Zeppelin Nights: London in the First World War

by Jerry White

Keep the home fires burning…

11pm, Tuesday 4 August 1914: For the next four years the people of London would find themselves at the hub of the ever-enlarging storm of World War One.

The many tangled threads of Britain’s war converged on the capital: the majority of munitions were manufactured there; soldiers in their hundreds of thousands passed through, on their way to active service or brought back bleeding from the frontlines; refugees from war-torn territories sought respite and a new life there. And then there were the citizens themselves – patriots and pacifists, clergymen and thieves, bluestockings and prostitutes – all dependent on the shifting fortunes of war.

Jerry White shows us a city struggling, but also flourishing, economically and socially, leading us through factories and nightclubs alike. As war raged on many fronts across the globe, Londoners almost without exception were caught up body and soul in its thrall.

Genres: History, London, World War I, Nonfiction

356 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

Professor of London history

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

A brisk and highly readable overview of life in London during the First World War, mostly focusing on social life and how the war, various regulations and moral panics impacted it. As always with White, it's highly knowledgeable and well sourced.

[Stephen Goldenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to know anything about the history of London then Jerry White is your man. There are already a wealth of books on London during the Second World War and the blitz but much less about the home front during the First World War so this book is invaluable. What will surprise many is the extent to which London was bombed by the Germans during the first as well as the Second World War from both Zeppelins and bombers. In fact, London's survival during the blitz owed a great deal to the lessons learned in this war. Another surprising effect of the war was the way that labour shortages increased levels of employment and wages for the working classes and so closed the gap between rich and poor. The most affecting sections of the book are the extracts from the diaries of ordinary people.

[Girl with her Head in a Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zeppelin Nights depicts London in 1914 as a city at a crossroads - despite the Industrial Revolution and the end of the Victorian era, the streets of London were still littered with manure from horse-drawn carriages and its values were very much drawn from the nineteenth century. In this rich and expansive book, Jerry White underlines that the Great War altered the feel of London irrevocably and that the city we know today is still feeling the after-effects. London had to move on past the age of 'The Season', and the droit de seigneur, to recognise the poor as more than simply a depressing menace to be avoided at all costs (or mown down in a motor car as one upper class socialite did in a moment of temper). The greater part of the action of the war may have been confined to the Front, but Zeppelin Nights describes how the people London battled to keep the home fires burning.

White describes pre-war London as very much the metropolitan capital of Europe, it was huge in contrast to its continental counterparts and very much where society 'happened'. It was the centre of the Industrial Revolution, Victoria's children had married into the major royal families of Europe and of course, the sun never set on the British Empire. However, White points out that culturally London was very German - since the arrival of the Hanoverians, there had been a strong bond between the two nations with areas of the city housing several generations of German families. It is strange to contrast that time with now, all those years after the last conflict and yet the German nation remains a punchline, a caricatured war-like people capable of dark deeds, the natural enemy of the trueborn Englishman.

It was truly tragic to read in this book of the stories of the naturalised Germans who remained in London after war broke out, who were almost universally condemned to five years of enormous suffering. Many, indeed most, were interned in horrible conditions - it was particularly horrible to read about those who chose to take their own lives, particularly one who left a note explaining their admiration for Britain. These were people who had chosen to make their home in London, who had felt a part of their community and who were suddenly turned on. They may have been regarded as potential spies, but it is the British people who seem traitors here. White expresses his own astonishment at the sermon preached by the Bishop of London in 1915, who urged people to kill Germans 'not for the sake of killing, but to save the world.' This was a direct departure from his words the year before which had spoken on charity and that the Germans of London ought to 'receive the same kind of treatment which they had learnt to expect.' War had made London a far more brutal place.

Indeed, it was surprising for me to read about the terrors of London life in World War One. The story of the Blitz is part of our national identity but the zeppelin attacks of World War One are far less well-known, despite being far more prolonged. The first raid came on May 31 1915, killing seven including four children and by the time of the last attack three years later, the death toll was 668 as well as around 2000 injuries. The lake in St James' Palace was drained to prevent any reflective surface helping the bombers and 'a lighted cigarette' was apparently enough to earn someone a slap at night time. Much like September 11 for America, these attacked destroyed Londoners' long-standing sense of inviolability - for the first time, the war had come right to their door. The aerial threat was so new and terrifying, there is a sense of confidence irreparably shaken. It was in this climate that the notorious Defence of the Realm Act was rushed through, which granted powers to the government and was responsible for some rather questionable acts in the name of security.

