What do you think?
Rate this book
London 1945: Life in the Debris of War
London at the outset of war in 1939 was the greatest city in the world, the heart of the British Empire. By 1945, it was a drab and exhausted city, beginning the long haul back to recovery.
The defiant capital had always been Hitler's prime target. The last months of the war saw the final phase of the battle of London as the enemy unleashed its new vengeance weapons, the flying bombs and rockets. They were terrifying and brought destruction on a vast scale, but fortunately came too late to dent morale seriously.
The people of London were showing the spirit, courage, and resilience that had earned them the admiration of the world during a long siege. In the harshest winter of fifty years, they were living in primitive conditions. Thousands were homeless, living in the Underground and deep shelters. Women lined up for horse meat and were lucky to obtain one egg a month. They besieged emergency coal dumps. Everyone longed for peace.
The bright new world seemed elusive. As the victory celebrations passed into memory, there were severe hardships 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.
Yet London's loss has often been its opportunity. Its people had eagerly embraced plans for a modern metropolis and an end to poverty. They voted overwhelmingly for a Labour government and the new, fairer social order that was their reward for all they had endured.
The year of victory, 1945, represents an important chapter in London's---and Britain's---long history. Acclaimed historian Maureen Waller draws on a rich array of primary sources, letting the people tell their own story, to re-create that moment, bringing to it the social insight at which she excels.
The defiant capital had always been Hitler's prime target. The last months of the war saw the final phase of the battle of London as the enemy unleashed its new vengeance weapons, the flying bombs and rockets. They were terrifying and brought destruction on a vast scale, but fortunately came too late to dent morale seriously.
The people of London were showing the spirit, courage, and resilience that had earned them the admiration of the world during a long siege. In the harshest winter of fifty years, they were living in primitive conditions. Thousands were homeless, living in the Underground and deep shelters. Women lined up for horse meat and were lucky to obtain one egg a month. They besieged emergency coal dumps. Everyone longed for peace.
The bright new world seemed elusive. As the victory celebrations passed into memory, there were severe hardships 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.
Yet London's loss has often been its opportunity. Its people had eagerly embraced plans for a modern metropolis and an end to poverty. They voted overwhelmingly for a Labour government and the new, fairer social order that was their reward for all they had endured.
The year of victory, 1945, represents an important chapter in London's---and Britain's---long history. Acclaimed historian Maureen Waller draws on a rich array of primary sources, letting the people tell their own story, to re-create that moment, bringing to it the social insight at which she excels.
511 pages, Hardcover
First published April 26, 2004
18 people are currently reading
609 people want to read
About the author
Maureen Waller
11 books23 followersMaureen 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. Her first book was the highly acclaimed 1700: Scenes from London Life. She currently lives in London with her husband, who is a journalist and author.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
April 26, 2016
A really fascinating social history of London during World War II and the period just afterwards, concentrating on social, economic and political aspects , and with especial emphasis on the individual stories of the real men, women and children who lived in the city at this time. The author gives us a window into how the people of London survived the rockets and bombs falling on the city in the last year of the war, and the tragic casualties and fatalities, which included babies and children., how the British government directed and managed life in Britain at the time, life in the shelters , the gruelling food shortages and strict rationing, it is heartbreaking to read of childhood malnourishment as a result of this.
How dressing shabby during World War II became fashionable for this period, crime in the city, including pilfering by desperate mothers who just wanted for their families to survive, the plight of children and teenagers in the city , how they coped, some teens because of anxiety and lack of parental guidance took to crime and young girls to promiscuity.
The brief rejoicing at the victory over Nazi Germany is discussed , and it is great to read of the dancing in the street and bonfires with giant effagies of Hitler being built. and how families and women were affected by the return of their soldier husbands is explored here.
I have wondered in the past why, after his glorious leadership of the British people during the Second World War and his guiding them in the struggle to victory over the Nazi evil, Churchill was actually voted out of power. This book explains how after the suffering, sacrifices and deprivations of the war , the people now rightly wanted an improvement in their living standards and something done about the dire poverty and shortages. Churchill had no good plans in this regard and nothing substantial to offer. But the Labour Party under Clement Atlee , had a detailed programme which included higher wages and better working conditions for workers, the beginning of the national health service, safety nets for the unemployed. The British working classes had suffered from social injustices for centuries and this was their due, no reasonable person can deny.
