Britain at War 1939 to 1945:What was life like during the war?

The German people reacted to the outbreak of war with resignation. In , at the outbreak of World War One, there had been much enthusiasm but not this time. Germans in could still remember the pain of , their surrender and the subsequent punishment at Versailles. However, the vast majority of Germans reluctantly supported the war and signed up to play their part in the war effort. The outbreak of war and its impact Initial reaction to the outbreak of war World War Two began on 3 September , when Britain and France reacted to the German invasion of Poland two days earlier by declaring war on the Nazi state.

The growing impact of war Rationing Rationing of food was introduced on 27 August and a points system for clothing was introduced in October Autarky and rearmament meant consumer goods were already expensive due to low supply. There were meat shortages due to lack of imports from the USA. Many Germans feared a repeat of the shortages experienced during World War One.

Food entitlements depended upon the importance of individuals to the war effort: Jews' food entitlements were set below Aryans'. The winter of was exceptionally cold and there were shortages of coal. Area bombing Up until the middle of the British had tried to target their bombing raids on industrial and military targets. The family moved several times trying to escape the war but the war seemed to The author James Lingard tells some of the experiences that he, as a young boy of about 5 or six years old, and his family went through during WWII in England.

The family moved several times trying to escape the war but the war seemed to follow them wherever they went. The author provides an outline, consisting of short paragraphs, which would be a good way for someone not familiar with WWII to quickly review the main battles and turning points of the war.

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I liked the book which for me was a quick but overall technical read. I wished the author had included more personal stories. The book has received excellent reviews including: It also provides 'a concise history of the salient campaigns in World War 2 ideal for a The book has received excellent reviews including: It also provides 'a concise history of the salient campaigns in World War 2 ideal for anyone who lacks the time or inclination to study the larger works.

What was life like during the war? It gives the stories of peoples lives, interspersed with the great speeches of such great men as Winston Churchill. It is enjoyable as a read in itself, but even more so for the memories it evokes for those who lived in those times. It provides a valuable insight into those times for us who were born in the s, and onwards and without such a book, it is impossible for us to understand what life was like then.

Death was almost always imminent from the bombing, food was short, hunger was not unusual, but a sort of national spirit emerged that is no longer present today.

He was not a pleasant man to live with. I am retired Army, a history buff, as well as my emphasis is on wars. This short story deserves 5 stars. As reviewed on Junkie. As as student of European History, you can see why this appealed to me. And I received this copy during my studies of Western Civilization so this was bonus material for me. And I wasn't disappointed. Before I get into it, let me be clear that I did not read this book to fact check. I read this book to gain insight to what life was like As reviewed on Junkie.

I read this book to gain insight to what life was like in Europe, and in this case Britain, during the war. It was before my time, you see, and I am curious enough to want to have an idea of what it may have been like. And it is in this sense that Lingard has offered a valuable perspective.

I like the way the book is organized. It's a timeline of events, but it's in a format I like and understand. Chapter 1 being about pre-war life, Chapter 18 about the victory, and everything in between. It's easy to follow which makes it easy to tag reference points--an item of importance to those of us who love to take notes.

We do a lot of that so we can reread things, process things, and eventually form our opinion of things, backed by the evidence we've tagged and noted. I also like that this accounting of events are told from the perspective of someone who actually experienced events.

Home front during World War II - Wikipedia

I've heard some accounts of WWII in Hawaii from my grandmother and I love those stories because it's coming from someone who actually witnessed the aftermath. It's the same feel with this book. As mentioned in the first line of the introduction: As far as possible, this history of the Second World War is written from the standpoint of people actually involved. And if you didn't know, that's a historian's weakness.

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We're a sucker for primary resources and this book can be put into that category. It's first witness account of the chain of events that is World War II. The flow of information reads like a journal, which I love. The text doesn't get too heavy where you need to reread a paragraph a few times to process it correctly.

Lingard has also taken what can be a dense subject and presents it in a way that the reader can easily grasp the idea of what it may have been like during this period in time. In my opinion, Lingard accomplishes what he set out to do: He covers the progression of the war throughout Europe and told from the perspective of a Britain resident. This knowledge, coupled with my recent studies of Western Civilization, has provided a well-rounded perspective of WWII history. History isn't just about the events that happened, but the impact those events had on the people, on society.

I feel history can never be complete unless we see it through the eyes of those it affected, which Lingard does a great job with. Overall, I'm glad to have this book in my library and would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn anything about history, especially what life during WWII may have been like.

