Shortly before the U.S. locked down to slow the spread of the coronavirus in March, popular historian Erik Larson delivered one of his best books yet—one that was coincidently perfectly timed for the moment. Published in the midst of one of the greatest international crises since World War II, Larson’s new book tells the story of London facing the Blitz during that war through the characters of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, members of his family and his various advisers. Readers are left with an indelible portrait of a nation coming together to face a brutal assault from German bombs under leadership that is wise, empathetic and strategic—not to mention highly witty and charming.