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C.S. Lewis In A Time Of War: the World War II broadcasts that riveted a nation and became the classic Mere Christianity
A behind-the-scenes look at the four remarkable BBC radio broadcasts during World War II that became Lewis’s classic Mere Christianity.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 16, 2024
This book (published in 2006) is basically C. S. Lewis at the BBC: Messages of Hope in the Darkness of War (published in 2002), with some historical information about WWII sprinkled in.
I know Phillips was a BBC historian, but we don't need this much BBC information in a book about Lewis and the war. Much more information about the BBC founding, internal politics, programs, and regulations should have been cut. There’s even a chapter about Dorothy Sayers which obviously should have been cut. I see an argument for including some BBC information, when it connects to major historical events, or major historical figures like Churchhill or de Gaulle, but it's still too much here. Almost all info in this book is a repeat of C. S. Lewis at the BBC: Messages of Hope in the Darkness of War.
Some inconsistencies that bothered me:
--On page 60, Phillips states that members of the Inklings met in Tolkien's rooms in 1939, describing this as a group that met weekly from 1930 to 1949. Then, on page 103, he again introduces the Inklings, this time as the original Inklings group, founded by Lean in 1930. And he says that the first *real* Inklings meeting took place in 1940. Why give conflicting information in two separate places? This is confusing to the average reader, and appears directly contradictory to someone who doesn't know the details--in one place you say the Inklings met in 1939, and had been meeting since 1930, but in another place you say they didn't meet for the first time until 1940? Information like this should have been collected, condensed, and clarified.
I know Phillips was a BBC historian, but we don't need this much BBC information in a book about Lewis and the war. Much more information about the BBC founding, internal politics, programs, and regulations should have been cut. There’s even a chapter about Dorothy Sayers which obviously should have been cut. I see an argument for including some BBC information, when it connects to major historical events, or major historical figures like Churchhill or de Gaulle, but it's still too much here. Almost all info in this book is a repeat of C. S. Lewis at the BBC: Messages of Hope in the Darkness of War.
Some inconsistencies that bothered me:
--On page 60, Phillips states that members of the Inklings met in Tolkien's rooms in 1939, describing this as a group that met weekly from 1930 to 1949. Then, on page 103, he again introduces the Inklings, this time as the original Inklings group, founded by Lean in 1930. And he says that the first *real* Inklings meeting took place in 1940. Why give conflicting information in two separate places? This is confusing to the average reader, and appears directly contradictory to someone who doesn't know the details--in one place you say the Inklings met in 1939, and had been meeting since 1930, but in another place you say they didn't meet for the first time until 1940? Information like this should have been collected, condensed, and clarified.
April 17, 2024
A thoughtful engagement with the BBC's archives of C.S. Lewis. Phillips' narrative is remarkably effective at nested contextualization - situating Lewis' work in the context of the BBC's religious broadcasting mission, and then situating the BBC's religious broadcasting mission in the context of the British homefront struggle. Phillips' convincingly argues the importance of Lewis' experience of broadcasting with the BBC in the development of Lewis' communication skills and the establishment of his international reputation. He also demonstrates the role that Lewis' talks played in shaping a new landscape of religious broadcasting.
November 28, 2022
This book contained a lot interesting information on the history of the BBC’s religious broadcasting department and how they were able to convince C.S. Lewis to broadcast a series of religious talks that became the book Mere Christianity. It was a long process to make these talks happen and sadly only one of the talks recording remains. It was interesting to learn about the back and forth between Lewis and his radio producers and to see the extra and unique effort that goes into making a text radio worthy.
This book shows the large impact BBC had on forwarding Lewis’s career and making him known on a much larger scale.
I liked this book for both the history and for the theological information. I want to read it again.
This book shows the large impact BBC had on forwarding Lewis’s career and making him known on a much larger scale.
I liked this book for both the history and for the theological information. I want to read it again.
April 6, 2008
So far, the book has a lot of interesting information, but the writing style is somewhat choppy. It is interesting to know how big of a role Christianity and religious programming played in the early days of the BBC; I was completely unaware of this.