This is essential reading for those interested in the social history of Britain during World War II
Merged review:
A really fascinating social history of London during World War II and the period just afterwards, concentrating on social, economic and political aspects , and with especial emphasis on the individual stories of the real men, women and children who lived in the city at this time. The author gives us a window into how the people of London survived the rockets and bombs falling on the city in the last year of the war, and the tragic casualties and fatalities, which included babies and children., how the British government directed and managed life in Britain at the time, life in the shelters , the gruelling food shortages and strict rationing, it is heartbreaking to read of childhood malnourishment as a result of this.
How dressing shabby during World War II became fashionable for this period, crime in the city, including pilfering by desperate mothers who just wanted for their families to survive, the plight of children and teenagers in the city , how they coped, some teens because of anxiety and lack of parental guidance took to crime and young girls to promiscuity.
The brief rejoicing at the victory over Nazi Germany is discussed , and it is great to read of the dancing in the street and bonfires with giant effagies of Hitler being built. and how families and women were affected by the return of their soldier husbands is explored here.
I have wondered in the past why, after his glorious leadership of the British people during the Second World War and his guiding them in the struggle to victory over the Nazi evil, Churchill was actually voted out of power. This book explains how after the suffering, sacrifices and deprivations of the war , the people now rightly wanted an improvement in their living standards and something done about the dire poverty and shortages. Churchill had no good plans in this regard and nothing substantial to offer. But the Labour Party under Clement Atlee , had a detailed programme which included higher wages and better working conditions for workers, the beginning of the national health service, safety nets for the unemployed. The British working classes had suffered from social injustices for centuries and this was their due, no reasonable person can deny.
This is essential reading for those interested in the social history of Britain during World War II a,d a good companion to another guide to social history in Britain over a wider period The Likes of Us: A Biography of the White Working Class
How dressing shabby during World War II became fashionable for this period, crime in the city, including pilfering by desperate mothers who just wanted for their families to survive, the plight of children and teenagers in the city , how they coped, some teens because of anxiety and lack of parental guidance took to crime and young girls to promiscuity.
The brief rejoicing at the victory over Nazi Germany is discussed , and it is great to read of the dancing in the street and bonfires with giant effagies of Hitler being built. and how families and women were affected by the return of their soldier husbands is explored here.
I have wondered in the past why, after his glorious leadership of the British people during the Second World War and his guiding them in the struggle to victory over the Nazi evil, Churchill was actually voted out of power. This book explains how after the suffering, sacrifices and deprivations of the war , the people now rightly wanted an improvement in their living standards and something done about the dire poverty and shortages. Churchill had no good plans in this regard and nothing substantial to offer. But the Labour Party under Clement Atlee , had a detailed programme which included higher wages and better working conditions for workers, the beginning of the national health service, safety nets for the unemployed. The British working classes had suffered from social injustices for centuries and this was their due, no reasonable person can deny.
This is essential reading for those interested in the social history of Britain during World War II
Merged review:
A really fascinating social history of London during World War II and the period just afterwards, concentrating on social, economic and political aspects , and with especial emphasis on the individual stories of the real men, women and children who lived in the city at this time. The author gives us a window into how the people of London survived the rockets and bombs falling on the city in the last year of the war, and the tragic casualties and fatalities, which included babies and children., how the British government directed and managed life in Britain at the time, life in the shelters , the gruelling food shortages and strict rationing, it is heartbreaking to read of childhood malnourishment as a result of this.
How dressing shabby during World War II became fashionable for this period, crime in the city, including pilfering by desperate mothers who just wanted for their families to survive, the plight of children and teenagers in the city , how they coped, some teens because of anxiety and lack of parental guidance took to crime and young girls to promiscuity.
The brief rejoicing at the victory over Nazi Germany is discussed , and it is great to read of the dancing in the street and bonfires with giant effagies of Hitler being built. and how families and women were affected by the return of their soldier husbands is explored here.
