Staring at God

by Simon Heffer

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'A brilliant history: The first serious and really wide-ranging history of the Home Front during the Great War for decades. Scholarly, objective and extremely well-written. Filled with surprising revelations and empathy. Heffer’s eye for the telling detail is evident on almost every page. A remarkable intellectual and literary achievement.' – ANDREW ROBERTS, TELEGRAPH
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A major new work of history on the profound changes in British society during the First World War

The Great War saw millions of men volunteer for or be recruited into the Army, their lives either cut short or overturned. Women were bereaved, enlisted to work in agriculture, government and engineering, yet still expected to hold together homes and families. But while the conflict caused social, economic and political devastation, it also provoked revolutionary change on the home front.

Simon Heffer uses vivid portraits to present a nuanced picture of a pivotal era. While the Great War caused loss on an appalling scale, it also advanced the emancipation of women, brought notions of better health care and education, and pointed the way to a less deferential, more democratic future.
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'Staring at God is a vast compendium of atrocious political conduct. Refreshing. A trenchant history.' – GERARD DE GROOT, THE TIMES

'A magisterial history' – MELANIE MCDONAGH, DAILY MAIL

‘Gloriously rich and spirited […] it zips along, leavened by so many wonderful cultural and social details.’ – DOMINIC SOUTHBROOK, SUNDAY TIMES

‘Ambitious in its scope, content and approach. Masterly.’ – CHARLES VYVYAN, STANDPOINT

‘Fascinating stuff.’ – SPECTATOR

‘Possibly the finest, most comprehensive analysis of the home front in the Great War ever produced.’ – LITERARY REVIEW

‘Every bit as good as its two predecessors. Illuminating.’ – EXPRESS

‘Absorbing’ – NEW STATESMAN

Genres: History, World War I, Nonfiction, Military History, British Literature

944 pages, Paperback

Published July 16, 2020

About the author

Simon James Heffer is an English historian, journalist, author and political commentator.

Reviews

[Colin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the third in a series of four studies of Britain in the century from 1838 to 1939. Disappointingly, I found this a weaker book than the two preceding volumes, which were penetrating and illuminating.

'Staring at God' (an obscure title, based on a Margot Asquith quote) is of formidable length and some density, with very long and detailed chapters. But it is a primarily narrative account and very much 'top-down' i.e. focusing on the high politics, rather than the detail of what was happening in society from the point of view of the people. For all the density, the book is very light on the societal and economic changes of the war and, confirmed by the bibliography and references, ignores modern academic scholarship from the likes of Adrian Gregory and Angela Woollacott (to take two examples) of the way in which British society was shaped and changed by the war.

'Staring at God' could well have been written thirty years ago, for all the acknowledgement of current research and analysis, and so I do not think it should be regarded as a landmark in First World War historiography.

[Arjan Sandhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heffer offers a rich and absorbing account of Britain’s experience during the First World War, tracing the path from the July Crisis to the Armistice. He brings together political developments, military strategy, and the shifting conditions on the home front with clarity and purpose, never losing sight of the human dimension.

The chapters on 1917 stand out, capturing the strain on British society as the war dragged on—rising casualties, deepening war-weariness, and the destabilising consequences of Russia’s collapse.

I found his portrayal of David Lloyd George to be one of the book’s more memorable elements. He emerges as a forceful and often calculating presence, a man of energy and flair, but also someone with a flexible relationship to the truth and a tireless desire to shape events in his favour.

Overall, I’d say it’s a must read for anyone interested in understanding Britain’s wartime ordeal.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

As you would expect from Simon Heffer, a very detailed and comprehensive history of the home front in WWI. I've read widely about the military war, but had no idea about the crises back in the UK. It's a wonder we even managed to get through with the ineptness of the politicians and inability of the Generals to adapt to the new ways of flighting. Thankfully no one in Germany or elsewhere really knew how to deal with total war either; it was the naval blockage, Germany overreaching itself in the final push and America coming into the war which forced the Armistice. The lessons of WWI surely positively influenced how the home front was managed in WWII.

[Brucen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overly long. Initial chapter on the diplomacy leading up to the declaration of war was particularly tedious.

Focuses more on politics and political intrigue than the social history I had expected from the blurb.

Written very much from a right wing rather than a balanced perspective.

Author clearly detests Lloyd George, to the point where he looks for the negative in almost every one of his actions. There are many other more balanced critiques of Lloyd George.

[Philip Chaston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brought into focus the institutional and political shortcomings of UK during World War 1, especially their incomprehension of the Irish. Echoes of today in incompetence, sleaze and dishonesty. Rhyming history.

[Jonshanahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magisterial treatment of the British homeland experience of World War I. So incredibly thorough though at times it seemed to wander into topical byways. Not for the faint-hearted - it’s a lengthy detailed narrative that can be exhausting at times.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very detailed, all-encompassing look at England (touching also on it's empire at times), largely on the home front, in the Great War. The third Simon Heffer book I've read, examining life in England in the Victorian era then in the lead-up to the Great War. I learnt plenty.

[T'Rev River · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful given the political landscape today.