. ambassador to France!

    The unusual work habits that Churchill had were well known but the importance of his country retreats and the inability of the RAF to stop the nighttime bombing raids were new to me. This last was especially interesting given that the British and American bombers had such a difficult time bombing Germany only a couple of years later. So, why was it so difficult for the British to inflict damage on the Germans? Even so, the book mentions that the life expectancy of a British bomber at that time was about two weeks? So why the discrepancy? The book does not discuss this issue.

    The other person this book focuses on is one of Churchill’s private secretaries by the name of Collville. While this brings to life some of the inner workings of the Churchill regime, the private details of his life outside of work serve as somewhat of a distraction which I found unnecessary. A minor disagreement I have with the author is his belief that Churchill focused on the U.S. almost from the beginning of his administration as the only possible way for the British to survive and win the war. Other books and readings I’ve done do not highlight this to such an extent and I am wondering if the author is not taking this too far.

    Overall, this is an interesting work that adds somewhat to our understanding of how Churchill operated during the first year in which he established his reputation and got the British to survive the trials and tribulations and move forward from there. 
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Roger.
    5.0 out of 5 stars War revenge
    Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Now I understand why the RAF extensively bombed Dresden killing more people than the Nazis killed bombing England. War is hell.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Robyn A. Chumley
    5.0 out of 5 stars Perfectly documented about Churchill…
    Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    …and so many others! Author Erik Larson did some deep research on that one year of Churchill’s life—including his wife Clementine, The Prof, Beaverbook and Mary (daughter of the Churchills). Fascinating read. If you want an inside glance at Churchill’s life during the early year of the war, I highly recommend reading this book!
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  • Jerry Riley
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderfull Insight into Britain and Churchill During the Battle of Britain
    Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Once again, Erik Larson has written a historically accurate description of what Britain and Churchill faced with Nazi Germany. He has Churchill 's unique behaviors recorded. He, again, writes in such a format that you are an observer watching history unfold before your eyes. At times, it is very hard to put the book down at the end of a chapter. He covers the appointment of Churchill to Prime Minster, the decisions he made, the peculiarities of his key staff such as Beaverbrook. Larson writes history in such a fashion that you relish reading him. Not a quote or statement is made unless he has accurate historical documents to refer to. The book does not cover the entire role of Britain in WW2. It covers the time from May 1939 to roughly December 1941 with add3tional material regarding what happened to key German leaders, Churchill and his key staff after WW2. You will notice that the term "mass diarist" is used. I have seen this in other books about London during WW2. People were encouraged to keep diaries of what they experienced or felt during the war for sociological purposes. Hence, you see diary quotations in this book.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • No Sleep 'til Brooklyn
    5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible
    Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2025
    Format: Audible AudiobookVerified Purchase
    Can't go wrong with most Erik Larson books! One of my (maybe THE) favorite non-fiction writers. He's written a few I don't love, but this is one of his top 4, especially if you're interested in the lands across the pond, Europe.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Stephanie Ogryzlo
    5.0 out of 5 stars masterpiece
    Reviewed in France on August 4, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    A well written, interesting, and complete recount of Churchill’s first year as PM during the war. Erik Larkson goes into lots of very interesting detail, with s splash of humour that the novel enjoyable to read!
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  • Jano
    5.0 out of 5 stars A so delightful book to read
    Reviewed in Mexico on April 9, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I enjoyed so much to read. It has been a pleasure time to invest in this reading, I personally believe W.Churchill was a true leader that saves England to be defeated.
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  • FictionFan
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 4, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    May, 1940. Already weakened by failures in Norway, the successful blitzkrieg in Holland and Belgium sounded the death knell for Chamberlain as Prime Minister. Reluctantly King George VI offered the position to Winston Churchill, a man adored by the public although many of his colleagues thought him too erratic for the role. Larson sets out to tell of Churchill’s first year in power: holding British morale together during the Blitz; desperately working to build up British forces to defend against the expected invasion; battling to get America, even if they weren’t willing to put boots on the ground, to at least assist with money and equipment while Britain stood alone against the overpowering forces of the Nazi war machine.

    Larson is brilliant at bringing historical events to life so that it feels as if the reader is there in the room rather than reading a dry recital of historical facts years afterwards. Here he uses a variety of personal accounts to paint a vivid picture of Churchill through this dramatic period – primarily the diaries of his daughter, Mary, and his private secretary, Jock Colville, supplemented by various letters and memos between Churchill and members of his inner team. Larson also turns to contemporaneous reports in the newspapers and on radio, to show what people knew and how they felt at the time rather than through the lens of hindsight.

    It’s probably true to say there’s nothing startlingly new in the book, but Larson brings out the drama and emotion of the time without sacrificing factual accuracy and detail. Names from the history books become living, breathing people – Beaverbrook, Lindemann, Goering, Hess, et al – and we see their weaknesses and vanities along with their passion and commitment, whichever side they were on. The use of the word “saga” in the subtitle made me fear this might be too geared towards gossip about Churchill’s family, but in fact we learn just enough about them to get a feel for Churchill as a family man, and through Mary’s diary extracts we also get a picture of how the young upper-classes lived and played during this early part of the war, and how their attitudes changed and hardened as the dark realities of modern air-led warfare became clear.

    What Larson does so well, though, is to bring the lives of the mass of ordinary working people into the story, not simply as a kind of audience for the great and the good, but as real participants in their own fate. For this, he uses extensively the records of the Mass Observation project, where many volunteer observers kept diaries in which they recorded not just their own lives but their impressions of what was happening in their localities. We see London reeling and terrified after the first air-raids, but the Londoners gradually realising that they were brave enough to take it, and showing the resilience and defiance for which they are remembered. He shows a kind of euphoria developing, and a good deal of sexual licence on display, due to a growing eat, drink and be merry attitude. Larson takes us to Coventry to see the devastating raid there and its aftermath, and his description of this piece of history I already knew well is so vivid that he reduced me to tears and roused my rage anew at this mindless death and destruction.

    Back with Churchill, we get to know the people in his smallish inner circle and how they interacted. We are critical of all government ministers and of course they should not be above criticism, but we perhaps don’t cut them enough slack for the enormous responsibilities we expect them to deal with on our behalf. Churchill lived a life of comparative luxury, and rationing, which hit the general public hard, didn’t seem to make his table any less lavish, or his brandy to run out. But he worked such long hours his staff were permanently exhausted and he himself became ill (and worked through it), he had to tolerate and soothe the ruffled feelings of those to whom he delegated the impossible while still driving them to get it done yesterday, he regularly put himself in danger to show the public that he understood and shared what they were going through, he had to cajole and flatter the American president endlessly for very little return in the way of practical assistance; and frankly I didn’t begrudge him his smuggled cigars and chocolate, his extensive cellar, his extra meat provided by grateful landowning Dukes, even the money that was raised by supporters to help pay his household expenses. I suspect his poor entourage regularly wanted to beat him over the head with a brick, especially when he would put on records and start dancing round the dining room at 1 a.m. after a twenty-hour working day, but I’m glad they didn’t.

    Another excellent book from Larson, his trademark blending of historical facts with the personal building to give an intimate and affectionate portrait of Churchill’s personality and daily life as he led Britain through its darkest hour. Highly recommended.
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  • Cheryl A
    5.0 out of 5 stars A different perspective
    Reviewed in Canada on September 24, 2023
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This is a well told story with some new aspects that I haven't seen before.

    This is a story that has been told many times, of the events to knock Great Britain out of WW II using air power - The Blitz as it has been described. I've read a good number of books on this topic as well as most of the major sources around Winston Churchill. I was pleased to see a new view of the historic events described from a different perspective with several story arcs tying the facts to what people were experiencing.

    The story mostly focuses on those close to Churchill with some additional material from diarists and minor embellishment to the facts around some of the many lives lost - much more interesting to get some minor feel for a person than to learn of their death as another number.

    I enjoyed finding that the title comes from paraphrasing a diarist's entry and it was fun to find it and remember reading their memoirs many years ago.

    It builds on works previously published, using first source material and keeping the major events in place while adding a new look at some of the more mundane aspects of life to deliver a story that shows the ordinary and extraordinary coexisting against the backdrop of war. The sources, bibliography and index were excellent.

    Despite the many story arcs presented, I had no problem keeping it straight over the intermittent reading of the story.

    A very satisfying read.
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  • ＪＫ
    4.0 out of 5 stars 戦争の本質を理解していたチャーチル首相と、戦争をヤクザの出入りと勘違いしてた東条首相
    Reviewed in Japan on May 12, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    　チャーチル首相が就任した１９４０年（昭和１５年）から一年間のバトルオブブリテンを主題にしたドキュメンタリー。ヒトラー総統、ゲーリング元帥の元、猛威を振るったドイツ軍にただ一人最後まで抵抗したチャーチル首相。彼は戦争の本質を見抜き、米国を味方に付ければ、その工業力、資源力、そして国民数によってナチスドイツに勝利するとの確信を持っていたのです。翌年の日本軍による真珠湾攻撃の後、時のルーズベルト大統領からの知らせで翌日、米国は日本に宣戦布告をすると聞き、第二次世界大戦の勝利を確信し、喜びを抑えきれぬまま就寝したのです。当時の英政権、ドイツ政権の内情と戦況観が的確に描かれ興味深いです。一方で英国の貴族階級の常軌を逸した行動も描かれ英国王室を見る参考にも成りました。
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