I have wondered in the past why, after his glorious leadership of the British people during the Second World War and his guiding them in the struggle to victory over the Nazi evil, Churchill was actually voted out of power. This book explains how after the suffering, sacrifices and deprivations of the war , the people now rightly wanted an improvement in their living standards and something done about the dire poverty and shortages. Churchill had no good plans in this regard and nothing substantial to offer. But the Labour Party under Clement Atlee , had a detailed programme which included higher wages and better working conditions for workers, the beginning of the national health service, safety nets for the unemployed. The British working classes had suffered from social injustices for centuries and this was their due, no reasonable person can deny.
This is essential reading for those interested in the social history of Britain during World War II a,d a good companion to another guide to social history in Britain over a wider period The Likes of Us: A Biography of the White Working Class
February 19, 2015
One of the things I love most about London is the shabbiness. Yes we have the beauty of St Pauls and Tower Bridge and so on, but you don’t have to walk far from St Pauls or Tower Bridge to end up in some grotty and unlovely part of Barbican or Bermondsey. I like how the grand and the grotty sit side by side, that unlike Paris (which feels like a museum) London has a distinctly lived in and worn feel. Yes, London can be seen and enjoyed in some riverside bar on the South Bank, but it’s also there in the fish and chip paper blown around on the street in Hackney.
It‘s virtually impossible to think of a more shabby time for London than 1945. The country had been at war for more than half a decade, although the end was in sight it still seemed a long time in coming, and now Hitler was dropping V2s on the populous. There was death and destruction on the streets, houses were destroyed, women were careworn, fathers were largely away – and yet a strong spirit of community and humour remain. Most people ware just grumbling about the government, and looking forward to a time when they could grumble without a war in the background.
Maureen Waller’s book is sharp and effective social history. Each chapter examines a different aspect – so making do with rationing, attitudes to the government, dealing with children and so on. I particularly enjoyed the chapter devoted to crime (which no doubt says a lot about me), that really captures the plight of the victims but also shows how easy it was to just end up on the wrong side of the law. While the penultimate chapter concerning how hard it was for soldiers who had experienced so much to return to their equally changed wives and children was actually heartbreaking.
Okay, perhaps the prose is a little dry at times, but this is a fascinating slice of history for anyone who loves London.
It‘s virtually impossible to think of a more shabby time for London than 1945. The country had been at war for more than half a decade, although the end was in sight it still seemed a long time in coming, and now Hitler was dropping V2s on the populous. There was death and destruction on the streets, houses were destroyed, women were careworn, fathers were largely away – and yet a strong spirit of community and humour remain. Most people ware just grumbling about the government, and looking forward to a time when they could grumble without a war in the background.
Maureen Waller’s book is sharp and effective social history. Each chapter examines a different aspect – so making do with rationing, attitudes to the government, dealing with children and so on. I particularly enjoyed the chapter devoted to crime (which no doubt says a lot about me), that really captures the plight of the victims but also shows how easy it was to just end up on the wrong side of the law. While the penultimate chapter concerning how hard it was for soldiers who had experienced so much to return to their equally changed wives and children was actually heartbreaking.
Okay, perhaps the prose is a little dry at times, but this is a fascinating slice of history for anyone who loves London.
October 2, 2009
This is one of the periods of history that fascinates me, and I've read a good deal of fiction and non-fiction about the period. This has its value, but is also sadly flawed.
There was a lot of good, solid, really interesting stuff here. Anecdotal quotes were well chosen, but her prose is uneven, and chapters skip back and forth in time in a way that can confuse the reader.
If you're going to chose Dorothy Sayers as the one popular author you mention, it might be worth it to be aware of the fact that she had STOPPED writing detective fiction well before the war began. And if you're going to mention Sayers, you should be aware of and perhaps quote from her "Wimsey Papers". They are relevant to a lot of the topics looked at in this book, and a lot of what Ms Waller discusses I knew about because I have read them.
Oh, and saying something to the tune of "Americans brought guns because they were used to a gun culture" makes it sound like the U.S. in 1941 looked like the Wild West or the Star Trek episode "A Piece of the Action". Sorry, Ms Waller, but most Americans of the time did NOT go around with handguns in their pockets--or strapped to their waists in holsters!!
And for someone in 2009 to write such a thing--especially someone who claims to be any sort of historian-- is damned ignorant.
There was a lot of good, solid, really interesting stuff here. Anecdotal quotes were well chosen, but her prose is uneven, and chapters skip back and forth in time in a way that can confuse the reader.
