London 1945: Life in the Debris of War
by Maureen Waller
On This Page
Description
London at the outset of war in 1939 was the greatest city in the world, the heart of the British Empire. The defiant capital had always been Hitler's prime target and 1945, the last year of the war, saw the final phase of the battle of London. The Civil Defence could not have succeeded without the spirit, courage, resilience and co-operation of the people. London 1945 describes how a great city coped in crisis, how morale was sustained, shelter provided, food and clothing rationed, and work show more and entertainment carried on. Then, as the joy of VE Day and VJ Day passed into memory, Londoners faced severe shortages and all the problems of post-war adjustment. Women lost the independence the war had lent them, husbands and wives had to learn to live together again, and children had a lot of catching up to do. The year of victory, 1945, represents an important chapter in London's - and Britain's - long history. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
An excellent portrait of life in London as the end of the war approached. Told primarily from a female perspective (hardly surprising given that the author is a woman, and many of the men were away from the city), it superbly captures the both the trials and the spirit in London.
So many of WWII related books are devoted to the military portion of the war or the Holocaust that the British home front is greatly neglected. It was fascinating to read a book that just concentrated on such a small time period and on the UK. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who in interested in the social history of war.
An excellent portrait of life in London as the end of the war approached. Told primarily from a female perspective (hardly surprising given that the author is a woman, and many of the men were away from the city), it superbly captures the both the trials and the spirit in London.
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
6 Works 1,233 Members
Maureen Waller was educated at University College London, where she studied medieval and modern history. She received a master's degree at Queen Mary College, London, in British and European history 1660-1714. After a brief stint at the National Portrait Gallery, she went on to work as an editor at several prestigious London publishing houses. She show more currently lives in London with her husband, who is a journalist and author. show less
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2005
- People/Characters
- Clement Attlee; George VI, King of the United Kingdom
- Important places
- London, England, UK
- Important events
- World War II (1939 | 1945); World War II, British Home Front; World War II, Bombing of England; The Blitz (1940)
- Dedication
- For Roland Philipps
- First words
- A visitor to London towards the end of 1944 would not be seeing the city and its people at their best.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 224
- Popularity
- 144,958
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (4.10)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 8
- ASINs
- 2