Indeed, by contrast with this war fought with the new technologies of the Industrial Revolution, the morals of Victorian England were still very much in evidence. While one battle raged on the continent, another was being fought for purity at home. General Haig was disgusted by drinking, as was David Lloyd George - temperance was very much in vogue and if it were not for the fact that Herbert Asquith was at the time both Prime Minister and alcoholic, prohibition might very well have been passed. Lord Kitchener refused to allow soldiers to be equipped with prophylactics lest they be encouraged to fornicate, thus allowing venereal disease to run rampant. There seemed to have been a frustrated feeling that Britain would not deserve victory if their morals were not repaired.

London in the Great War was a crossing-place for soldiers and White conjures up convincingly a city abuzz with the activity of war. There was practically universal employment and White notes the irony that the rise in earnings led to an improvement in living conditions which led to an increased life expectancy - as long as one was not in France of course. There were widespread fears however about the new freedoms afforded to women. Hysteria broke out and then abruptly died again over women drinkers, believing that without their husbands to supervise them, women were in danger of running wild. Additionally, with a shortage of men to form an effective police force, some women seemed to be becoming rather too big for their boots. They were taking on jobs that had previously only ever been done by men. Furthermore, the suffragettes had been the national enemy but now they appeared to have put their cause aside to assist in the war effort. Troops of them patrolled the streets as a kind of unofficial police force, shining their torches upon any people they suspected of being up to no good.

As in World War Two, there was a rise in prostitution although White points out these were often just young girls 'out on a lark' and indeed it was the 'amateur prostitutes' who caused all the trouble. 'Harlot-haunted' London was a dangerous place, there were innumerable instances of young soldiers being lured to secluded corners by pretty girls and then robbed of all their money. The Canadian and Anzac soldiers seem to have been particularly vulnerable and White regretfully lists the names of several who met their end not on a field in Flanders but rather under Waterloo Bridge. The epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases amongst the military was such a problem that a law was passed making it an offence to infect a soldier with venereal disease. Women were detained if they were suspected of carrying disease and forced to undergo physical examinations. More disturbingly, several men who murdered their wives upon being told that they had contracted an infection were not punished for the crime. There was a certain sense of 'all bets being off' and that normal rules did not apply - society's strictures were unbuttoning.

White has written a number of books on London's history and he clearly wears the mantle of authority on the subject. White's voice as author breaks through with a surprising frequency, expressing his personal disapproval over the way that London treated its 'alien' population during the conflict and indeed its own young men who were not yet in uniform. There were moments during the book when the tone appeared reminiscent of Lady Bracknell; understandably after all of his research, White takes a very proprietorial tone over his city, he has obvious passion for the place but he is not afraid to take it to task when it falls short of the standards he expects.

He is briskly mocking of the countless 'flag days' and socialite fund-raisers for the Front, quietly denouncing the useless upper classes whilst also taking the time to note those who really did open up their homes and their wallets to wounded servicemen. Those who handed out white feathers were 'a nuisance' and he is ready to highlight the many instances of pointless public hysteria. White tuts at the rules of DORA (Defence of the Real Act) which made it an offence to whistle in the street, lest one disturb a convalescing soldier. Zeppelin Nights may describe London a century ago but it feels hugely topical in its description of a tabloid-driven society, poisoned with the words of The Daily Mail, fuelled by the fears of the Enemy getting in. Even the politicians who played on the city's nationalistic sensibilities bear an alarming resemblance to certain far-right group which already receives far more press coverage than it deserves. White's London is not so very far removed from our own.

There were so many stories of tragedy in this book - of particular poignancy was the story of Barbara and Captain Jack Wootton. They were newly-weds whose honeymoon had been postponed due to him being called to France. They had one single night together in a hotel near Victoria Station before he departed. Five weeks later Barbara received a telegram telling her that he had died of his wounds in the Somme, 'in due course his blood-stained kit was punctiliously returned to me.' White's book is a true piece of art, capturing London's feat of survival in broad strokes that give us a perspective on the city as a whole, but then also he provides these stunning moments of detail which help us to imagine the daily lives of these brave people who lived through this awful, harrowing conflict. The London we have now is the one shaped by these events and White's wonderful book illustrates exactly how it came to be.

For my full review: http://girlwithherheadinabook.blogspo...