If you're going to chose Dorothy Sayers as the one popular author you mention, it might be worth it to be aware of the fact that she had STOPPED writing detective fiction well before the war began. And if you're going to mention Sayers, you should be aware of and perhaps quote from her "Wimsey Papers". They are relevant to a lot of the topics looked at in this book, and a lot of what Ms Waller discusses I knew about because I have read them.
Oh, and saying something to the tune of "Americans brought guns because they were used to a gun culture" makes it sound like the U.S. in 1941 looked like the Wild West or the Star Trek episode "A Piece of the Action". Sorry, Ms Waller, but most Americans of the time did NOT go around with handguns in their pockets--or strapped to their waists in holsters!!
And for someone in 2009 to write such a thing--especially someone who claims to be any sort of historian-- is damned ignorant.
May 12, 2020
This was a rather enjoyable book. But there was also some irony behind its reading as well, since the world is in the midst of the COVID-19 virus.
The chapters that stood out to me the most were about food and making due with what you have.
I would have liked to have seen a chapter of what religious life was like during 1945. There were only brief mentions of it here and there.
A major stand out of this book was the picture on page 87. Read the book to find out why.
The chapters that stood out to me the most were about food and making due with what you have.
I would have liked to have seen a chapter of what religious life was like during 1945. There were only brief mentions of it here and there.
A major stand out of this book was the picture on page 87. Read the book to find out why.
July 31, 2013
I am grateful this book was in the new books section at the Lewis and Clark library and caught my eye. The very detailed description of the debris of WWII in London gave me pause, enlightening me about the human aspect of the before, during, and post war damage in Britain.
This is a book for historians, genealogists and those who want to learn more about the greater world history.
This is a book for historians, genealogists and those who want to learn more about the greater world history.
July 23, 2025
I went back and forth on this monumental volume, as I was hoping for an immediate post-war snapshot of life in London. I did get it...to an extent, but the opening half of the book could have been a general look at life in wartime London, V1s and V2s excepted. I felt a bit cheated on that front, and only the enormous amount of first rate scholarship kept me going. It was all worth it in the end, but I wish this had been given a more stringent & iron-fisted edit.
August 16, 2022
4,25 stars - English Ebook
Review follows later.
Review follows later.
June 22, 2008
I've got a different edition from the one pictured here. The photograph used shows Londoners celebrating VE Day in May 1945, a time of celebration because five years of deprivation and massive destruction had come to an end.
It was a time of release, and maybe the photograph was taken on the day I was conceived. I was born on February 13th 1946, nine months later. It's nice to think that my existence is the result of a happy passion.
The book is about the transition between war and peace; quite clearly it is the peace which has been hardest to bear. Women, who'd remained behind as their husbands and brothers went off to fight in foreign lands, worked in the munitions factories, produced the food and materials and other essentials, and for the first time in British history, as well as assuming full responsibility for managing the home, gained an unheard of degree of independence.
This was to end when peace came.
It took at least twenty years to pay off the war debt (to the USA), rationing existed for a good number of years into my memory bank, and the communal spirit gradually died.
It is clear though that I benefitted from the war. The coalition government of the war years, through necessity, brought an immense degree of social control into the population's lives. It was the war effort which enabled the National Health Service, inaugurated in 1948, and the 1944 Education Act.
Subsidised health services, including free vitamins, milk and, yeuk, cod liver oil, have me a head start in life, and my eduction through to university was largely free, although my parents contributed according to their means.
All parents are expected to make sacrifices for their children. This book is the story of my parents' generation.
With age comes reflection, and this immensely detailed book is, therefore, timely and any of my readers wishing to know more about where Jakartass comes from would do well to read it.
It was a time of release, and maybe the photograph was taken on the day I was conceived. I was born on February 13th 1946, nine months later. It's nice to think that my existence is the result of a happy passion.
The book is about the transition between war and peace; quite clearly it is the peace which has been hardest to bear. Women, who'd remained behind as their husbands and brothers went off to fight in foreign lands, worked in the munitions factories, produced the food and materials and other essentials, and for the first time in British history, as well as assuming full responsibility for managing the home, gained an unheard of degree of independence.
This was to end when peace came.
It took at least twenty years to pay off the war debt (to the USA), rationing existed for a good number of years into my memory bank, and the communal spirit gradually died.