Thank you, James, for providing this perspective. Oct 31, Don Sloan rated it it was amazing. Where is it, anyway? What is to become of us? As a young boy in Britain during the critical war years of through , Lingard and his mother and father endured many hardships and constantly lived in peril, as did all of the U.

This is his e "Who cares about Poland? This is his excellent story, well-researched for historical accuracy, but highly personalized to maintain the interest of even the most casual reader. Recalling his first air raid, Lingard tells us the first words of an air raid warden, who had been looking for them while they huddled in a nearby wood -- survivors of a picnic dangerously interrupted: But the shelter received a direct hit. There's no trace of it.

Just a huge crater. You'd all have been blown to smithereens. Bombs fall in regular and terrifying numbers. The nation's leaders come dangerously close to making disastrous decisions. And the stalwart British people do what they must to survive yet another day. On a trip to the shore, Lingard waves happily to a low-flying airplane. Its German pilot waves back. And the small boy narrowly escapes arrest as a spy. Lingard's mother frequently listens to the wireless for war news, but is often more captivated by music such as "Run Rabbit Run," played at a fast tempo to speed up production in the factories.

Hitler's bombers continued to harass us, and he tried his utmost to starve us into submission. In the period May to December, , the enemy sank merchant vessels with a gross tonnage of over three million tons. On 17th to 19th October, German U-boats sank 33 ships, twenty of which were in one convoy. For me personally, it put a very real face on a dark period in civilized history -- a period which I, like so many others of my Baby Boomer generation, only experience through watching dry documentaries on The History Channel.

How refreshing, then, to have this warm and intimate look inside a great nation's stalwart struggle against almost insurmountable odds -- and to rejoice with the author at its ultimate survival. Five stars to Britain at War, and a hearty recommendation to librarians everywhere to acquire a copy so future generations can become enlightened. Aug 22, David rated it liked it. The blurb for the book says that it "gives a short insight into the horrors of the home front told from the perspective of someone who actually experienced them, a fascinating look at the harsh realities of life in Britain, life full of drama and the danger of impending death.

And it does do this, but this section of the book is far too short, and the overview of the major campaigns section is far too long as this section is not detailed enough for anyone with even a cursory interest in the history of WWII. Having said that, the two separate parts of the book are very well written. It's just that both are too brief and not detailed enough for my own tastes. If you are only looking for a quick look at life in Britain during the war, or a very short summary of the major campaigns of the war, add an extra star to my rating.

Many of these quotes were taken from speeches by Churchill or other prominent men of the time and they add to the general picture a Reviewers have said: A book I could not put down.

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We see war in Britain through the eyes of a young child. Nov 09, Allies Opinions rated it really liked it. I will go ahead and get my only criticism out of the way. From the title, I felt like there would be more actual story than there was. There are some experiences detailed regarding the author and his family, but I really wanted more. The enticing thing about a book like this is the lure of seeing such a tremulous time in history play out from human eyes and emotions instead of the dry history rhetoric we all know from school. The parts of this that are in the book are fantastic.

I really wanted I will go ahead and get my only criticism out of the way. I really wanted more. The quotes are perfectly placed and add that needed emotion while reading the dryer details of war.

Life in Britain During the Second World War - Year 9 Project (1)

It actually helps keep the reader interested instead of skipping those pages. There are many things that Mr. Churchill did in his political career that I disagree with. However, there are also things I think he handled in an impressive manner. The book is well researched and well formatted. There were a few of the statistics that really surprised me.

I have read a lot about World War Two and I was surprised to find new information. These added details really help the reader understand the immense strategy and luck that kept Britain from being invaded. To see my full review, check out my blog AlliesOpinions on WordPress! James Lingard is a native to London, England. My father served in the second world war as an Airplane Engineer, and I had heard many stories about that time era through him.

My mother served in the land army at that time. Both of my parents had first hand knowledge about bomb shelters, food rationing and unspeakable death and the harsh conditions they had to endure as young adults. T James Lingard is a native to London, England. They passed down to us children just how there lives were effected through it. The author, James Lingard paints a vivid picture of those days through his own eyes as a small boy growing up in England.

A cruel environment of dangerous and intimate detail of historical tragedy. I'm sure it couldn't have been easy to put pen to paper for James to revive those days, but through his memoirs of what he endured as a child, brings the readers closer to powerful and meaningful events. I was asked to read this book through www.

I have read a great deal on Britain and the part so many people played during this time. I had just finished the Longest Night by Gavin Mortimer and was interested to read how the author could condense this into one book. The author did manage to condense this and really well. I have given this book five stars. I was really interested in the author's family and Hebden Bridge West Yorkshire during the war as I have fond memories of Heptonst I was asked to read this book through www.