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's nothing new here for the Great War aficionado, but it's a highly readable and informative account of life in London during the war.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Englantilaisen professorin Jerry Whiten "Zeppelin Nights: London in the First World War" (Vintage, 2015) tarttui aikanaan kirjakaupasta mukaan kiinnostavan aiheensa takia (tykkään kovasti Lontoosta ja olen kiinnostunut sen historiasta), mutta kieltämättä myös kirjan nimi oli mielestäni aika komea (olkoonkin, että se on lainattu Violet Huntilta ja Ford Madox Fordilta, joka muuten tuli vaihtaneeksi nimensä vähemmän saksalaiseksi juuri ensimmäisen maailmansodan alettua).

Ja eipä sisällössäkään ollut moittimista. Saksalaisiin siirtolaisiin kohdistuneet vainot, belgialaiset pakolaiset, kaikenlaisen puritanismin nousu, naisten kasvanut rooli työelämässä, pianokauppiaiden menestyminen (!), yölliset ilmahyökkäykset ilmalaivoineen ja pommikoneineen ja köyhimmän kansanosan elintason nousu olivat vain muutamia teemoja monipuolisessa ja kiinnostavassa katsauksessa.

[Les · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothwithstanding the recent terrorist outrages in the capital, when we tend to think of London under attack, it is still the Second World War blitz that tends to come to mind. But London was attacked from the air twenty five years earlier, first by Zeppelins, then by early types of bomber aircraft. This is the story told by Jerry White along with the numerous other ways that the First World War impacted on Londpn. It is as much a social history as a military one. I found White's style slightly academic (which is what he is) and I would have liked some breaks in the long blocks of text in each chapter. But those are just my readings preferances. This book tells a fascinating story overall.

[Shane Goodyear · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about London during the great war. It explains the social changes brought upon London by the velocity and Impact of world War one one of the surprising changes to London during the war was the complete elimination of absolute poverty. This was due to low skilled labour Being more expensive as low skilled labour was in short supply as many men went to the trenches the growth of the trade unions and the growth of the state and the growth of the labour party also had a part to play in the elimination of absolute poverty during the Great War

[Jill Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This year - 2014 - is the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Great War. Many excellent histories have been published in the past few years, and one of the best is British historian Jerry White's book, "Zeppelin Nights", which focuses on London during the war years. Professor White teaches at Birbeck College at the University of London. He is the author of three previous histories of London and its people.

The Great War is best looked at in smaller, more manageable portions than in its entirety. In examining London and the part its citizens played in the war effort, Jerry White has captured how most Britons carried on during the war. London was a microcosm of English society at large. It was an incredibly cosmopolitan city; immigrants from all over Europe and the British colonies made the population very diverse. In particular, Germans and Austrians were over-employed in the restaurants and hotels. When war was declared in August, 1914, those German and Austrian residents - called "aliens" - were sent back to their native countries and the service industries suffered. Restaurants and hotels lost their staffs. This was just one way that residents and businesses began to "make do". Not only were service industries affected by the "aliens" leaving, businesses lost British male employees who had signed up for military service. Houses lost staff when former ladies maids went off to do "war work". Women began taking the places in factories, stores, and transportation, which caused problems when these same men returned home in 1918 and 1919.

But how many Londoners who had marched gaily off to war in 1914 actually returned at war's end? How many soldiers were either killed or badly injured? The population of soldiers - both officers and men - was a fairly large percentage of the male population of London. White examines the London "home front", where hospitals were filled with wounded soldiers from the fighting in France. How did people "make-do" when food was rationed, the German zeppelins were bombing the city, and loved ones were dying both in the streets and on the battlefields? Using primary sources like diaries and interviews transcribed both during the war and soon after, Jerry White has written a lively history of both a city and its people. This was a tough four year period, which ended both in victory for the Allies but also in the calamitous Spanish flu epidemic. It's a great history book.

[E.M. Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

When one thinks of London and war, one inevitably thinks of the Blitz. But acclaimed London historian Jerry White has written an account of London in the First World War. It is a fascinating account and all the more so for being a less well-known history.

White explores the impact of the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) on Londoners, with highly amusing anecdotes such as the investigation into ‘Tippling Among Women.’ Morally lax theatres were also the bane of the establishment: the Lord Chamberlain was charged by the King himself to investigate a picture of a scantily-clad music hall performer in an illustrated paper.