It is clear though that I benefitted from the war. The coalition government of the war years, through necessity, brought an immense degree of social control into the population's lives. It was the war effort which enabled the National Health Service, inaugurated in 1948, and the 1944 Education Act.
Subsidised health services, including free vitamins, milk and, yeuk, cod liver oil, have me a head start in life, and my eduction through to university was largely free, although my parents contributed according to their means.
All parents are expected to make sacrifices for their children. This book is the story of my parents' generation.
With age comes reflection, and this immensely detailed book is, therefore, timely and any of my readers wishing to know more about where Jakartass comes from would do well to read it.
September 1, 2014
Interesting study on the history of London during the war. Some of the book was quite dry, but that was to be expected. I enjoyed learning more about London and the effects of war on its population.
I did enjoy this book, but it took a lot longer for me to read than expected. If you are interested in history, this is a book for you.
I did enjoy this book, but it took a lot longer for me to read than expected. If you are interested in history, this is a book for you.
June 21, 2022
This is a really good book on the subject matter. It's dense so it will take some time to go through. We all know the high level details but the low level day to day aspect is something which is more difficult to get accross. This gives a good snapshot of the late war/early peace period of London.
I particularlly like the information about the sheer destruction to the housing stock & trying to manage that. The chapters about how the effects on V1 & V2 had on daily life.
The social aspect of trying to reunite families post war were somewhat depressing but informative.
Would I recommend? - Yes.
Would I reread? - No. However it is something I could see myself dipping back into on a chapter basis.
I particularlly like the information about the sheer destruction to the housing stock & trying to manage that. The chapters about how the effects on V1 & V2 had on daily life.
The social aspect of trying to reunite families post war were somewhat depressing but informative.
Would I recommend? - Yes.
Would I reread? - No. However it is something I could see myself dipping back into on a chapter basis.
February 23, 2025
Absolutely brilliant book. You really get a feel for what life was like. I was engrossed from the very start. I just couldn't put this book down. The book is extremely well written and flows so well. I actually connected that well that it almost felt like I was there. I definitely recommend reading this amazing book. I'm so glad that I found it on libby. Many thanks to the author and publishers for bringing us this wonderful book.
August 5, 2021
Great book about London during the last year of WW2 and the months after VE Day.
November 18, 2025
you really learn a lot about how they lived in London at that time
December 28, 2013
This was a fascinating study of life in London at the end of WWII. I learned a lot and enjoyed reading it...but Waller is just not a particularly good writer. There was too much tedious detail, such as a list of exactly which areas in London were patrolled by specific watch groups. In many places it read like a grocery list. There were many interesting anecdotes but they seemed to be just tossed into the writing without really "belonging" to the story. Waller did a great deal of research that was enlightening - who but the British would have created committees to check bombed-out buildings for unused ration books, for instance? The US could learn as lot about disaster relief/preparedness farm the VERY organized British! Those things were interesting to read, but there were too many pages that were written in bland, stupefying prose. It would also have been good if the monetary amounts mentioned had been translated into American dollars..it's hard to understand how difficult shopping is when the prices are given in £ or s or d...whatever those amounts are!
July 14, 2016
I am a history buff and particularly fond of micro-histories that concentrate on a particular time or particular event. Some of the better ones I have read focus on one year and this is such a book, as will be obvious from the title.
1945 was obviously an important year for the World, but perhaps especially for London having endured some frontline bombing during the preceding 5 years and seeing the war coming to an end. However the city was dealing with the Vengeance weapons (V1 and V2) and this forms the early narrative on the book. However these histories are interesting from their human interest point of view and this is woven in the tapestry of the text.
The feelings of the populace are covered from the anxieties and weariness of war to the celebrations at VE day (all too brief) and then the demob and reconstruction phases and the surprise election of a Labour government immediately following the war's end.
Very interesting and well written, really puts you back there and I enjoyed this history of my home city very much.
1945 was obviously an important year for the World, but perhaps especially for London having endured some frontline bombing during the preceding 5 years and seeing the war coming to an end. However the city was dealing with the Vengeance weapons (V1 and V2) and this forms the early narrative on the book. However these histories are interesting from their human interest point of view and this is woven in the tapestry of the text.