October 2, 2020
Plagued by a rocky start and some odd, lengthy digressions (particularly an entire chapter dedicated to Dorothy Sayers' play The Man Born to be King). I didn't care for the first couple of chapters setting up the history of the BBC in somewhat excruciating detail. I understand why they were included, but despite the granular level of detail, it was written as if the reader were assumed to be familiar with British culture & radio personalities from mid-century. So it was sort of just a list of names and titles without a lot of context.
When it actually focused on Lewis, the book was engaging. The author spent considerable space providing crib notes on each of the talks that eventually became chapters in Mere Christianity. They weren't really necessary for someone who has read Mere Christianity itself, but late in the book, the author says his main purpose in writing was to convince readers who haven't read Lewis' masterwork to do so. That was an admirable aim, but I question whether someone who hasn't read (and perhaps has limited or no interest in reading) Mere Christianity will bother to read THIS book. It's sort of 'inside baseball'.
I enjoyed the glimpse into the inner workings of the BBC during the 2nd World War and afterwards. Bureaucracy is the same everywhere :) It's clear that Justin Phillips loved his subject and was painstaking in his research, even when sources are maddeningly few. Overall, I found it a worthwhile read, but a somewhat difficult one.
The author died after completing the manuscript, and his daughter assisted with edits and publishing. That may be why some of the chapters are a bit choppy and occasionally repetitive. However, if you're interested in C.S. Lewis, don't let that deter you. It's worth working through.
When it actually focused on Lewis, the book was engaging. The author spent considerable space providing crib notes on each of the talks that eventually became chapters in Mere Christianity. They weren't really necessary for someone who has read Mere Christianity itself, but late in the book, the author says his main purpose in writing was to convince readers who haven't read Lewis' masterwork to do so. That was an admirable aim, but I question whether someone who hasn't read (and perhaps has limited or no interest in reading) Mere Christianity will bother to read THIS book. It's sort of 'inside baseball'.
I enjoyed the glimpse into the inner workings of the BBC during the 2nd World War and afterwards. Bureaucracy is the same everywhere :) It's clear that Justin Phillips loved his subject and was painstaking in his research, even when sources are maddeningly few. Overall, I found it a worthwhile read, but a somewhat difficult one.
The author died after completing the manuscript, and his daughter assisted with edits and publishing. That may be why some of the chapters are a bit choppy and occasionally repetitive. However, if you're interested in C.S. Lewis, don't let that deter you. It's worth working through.
August 7, 2019
It would not surprise me if this book appealed to a wide readership: Radio buffs, WWII historians and Anglophiles as well as CS Lewis fans. However it would not surprise me if that same readership would give up and leave it unfinished.
A richly detailed account of the BBC, using radio to inspire and raise spiritual awareness in a listening public disheartened and jaded by a War literally brought to its doorstep, awaits in these pages. While the book mainly describes how the BBC approached Lewis, and his contribution to their efforts, the book also mentions the work other (at the time) well-known writers and producers contributed, using both chronological data and anecdotal description.
What makes this a challenging read is the winding and often non-sequential way the book is outlined. Lewis fans will find it most challenging, as the title subject doesn't happen along until Chapter six, some seventy pages into the book. Those who do "carry on" to the last pages will not be disappointed, as there are some pieces of his personal correspondence that may not be found elsewhere. Since the broadcast scripts were the basis of Mere Christianity, they are only thinly outlined here. Reading that title concurrently with this one would help readers get the best out of both.
A richly detailed account of the BBC, using radio to inspire and raise spiritual awareness in a listening public disheartened and jaded by a War literally brought to its doorstep, awaits in these pages. While the book mainly describes how the BBC approached Lewis, and his contribution to their efforts, the book also mentions the work other (at the time) well-known writers and producers contributed, using both chronological data and anecdotal description.
What makes this a challenging read is the winding and often non-sequential way the book is outlined. Lewis fans will find it most challenging, as the title subject doesn't happen along until Chapter six, some seventy pages into the book. Those who do "carry on" to the last pages will not be disappointed, as there are some pieces of his personal correspondence that may not be found elsewhere. Since the broadcast scripts were the basis of Mere Christianity, they are only thinly outlined here. Reading that title concurrently with this one would help readers get the best out of both.
