The Day the War Broke Out

by Jacky Hyams

Sunday, September 3, 1939: the dawn of a new conflict that would engulf the world, following the words of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain: "This country is at war with Germany." By the time World War II ended in 1945, nearly half a million people from Britain and its empire had lost their lives, and the world had changed forever. Eighty years on, a look back at the lives of British people in September 1939 reveals a very different world from the one we know today. Unprecedented hardship lay ahead for a country where free healthcare for all was unknown: strict rationing of food and petrol, conscription for both sexes, and personal tragedy year after year amidst the chaos of Britain's bombed out cities and ports. What was it really like to be living in Britain in September 1939? The Day the War Broke Out is a fresh insight into the hearts and minds of a nation on that fateful day. With exclusive personal interviews, untold stories, wartime diaries, and newspaper reports, it reveals the innermost fears and hopes of a society on the brink of war: through the eyes of young mothers fearful for their families, bewildered children painfully cut adrift from loved ones, and men of all ages, many now facing combat for the second time in their lives. These are personal, intimate snapshots from 80 years ago—when the entire world, virtually overnight, seemed to have been turned upside down—and of how a nation faced this new world with courage, humor, and stoicism.

Genres: Nonfiction, World War II

288 pages, Paperback

Published December 5, 2019

About the author

History, especially the 20th Century, is a real passion for me. Yet I didn't start writing about it until quite recently because my career as a journalist and editor took up all my waking hours! I started out as a feature writer, in Sydney Australia, on magazines like Woman's Day, Cosmopolitan and Rolling Stone and my career as a columnist and movie writer took me all over the world for many years until I arrived back where I started, in London, England and various editing jobs on mass market magagines like Bella and Me. Then I freelanced for many years for many major newspapers and magazines. In 2005, I decided there was a real need for an informative self help book for families with older parents and my first book, Time to Help Your Parents was published by Piatkus. At that point, I realised that non fiction writing was even more enjoyable than I'd imagined and since then, I've written six more titles, including The Real Life Downton Abbey and Bombsites & Lollipops -- which some Goodreaders seem to be enjoying!

Reviews

[London · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite some proofreading errors and inappropriate accounts, this casual history of the average British person's daily experience is still useful for painting a picture of what life was like in the very strange times of WWII.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book true accounts on ww2 and all the history I learnt a lot reading this

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not a story, but a collection of first hand accounts of the day the 2nd world war was declared. There are a few bits about the months,years leading up to 3rd September 1939, but mostly recollections of that day.

It's a very interesting angle,and it was great to hear different people's memories from around that time. There were some funny parts, and I found it really interesting.

Great job Jacky, it was a great read and I highly recommend it.