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<p class="MsoNormal">Hello Friends,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As you may remember at our last meeting we decided to meet on Wednesday November 10 because of convention and election day.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We will meet by Zoom at 7:00 PM. I will give details later.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I found questions today for the Splendid and the Vile.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">See below.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#333333"><br>
<span style="background:white">1. The book’s title comes from a line in John Colville’s diary about the peculiar beauty of watching bombs fall over his home city: “Never was there such a contrast of natural splendor and human vileness.” How do you think a tragedy
like this could be considered beautiful? Why do you think Larson chose this title? </span><br>
<span style="background:white"> </span><br>
<span style="background:white">2. <em><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">The Splendid and the Vile</span></em> covers Winston Churchill’s first year in office. What are the benefits of focusing on this truncated time period?</span><br>
<span style="background:white"> </span><br>
<span style="background:white">3. Larson draws on many sources to provide a vivid picture of Churchill’s home and family life in his first year as prime minister. What struck you most about his family dynamic? Considering how powerful he was at the time, was
his relationship with his family what you would have expected it to be? Why or why not?</span><br>
<br>
<span style="background:white">4. Churchill’s most trusted advisers spent many long days and nights with the prime minister, so much so that they became like members of his family. Why do you think Churchill had such close relationships with his political advisers?
What do you see as being the key advantages and disadvantages of running a government office in this way? Which of Churchill’s political relationships was the most interesting to you?</span><br>
<span style="background:white"> </span><br>
<span style="background:white">5. Larson provides various perspectives in the book, from diaries by Mary Churchill and Mass-Observation participants to the inner workings of both Churchill’s and Hitler’s cabinets. How did these different perspectives enhance
your understanding of life in 1940 and 1941?</span><br>
<span style="background:white"> </span><br>
<span style="background:white">6. Reading about how war was waged and discussed by the public in 1940, do you see any similarities to how we talk about warfare today? </span><br>
<span style="background:white"> </span><br>
<span style="background:white">7. How did you feel reading about the raids? How would your daily life and your priorities change if your country were experiencing similar attacks with such frequency?</span><br>
<span style="background:white"> </span><br>
<span style="background:white">8. The book includes anecdotes about a vast array of characters around Churchill, such as his daughter-in-law Pamela, his children Randolph and Mary, and his wife, Clementine. What are the benefits of including various stories
about the people related to Churchill—like Pamela’s affair, or Randolph’s gambling habits—in a book discussing his first year in office? Which of these characters did you find to be the most interesting? The most surprising? </span><br>
<span style="background:white"> </span><br>
<span style="background:white">9. Mary Churchill recounts the evening when the Café de Paris—where she and her friends had planned to go dancing—was bombed. After the initial shock, her group decides that the dead would have wanted them to continue their evening
of gaiety and dancing elsewhere, and they move on to another location. What did you think about this choice? What do you think you would have done in their situation?</span><br>
<span style="background:white"> </span><br>
<span style="background:white">10. Discuss Mary Churchill’s portrayal in the book. Do you feel she grows and matures throughout this tumultuous year? Why or why not?</span><br>
<span style="background:white"> </span><br>
<span style="background:white">11. What was the most surprising thing you learned about Churchill? Why did it surprise you?</span><br>
<span style="background:white"> </span><br>
<span style="background:white">12. While England rationed food, gasoline, and other supplies during the war, Churchill and his cabinet received extra provisions. What did you think about this policy? Do you think government officials are justified in implementing
such measures during a time of crisis? Why or why not?</span><br>
<span style="background:white"> </span><br>
<span style="background:white">13. Were there any decisions Churchill made over the course of his first year as prime minister that you disagreed with? If so, which? Which of his decisions were you most impressed with?</span><br>
<span style="background:white"> </span><br>
<span style="background:white">14. Do you think there has been another leader as universally beloved in their day as Churchill was in his? If so, who? If not, why not?</span><br>
<span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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