July 4, 2024
Ugh what a tedious slog this turned out to be. More accurate title: “bbc correspondence archives ad nauseum plus synopses of Mere Christianity : also Lewis was there, with special guest star Dorothy Sayers.”
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January 19, 2025Fascinating and well-researched! A bit overly detailed and dull in small sections, but overall a wonderful read. I learned a lot and am now inspired to read Mere Christianity.
June 27, 2012
During World War II, while England was being pulverized by the German air force, lay Anglican and Oxford don C.S. Lewis took to the airwaves of the BBC and explained what Christianity was to his traumatized countrymen. Lewis's radio talks later turned into one of the best selling books of Christian apologetics ever written, Mere Christianity. This book tells the story of how the BBC operated during World War II, and how Lewis--for the most part, reluctantly--provided tremendous comfort and hope to his fellow countrymen during their darkest time.
It is a great sadness to me that only one of these talks was recorded for posterity. You can hear it yourself here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHxs3g...
I would have liked to listen to them all. C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite people, ever. This particular book was a bit dry; I didn't like that each chapter ended in footnotes. With that said, a fascinating story, not only about Lewis, but about the history of wartime broadcasting and the beginnings of mass religious media.
It is a great sadness to me that only one of these talks was recorded for posterity. You can hear it yourself here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHxs3g...
I would have liked to listen to them all. C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite people, ever. This particular book was a bit dry; I didn't like that each chapter ended in footnotes. With that said, a fascinating story, not only about Lewis, but about the history of wartime broadcasting and the beginnings of mass religious media.
May 16, 2009
As a writer of radio programs, I was encouraged to find that even C.S. Lewis struggled with writing for radio. My favorite quote was one where C.S. Lewis was lamenting how honest the colloquial is. You have to know your subject very well to bring it to the lay/radio level. People have no idea how hard it is to write for the ear, illustrate for the ear, in the vernacular, oh and you have to make your complicated points in3.5 minutes.
I was also inspired by the importance of radio during the WW2 era. The book is written by a journalist/historian for the BBC, and his account of the Blitz on London and how they were trying to do radio while nearby buildings were being bombed was fascinating.
I was also inspired by the importance of radio during the WW2 era. The book is written by a journalist/historian for the BBC, and his account of the Blitz on London and how they were trying to do radio while nearby buildings were being bombed was fascinating.
July 20, 2012
This was a great book about the relationship which developed between C. S. Lewis and the BBC. Within just a couple of years Lewis went from being a university don to being a nationwide and internationally known theologian. His broadcast talks for the BBC helped spread Christianity to whole new audiences and in writing the talks Lewis honed his skill as a writer. Both sides learned from each other and both sides benefited from the exchange.
September 3, 2014
I thought this book was an excellent depiction of the time period in which C.S. Lewis lived and how his involvement in broadcasting jumpstarted his work and was key to the formation of Mere Christianity. The book was entertaining and insightful and gave plenty of background into the inner workings of the BBC as well. Loved the variety of it! I recommend this in order to have a better understanding of Lewis's origins as a layman theologian.
June 23, 2014
I never realized the impact that the radio airwaves played during WW II in England. Also, the huge influence that C.S. Lewis had in spreading the truth of Christainity in terms that the everyday non-church going citizen could understand. This book also sheds much light on the character of C.S. Lewis. This book documents the way in which these broadcasts that Mr. Lewis presented on air eventually led to the book, Mere Christianity. I am very glad I read it.
November 22, 2014
Well worth the read from a historical and general communications perspective, as well as for more insight into Lewis as a person and writer. From a comms medium perspective it revived my interest in radio while also revealing how saturated we all are today with the "noise" of incessant messaging. Lewis, I think, would be appalled.
Lastly, I am now compelled to read Mere Christianity again in light of the insight I gained into its genesis.
Lastly, I am now compelled to read Mere Christianity again in light of the insight I gained into its genesis.
June 28, 2012
An interesting look into the life of C. S. Lewis, his rocky relationship with the BBC and the broadcasts that form the backbone for his classic Mere Christianity.
May 19, 2016
Revealing look at the creative process of a genius. Lingering quote: "Nothing was done in a hurry or in a slipshod way."
October 4, 2015
This book gave me a great review of Mere Christianity, and a clearer view of WWII.
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