The feelings of the populace are covered from the anxieties and weariness of war to the celebrations at VE day (all too brief) and then the demob and reconstruction phases and the surprise election of a Labour government immediately following the war's end.
Very interesting and well written, really puts you back there and I enjoyed this history of my home city very much.
May 4, 2010
Resuming reading today...excellent writing...
Compelling, comprehensive survey of the totality of war on every aspect of life in London and Great Britain. Writing with great insight, Waller conveys the sufferings of the British people through her distillation of an amazing mass of data and little known factual information and portrays a population, terrified, but somehow carrying on through six long years war and several more years of deprivation of the basic needs of food, shelter and clothing.
One of the more interesting projects to which she refers throughout the book is the Mass Observation Project, which among other methods, provided diaries to people of all walks of life then were collected and analyzed. Nella Last, one of those diarists, published hers years later, THe Wartime Diary of Nella Last. Eventually made into a movie, Housewife 21 (I think that's the correct title), which is available on Netflix. Made for interesting comparative reading.
Compelling, comprehensive survey of the totality of war on every aspect of life in London and Great Britain. Writing with great insight, Waller conveys the sufferings of the British people through her distillation of an amazing mass of data and little known factual information and portrays a population, terrified, but somehow carrying on through six long years war and several more years of deprivation of the basic needs of food, shelter and clothing.
One of the more interesting projects to which she refers throughout the book is the Mass Observation Project, which among other methods, provided diaries to people of all walks of life then were collected and analyzed. Nella Last, one of those diarists, published hers years later, THe Wartime Diary of Nella Last. Eventually made into a movie, Housewife 21 (I think that's the correct title), which is available on Netflix. Made for interesting comparative reading.
Want to read
September 15, 2013Very well written and revelatory (to me) of how destructive the V-1 (what the Londoners called "Doodlebugs") and the V-2 weapons (launched up to April 1945) were. I simply had no idea how bad it was, and this book painted that picture for me. I liked the other chapters -- food, housing crime, etc. -- as well, although they exhibited a bit too much of the "index-card syndrome" for me; .e. get your stories, facts, anecdotes, quotes on individual cards, order them, and then write the chapter from them. Harder than that, of course, but after awhile the endless examples etc in quick serial fashion gets tired. I was happy to see the chapter on the 1945 general election when Churchill was badly beaten by Attlee. Always wondered what happened; but the British decided that while Churchill was a great war leader, on running the country in peacetime when many, many problems had to be dealt with, not so much.
April 4, 2016
Wow,I was totally blown away reading what it was like for England during WW II! I appreciate so much,how 'in-depth' this book is in showing the horror of what the British went through. Having to evacuate their children to keep them safe.Trying to live with everything rationed. Even what it was like when huge numbers of the American and other allied G.I.s were stationed in England. Can't think of anything the author didn't cover.
(My Air Force father was stationed in England from 1954-57 several years after the war when I was a child,and I never had any idea how much damage there had been or what England went through! Wish I could go visit again today).
The last two chapters are really eye-opening and a testament to the insanity and inhumanity of war regardless of how 'justified' or 'self-righteous' a country feels they are in engaging in it. Their soldiers(I'm sure on every side) and the soldier's families lose more than is ever worth it!
(My Air Force father was stationed in England from 1954-57 several years after the war when I was a child,and I never had any idea how much damage there had been or what England went through! Wish I could go visit again today).
The last two chapters are really eye-opening and a testament to the insanity and inhumanity of war regardless of how 'justified' or 'self-righteous' a country feels they are in engaging in it. Their soldiers(I'm sure on every side) and the soldier's families lose more than is ever worth it!
November 19, 2014
My interest in World War II history centers on the home front rather than on the battlefield so it was only natural that I’d be drawn to Maureen Waller’s book about life in London during that time. Although London 1945 emphasizes the final year of the war, Waller includes many facts about the harsh realities before and after the war as well.
The first half of the book highlights the determination and courage of the English people to protect their homeland. But the second half of the book points out the devastating results of the war. The upheaval of community life due to bombed out neighborhoods, absent fathers, working-for-the-war-effort mothers and closed schools led to a huge increase in juvenile delinquency and out-of-wedlock pregnancies.
I didn't know that England was bankrupted by its participation in the war and that food rationing continued on until the 1950’s. Many other hardships are detailed by Waller, making this book a treat for history buffs.