Women came under further attack due to their perceived loose sexual conduct. Arthur Conan-Doyle described the city as ‘harlot-haunted’, a view not shared by Sylvia Pankhurst. Pankhurst’s account of the sights she witnessed reads far more credibly and charitably. Dancing was of course condemned too, as ‘enjoying the war’. Interestingly, the first female police officers began to appear on the streets at time.

While these aspects of social history are absorbing as well as at times highly entertaining, White also unflinchingly explores the harshest realities of the war. London with its many hospitals treated thousands of injured, maimed and disfigured men who arrived in daily waves. Children heard the names of the dead at their school assemblies and lists appeared in every town hall.

And of course, it wasn’t just soldiers. Civilians also died in the terrible Zeppelin incendiary raids. On 31 May 1915, Elsie Leggatt, not even four, was the first to lose her life. Her sister May died from her burns a few days later.

No wonder Londoners sought consolation where they could. Recommended.

Note: I received a free review copy of this book via the Historical Novel Society. This review (or an edited version) has appeared in the Historical Novels Review. My review is my independent opinion.

[MargCal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished reading: Zeppelin Nights: London in the First World War / Jerry White 25 July 2015

ISBN: 9780099556046

What a fascinating book! This book gives some idea of what life was like for individuals and local communities in London during the Great War. Every page contains information and insights to which most are likely to exclaim, “Who knew?”
At the outbreak of war, many, many volunteers from the lower and lowest classes were rejected because of their poor health and fitness status: they lacked food and all other amenities taken for granted to ensure good health by those who earn a living wage.
The absolute poverty in which so many were living at the outbreak of war was all but wiped out by war's end: the shortage of labour meant all had jobs and it was necessary to pay a living wage to stop people going to work elsewhere.
The British are famed for orderly queueing: it was introduced formally to combat the scramble to get on the few buses available at the end of the working day.
The actual Zeppelin (and plane) raids are described: not as many casualties as I had imagined in the physical sense but anxiety-inducing to everyone.
And of course, the unimaginable grief of so many dead and wounded, so much so that people became numb through war weariness.
On it goes with quotes from diaries, reports, newspapers. It is informative but personal at the same time.

Highly recommended.

[Liam Guilar · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an odd book, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It's full of fascinating information and odd bits of trivia and it shows how the war cracked the British class system and its pre war culture. It's still difficult to believe just how stratified the country was before the war, how distust of the working class could be carried so far that it was considered inadvisable to have air raid warnings in case Londoners panicked or 'bunked off work'. Nor is it easy to imagine the prudish response and the respressive measures taken to ensure the erasure of fun. At times the book reads like a spooky draft of 1984.
But while the book is fascinating, it reads more as chronicle than history. It details price rises, and bombing raids, and draws extensively on contemporary accounts. But it never gets beyond the chronicling of events. For example, while the raids of Zeppelins and Gothas and GIants are listed with dates and bombs dropped and people killed (sometimes named) and damage done, there's no investigation of what was being done to stop the raids. The result is the impression is that either the Governemnt were too stupid or too uncaring to worry, or half the story isn't being told.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having recently read two fabulous books marketed for children which feature zeppelins ([Vango] and [Shadow of the Zeppelin]) I wanted more background reading on Zeppelins so I turned to this history of London during the First World War. Actually Zeppelins don't feature that much, but it is a fascinating read ranging from the impact on women's employment to the city's physical health, the pressures of housing, the fashion for dancing and pianos. One particularly eye opening aspect of it all was the enormous role still played by "concern" about "morality" 100 years ago.

As ever with adult nonfiction I wish there had been more illustrations (or in this case, photos).

However, I've always loved London the city, and I love it more knowing more about this part of its history.

[Jane Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the things which motivated me to read this book was the fact that my mother, born in London in 1908, lived through the war there. It was fascinating to discover what she would have experienced. The book covers all sorts of details which we don't normally hear about, and with occasional lapses into bad grammar it's a very interesting read.

[Nick Pengelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly researched; beautifully written. I knew there'd been Zeppelin and bomber raids on London during WWI, but not the extent of them, or details of the authorities inability to do anything much about them.

[Stephen King · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an accessible and well researched account of London's experience of the First World War.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is more of a social history than an account of the use of Zeppelins in WWI.

A bit of an odd book – interesting in places but it wasn’t as engaging as it could have been.