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The War on Our Doorstep: London's East End and How the Blitz Changed it Forever
London's East Enders are known for being a tough, humorous and lively lot. In the early 20th century, families crowded into single rooms, children played on the streets, and neighbors' doors were never locked in case you needed an escape route from the police. World War II changed everything. During the Blitz, men set off for work never to return and rows of houses were reduced to rubble overnight. Yet the East Enders' ability to keep calm and carry on cemented their reputation for cheerful resilience. They say Hitler killed off the bugs but, along with the slums, the Blitz destroyed a way of life. After the war families were scattered—some to estates on the edge of London, others to isolated high-rise blocks. The old East End communities were gone forever. Told by the residents themselves, The War on Our Doorstep is an eye-opening, moving, and laugh-out-loud depiction of what it means to be an East Ender.
512 pages, Paperback
First published April 12, 2012
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148 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 9, 2022
4,25 stars - English Ebook
London's East Enders are known for being a tough, humorous and lively lot. In the early 20th century, families crowded into single rooms, children played on the streets and neighbours' doors were never locked in case you needed an escape route from the police...
World War 2 changed everything. During the Blitz, men set off for work never to return and rows of houses were reduced to rubble overnight. Yet the East Enders' ability to keep calm and carry on cemented their reputation for cheerful resilience.
They say Hitler killed off the bugs but, along with the slums, the Blitz destroyed a way of life. After the war families were scattered - some to estates on the edge of London, others to isolated high-rise blocks. The old East End communities were gone forever.
Told by the residents themselves, The War on Our Doorstep is an eye-opening, moving and laugh-out-loud depiction of the history of London's East End and what it means to be an East Ender.
I loved this book, it's actuall accounts from people who'd gone through the war. From elders to kids. Outlining all aspects of being caught in a war in London. Not something you'd learn in a history book. Like, how woman in the workplace had to conceal being married or pregnant as they weren't allowed in the work place.
And how there were no health and safety rules for workers, like dock workers. The employers chose casual workers at the gates in the morning, only the strongest and fastes were chosen. Then it dangerous and not unusual for someone to be maimed or killed.
London's East Enders are known for being a tough, humorous and lively lot. In the early 20th century, families crowded into single rooms, children played on the streets and neighbours' doors were never locked in case you needed an escape route from the police...
World War 2 changed everything. During the Blitz, men set off for work never to return and rows of houses were reduced to rubble overnight. Yet the East Enders' ability to keep calm and carry on cemented their reputation for cheerful resilience.
They say Hitler killed off the bugs but, along with the slums, the Blitz destroyed a way of life. After the war families were scattered - some to estates on the edge of London, others to isolated high-rise blocks. The old East End communities were gone forever.
Told by the residents themselves, The War on Our Doorstep is an eye-opening, moving and laugh-out-loud depiction of the history of London's East End and what it means to be an East Ender.
I loved this book, it's actuall accounts from people who'd gone through the war. From elders to kids. Outlining all aspects of being caught in a war in London. Not something you'd learn in a history book. Like, how woman in the workplace had to conceal being married or pregnant as they weren't allowed in the work place.
And how there were no health and safety rules for workers, like dock workers. The employers chose casual workers at the gates in the morning, only the strongest and fastes were chosen. Then it dangerous and not unusual for someone to be maimed or killed.
November 7, 2025
A wonderful look at how the everyday labours worked and lived in the East End, Before, during and after the two wars, mainly focused around WW2. Its hard to picture in our minds what life looked and felt for them during those very tough years. But surprising that the years after effected so many people much more, especially all those who worked in the dock yards and the people who worked in the businesses around the docks. Also how they feel they lost the community spirit, with thousands losing their lifelong (generations long) employment and their homes due to demolition of even houses that could still be used, with the building of tall towers of flats where they hardly saw anybody. I am really glad i read this book, but sad for the people of London who remember the better for them times.
October 29, 2012
this book was just great one of the best books of this type i have ever read i would recommend this book to anyone
July 23, 2019
I'm very interested in the more "modern" history of London's East End so I was quite excited to read this. However, it wasn't really what I was expecting. I thought it would be a work of historical non-fiction but that the author would have combined the testimonials of former East End residents throughout the years of the Great War, the depression, the Blitz etc for it to flow more. More akin to the writing of Erik Larson and Hampton Sides. No, each testimonial was completely separate-some a few sentences, others a paragraph. It just ended up being more tedious to read than anything else. I think it would have been more engrossing and interesting if the author had actually combined the testimonials into an actual story.
July 8, 2018
Consisting almost entirely of sentence to paragraph length quotes from interviews with inhabitants of the East End, sorted according to topic and time period, with a minimum of editorial interruption by Ms Salisbury. Unless she did in fact make it all up, in which case, I humbly tips me lid. ; )
I read most of this book at a hearing of the Fair Work Commission while listening to our union witnesses comprehensively demolish the lame line of questioning followed by the boss's lawyers.
I read most of this book at a hearing of the Fair Work Commission while listening to our union witnesses comprehensively demolish the lame line of questioning followed by the boss's lawyers.
September 10, 2022
The title of this book lead me to think it was about how the East End of London coped with the Blitz of the Second World War. In fact, before that, “the war” was against poverty and all its associated problems. Each chapter consisted of an introduction, followed by snippets of personal memories - but these began to be very repetitive and came without dates to tell the reader when the incidents they were recalling happened. What’s more, an individual’s account was often split up to fit the chapter it appeared in, sometimes, inexplicably. As another reviewer has said, it would have been better to round up the experiences of the various Eastenders and produce a summarised account of their experiences. Gave up on the pre war section at p135 at the beginning of Chapter 5 and then skipped to p261 The Battle of Britain to read about the effects of the Blitz in the East End and then through to the end of the Second World War section on p375.
May 23, 2022
Pretty thorough and enjoyable, but it probably needs a better title. There is a LOT of background chapters before the war starts, and nearly as much after it ends. It is pretty good as a companion peice to the other books I’ve been, reading, though, so seeing repeated locations and people is a bit of a treat.
February 12, 2018
An informative and enjoyable read, despite me struggling with the way it is written....though this is the way it must be done. Fascinating!
October 5, 2019
Good factual read
Informational and factual told by people who lived through ww2 from many different cultures. If you enjoy reading about a lost era and generations
Informational and factual told by people who lived through ww2 from many different cultures. If you enjoy reading about a lost era and generations
November 13, 2022
Loved learning about what East Ender were thinking and feeling during the Blitz.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews