Our Uninvited Guests: The Secret Life of Britain's Country Houses 1939-45

by Julie Summers

'Julie Summers has an amazing instinct for unearthing good stories and telling quotes.' Craig Brown, The Mail On Sunday. 'This is an enjoyable book, peppered with examples of under-reported wartime heroism.' Robert Leigh-Pemberton, The Daily Telegraph 'It’s hard to believe that there are still untold stories about Britain and World War II, but Julie Summers has unearthed a fascinating one that she tells with great verve and style. All in all, Uninvited Guests is a sheer delight.' Lynne Olson, author of Citizens of London and Last Hope IslandA remarkable narrative set against the dark days of World War Two, from one of the country’s foremost social historians.Our Uninvited Guests perfectly captures the spirit of upheaval at the beginning of the Second World War when thousands of houses were requisitioned by the government to provide accommodation for the armed forces, secret services and government offices as well as vulnerable children, the sick and the elderly, all of whom needed to be housed safely beyond the reach of Hitler’s Luftwaffe.  Julie Summers gives the reader a behind-the-scenes glimpse of life in some of Britain’s greatest country houses that were occupied by people who would otherwise never have set foot in such opulent surroundings.Blenheim Palace was colonised by schoolboys who slept in the Long Library; Polish special agents trained in the grounds of Audley End House, learning to forge and lie their way into occupied Europe in the old nursery. Brocket Hall, former home of Queen Victoria’s favourite Lord Melbourne, was used as a maternity home for women from the East End of London, and the Rothschilds’ magnificent French chateau-inspired Waddesdon Manor housed a hundred children under five. The Northern Highlands, where the fierce warriors of Scotland’s past developed their unconventional military skills, played host to the most extreme form of warfare, training agents in the fine arts of sabotage, subterfuge and assassination.   The juxtaposition of splendour and opulence with the everyday activities of people whose needs were at odds with their new surroundings is at the heart of this book. This thought-provoking and evocative narrative captures a crucial period in the social history of Britain.Praise for Julie 'Superb…highly recommended' Who Do You Think You Are Magazine   'A remarkable collection of stories…a rich and moving book' Mail on Sunday 'Summers is a good and knowledgeable writer…powerful, emotional stuff' Independent 'A poignant, lingering account' BBC History Magazine 'A revelation – full of information, reminiscences, humour and social history. Reading it not only gave me great pleasure but also made me proud to be a member of such a long lasting, valuable and vital organisation' Helen Carey OBE, former chairman of the National

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, War

501 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 8, 2018

About the author

I was born near Liverpool and grew up first on the Wirral and then in Cheshire. Although the greater part of my childhood was spent outside pursuing any number of outdoor activities, I have always wanted to be a writer.

I am passionate about writing and unembarrassed to be so. I love researching my books, especially when they involve meeting people and finding out about their lives. I have a little study in the attic of our house with one of the best views in Oxford – the dreaming spires seen from Iffley. I write in the mornings after the children have gone to school and find the problem is not sticking to the routine but tearing myself away from writing at the end of the day. I describe myself as a biographer and historian but the most important thing for me is to be a story teller.

Reviews

[Sandy McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic, very informative and interesting read of the use of some magnificent old houses in England and Scotland during WW2.
I found myself regularly searching the internet for more information about these fabulous historic buildings.
The book is so well written and researched by Julie Summers.
As a huge fan of WW2 stories, I was riveted throughout.

[eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was rather slow, very helpful in parts but also very hard going in others! the information was very well researched and worked for academic research, but if i was reading for fun, i think i'd be bored. would prefer there to have been sectioned parts saying which houses housed which people for quick access

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly, I skimmed through a few of the less interesting (to me) chapters. Overall, though, it’s an excellent account of how large country estates were transformed in WWII and used for a variety of things—hospital, maternity home, housing for resistance fighters, even a bank. Loved the photos too.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable historical read which explores an aspect of war not really touched on before. This is the second booking have read by Julie Summers and I enjoyed it both as a historical note and as a story of unsung hero's of the war. She does however tend to ramble at times!

[Luisa Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for research and the depth of detail was impressive. Summers focuses more on the characters living or passing through the country houses discussed in the book than the houses themselves, which guarantees a level of human interest. There are many fascinating snippets and I was particularly interested in the insights into how Czech and Polish people were affected by the war and its aftermath, which was something I knew shamefully little about.
I was hoping for more information about GIs in Britain, but this was covered fairly briefly compared with some sections. However, that’s not a criticism of the level of research and the scope of any work such as this is bound to have its limits. This book will be of particular interest to anyone who wants to know more about evacuation of schools and about the SOE and similar organisations.

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each chapter of this book focuses on a different country house that was requisitioned during the Second World War; each is chosen to illustrate a different use - one is a maternity hospital, some house schools or nurseries, others convalescent homes or HQs for foreign governments and several are used as secret services training grounds. Each chapter therefore describes not just the house itself at a pivotal moment in its history but elucidates a new aspect of the war in the UK, in particular the training and auxiliary staff who did such crucial work behind the scenes. One of the most interesting for me was the couple who took in foreign agents before they were secretly flown out to France in the dead of night. Most of all I was struck by the enormous effort that went into setting up these institutions in private homes and the upheaval for families whose lives would never be the same; indeed the war brought about the destruction of many stately homes due to careless fires or simply lack of upkeep over six years, but their temporary role was yet so important that many past residents still gather together periodically to remember that time (those who survived that is; the death toll for special agents was dreadfully high).

[Alicea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores the history and uses of the country estates that were requisitioned by the British government for use during World War II. These uses ranged from training facilities for spies, invalid homes for injured servicemen, hospitals for pregnant women, and boarding facilities for children evacuated from London. Not only does it delve into the minutia of what the houses were used for but also what kinds of changes occurred to them (the houses that is). For some, they were never again used by their original owners. For others, the buildings much like the people themselves, were forever changed (or completely destroyed). The only thing missing from this book was an annotated bibliography (you know how much I love those) even though it is clear that Summers did her research. 8/10

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this insight into the role of those fighting the war from these shores. Impressed by the sacrifices and pulling together, which is contrasted today by the pantomime of Brexit and our current "leaders."
Frustrated at the lack of suitable compensation for damage. The wine cellar incident, whilst humorous on one level, demonstrates an unacceptable level of disrespect for other's property: something that is a real bugbear of mine.
I am determined to visit as many of these houses as possible.
A map of locations would have been a useful addition to the book.

[Margaret Wakeling · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and informative book. I preferred the first part as I was familiar with the houses: Brocket Hall, Waddesdon Manor, Blenheim Palace. I found their wartime use fascinating, I had had no idea. Requisition must have been extremely difficult for those concerned but somehow they managed to turn into hospitals and schools and survive. The second part of the book was not for me as it was more to do with military training, sabotage and spying and i had not visited any of the houses. I found myself skim reading but it was well researched, and well written.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many stately British homes were requisitioned during WWII, these are their stories. Country homes became orphanages, boys' schools, or maternity hospitals for those who were evacuated (or whose own buildings nearer London were requisitioned) or more directly related to the war to be used by the army or for special ops like training grounds for Freedom Fighters. One house was used as a sort of safe house for spies coming to or from France. All of the houses and their owners and staff became involved in the war effort, sometimes top secret.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, well written, chock full of details. I had known of children sent to live in safer places, and I suppose was aware of “great houses” being commandeered for various government entities. But I didn’t know anything in detail. Boarding school students were sent to various big houses. Training for agents took place in isolated manors with lots of land for training. I was also very impressed how the UK met the challenge of being at war. All the bureaux that moved into these houses, in essence kicking out the owners. The business of winning a war — the British really were amazing.

[Felicity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent reading even though it’s taken me months to read. I read other books in between, but only to have a break from the detailed narrative. These stories, of the grand estates and the organizations who took them over for the duration of the Second World War, were fascinating! The fate of so many of the buildings was tragic. The fate of all the people who passed through their doors was as varied as they were. I’m so glad I found and read this historical account which read like an great adventure novel.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very uneven. Some chapters were five stars, especially Chapter 10 Birds of Passage, where others were only three stars, such as Chapter 9 Three Lime Trees. Where the author sticks to individual’s responses she’s excellent but where she tries to cover the broader history of things like SOE the history gets confusing and she doesn’t have space to do the subject justice.

[Chris Shepheard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting insight into some selected recquisitioned houses and the characters that were involved. It's not a complete list or description of every property involved and there are undoubtedly many more fascinating tales to be unearthed.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely riveting. Due to wartime secrecy, most if not all these stories were totally unknown to me. There are stories of great heroism, interesting characters and fascinating facts, alongside the heartache of owners being forced out of their home. Engagingly written.
Highly recommended.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read

[Dr Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really unique look at WW2 and I’ve read dozens of books about it over the years. Highly recommended!

[Heather P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting

[Louise Fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply amazing !!

[Julius Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

[Christine Donoghue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this. If you liked Downton Abbey, then you can just picture how the families who owned these houses reacted to their house being used in the war effort. Some families stayed to help and others just left. The stories of the houses, show how much Britain sacrificed during the war and how much their lives changed. Very inspiring!

[Hilary Tesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps 3.5 stars? Not 4.

In her introduction, the author describes this as “a book of two halves” - the first dealing with how houses were used as havens - hospitals, schools, a bank. The second is more about the people using the properties and how that came about, often straying from the effect on the houses and more to the role in history held by the characters involved. I found those sections pretty heavy going whilst other chapters were very interesting. It’s also to be noted that in some of the houses, the guests weren’t “uninvited”

Several of the properties featured are now owned by the National Trust - at Upton House where I volunteer the war time period was explored in their Banking for Victory theme a few years ago, revealing such gems as the bank staff being required to shelter in the swimming pool pump house during air raids and the bank safe door on a room in the cellar, transported from London when the bank moved there and too heavy to remove afterwards!

[Debbie Cleaveley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting take on the home front and how war time activities affected all classes and sections of society. Fascinating hidden histories of houses which left me wanting to know much more. I’m sure that there are many other houses with similar tales to tell. Many anecdotes were touching and there were many moments of amusing bureaucratic infighting and red tape.
The only slight drawback was that the reader was invited to view minor inconveniences to the householders as being huge events. Given that many less well off families lost their entire homes and belongings, I did struggle to empathise with tales of damaged parquet floors and ornamental rose gardens !

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the fence about this one. There is no doubt that it is well written and thoroughly researched and the stories are fascinating. However I felt that the stories were more about the people in them rather than the houses themselves. E.g.i would have liked to hear more about the time at the house and people's experiences whilst at the houses rather than their whole family history, what they did in the war, what they did after the war, their relationship with General whats his name and how that section came into being. Still a good book and just makes me want you go and visit the houses.would love to see one written about the houses in World War 1