Felicity Goodall

Voices From the Home Front provides an excellent survey of life in Britain during World War II. Fully half of the book, if not more, consists of extracts from personal accounts of experiences and thoughts from the war years. (Much of the source material is from the extensive collection of the Imperial War Museum in London.)

The book is divided into thematic chapters covering a wide range of experiences, including the German occupation of the Channel Islands; bombing of British cities; evacuation of children to the countryside or to the US, Canada, or Australia; war work in factories and in agriculture; internment of refugees and foreign-born residents, as well as prisoners of war; the effect of Allied servicemen from around the world living in Britain; holiday celebrations in wartime; news and propaganda. For each chapter the author has created a narrative framework which provides context for the personal accounts woven through the book. The book is illustrated with a number of well-chosen black and white photos, and includes a useful index.… (altro)