The first half of the book highlights the determination and courage of the English people to protect their homeland. But the second half of the book points out the devastating results of the war. The upheaval of community life due to bombed out neighborhoods, absent fathers, working-for-the-war-effort mothers and closed schools led to a huge increase in juvenile delinquency and out-of-wedlock pregnancies.
I didn't know that England was bankrupted by its participation in the war and that food rationing continued on until the 1950’s. Many other hardships are detailed by Waller, making this book a treat for history buffs.
February 8, 2011
Less of the detailed data about damage, injuries, bombs, rationing, looting, housing shortages, etc. than the book AUSTERITY BRITAIN, but far more readable. I was impressed by how well Maureen Waller handled this. This one will go on the WWII shelf . . . .
**later**
I am upping this a star after reading Stransky's book on the first day of the Blitz. Waller marshalled more information in a far more lucid and entertaining manner, without inserting herself into the text in the distracting way Stransky did. I feel Waller's work is of much higher quality.
**later**
I am upping this a star after reading Stransky's book on the first day of the Blitz. Waller marshalled more information in a far more lucid and entertaining manner, without inserting herself into the text in the distracting way Stransky did. I feel Waller's work is of much higher quality.
January 19, 2017
Detailed and enlightening account of life if the UK during and after the war. I was very interested to learn that the greater mixing of the urban poor with the more well-off population due to evacuations and military service helped influence the development of the welfare state, as many were previously unaware of their dire living conditions. The differences in infant mortality alone were staggering, as many women had access to proper nutrition and pre/postnatal care for the first time thanks to govt intervention.
October 24, 2013
Nothing intrigues me more, as a historian, than the in depth study of people, places, and events during WWII. As an American who is ethnically English, this book hits close to home, as my Nana gave me this as a gift - she was present in the underground train tunnels as a child during the German air raids on London in 1945. A historical tale of epic proportions, London 1945 was a pleasurable read indeed.
Brent McCulley (10/24/13)
Brent McCulley (10/24/13)
August 30, 2015
A little patchy. Some chapters excellent (the one on crime, especially); others (eg the one on the media and propaganda) not quite so good. Title presents a somewhat false prospectus as it's as much about the whole war as 1945. Opinionated too, and not always backed by evidence. A good read, but if you were to read only one book on British social history in this period, I'd recommend Juliet Gardiner's 'Wartime' instead.
November 26, 2007
I'm still obsessed with WW2 books and have just started this one. The detail is great - from the scale of the destruction of entire parts of London to the description of the moat around the Tower of London being turned into one giant vegetable patch. And I can't get the image of a person who was sliced clean in half vertically by a falling sheet of glass out of my head.
March 27, 2009
Okay, I'll admit, I gave up on this one. It was interesting for a while because I learned much more about the types of rockets used against London during the war and how Londoners tolerated/survived (or not) the attacks. But it did get tedious and I found other passtimes. Had to return it to the library unfinished.
June 6, 2014
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.
March 10, 2016
An extraordinary close up view of the effects of war. It's unbelievable the hardships that Londoners suffered. It must have taken Waller years to write the account, she included over 30 pages of references. One might consider it too detailed, but I learned a great deal and came away so impressed with the organization the government displayed and the courage of the people.
June 30, 2016
Heroic history of ordinary people
The book is full of fascinating detail about the Home Front. The State's involvement in all aspects of life was extraordinary. The complexity of what was required to deal with the complexities of war was amazing. This is an exciting saga of social history. The theme is London, but there
were many parallels elsewhere.
The book is full of fascinating detail about the Home Front. The State's involvement in all aspects of life was extraordinary. The complexity of what was required to deal with the complexities of war was amazing. This is an exciting saga of social history. The theme is London, but there
were many parallels elsewhere.
July 22, 2008
Very, very interesting. WHAT people lived thru!! I loved "the 1940s House" on PBS so this book is a great follow up on that show. It is mind-boggling all the detail the British government had to work out and manage--and all with paper files, no computers.
January 26, 2010
I finally gave up on this book. The degree of detail was too fine for it to be a good read; it felt like a book to dip into occasionally and I just couldn't sustain interest at that level of minutiae. Lots of good information, but not terribly readable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews