The Splendid and the Vile

I think Erik Larson is a fantastic non-fiction author; the way he folds quotes from primary sources (in this case, mostly diaries and recorded speeches) and dramatically structures scenes makes it read like fiction. Churchill has been biographied/written about ad nauseam, but this is an interesting take that focused just as much on the cast of characters surrounding Churchill as the man himself; it is at once a family drama and a war drama. The book begins as Churchill is announced PM, and goes all the way through the US enters the war. I personally have not read many Britain-centric WWII content, so it was interesting hearing about civilian life during the bombings, the new war technologies and tactics (though I found that bit less interesting than the more humanistic angles), the long persuasion of the US to join the war, and a bit about certain characters from the German side (pilots, high-ranking officials). However, it is a long book, and did start losing my interest by the middle/end.