Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Before writing “The splendid and the evil” Eric Larson must had had a focus group that suggested he write something which would appeal to teenage girls and macho men. The result is a schizophrenic mix of dreamy romance and figures of blood and gore. Both his female and male protagonists wear the hearts on their sleeves, while ever ready to switch partners. Larson projects himself into the minds of many actors, including Churchill, but his portrayal of Mary’s childlike, naive romantic notions are and Pamela’s serial adulteries are the most annoying sections that crop up continually throughout the book. Clearly there is factual information here about the Second World War, especially from the British perspective. Churchill and the major figures are also documented in their historical and personal roles. Churchill appears as a virtual sociopath in his total disregard for the sensibilities of those who come in contact with him. His willingness to impose his personal habits on others was disrespectful at best. Readers who have not read more authoritative works will find the narrative informative, but may be frustrated by the structure of the book in many snippets, separated by longer fragments which seem to end in cliffhangers, designed to propel the material forward. I suggest a new cover with a semi-naked man clutching a similarly deshabilled damsel to his manly chest, surrounded by the wreckage of a bombed-out home. Searchlights and bombers as a background.