Structure

The Splendid and the Vile is divided into seven parts, plus a prologue and an epilogue. There is also “A Note to Readers” which precedes the prologue. Each of the book’s seven parts varies in length. While the majority are between ten and twenty chapters, the shortest is a mere six chapters and the longest is twenty-six chapters. The chapters themselves also vary considerably in length. Some are average chapter length and run several pages, while others are as short as half a page.

The division of the book into seven parts reflects seven distinct phases of Churchill’s first year in office. The titles of each part are highly indicative of those phases. “Part One: The Rising Threat” is about the escalating threat of German attacks on Britain, mainly by air but also through a possible amphibious invasion. “Part Two: A Certain Eventuality” is about...