First publication of a unique resource that provides fascinating insight into the mood of the nation—at a crucial time in the Second World War when the conflict's outcome was far from certainFrom May to September 1940, during a period that saw some of the most dramatic events of the war—the evacuation from Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, and the opening stages of the Blitz—the Ministry of Information compiled daily reports on the morale of the nation for circulation within Whitehall. These reports make fascinating reading: they tell the story of people's hopes and fears—from rumors about German spies disguised as nuns to concerns about anti-Semitism in the heavily-bombed East End of London—in all regions of the country during Britain's Finest Hour, at a time when the fate of the nation hung in the balance. Drawing on a wide range of informants, from the Mass-Observation social survey organization to a network of contacts including chief constables, postal censors, doctors, parsons, publicans, and trade unionists, the reports pieced together from these sources at great speed were by their very nature impressionistic, but provide us nevertheless with a unique record of contemporary feelings and perceptions at this historic juncture. They include a wealth of curious and idiosyncratic information about the lighter and the darker aspects of life in Britain at the time, illuminating the prevalence of rumors and gossip about the threat of invasion—as well as the importance of the introduction of tea rationing for daily life. Edited and introduced by two leading historians of the period, the complete and unabridged sequence of the daily Home Intelligence reports provides unique insight into the continuously unfolding drama of Britain at war.
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About the Author:
Paul Addison and Jeremy A. Crang work at the Center for the Study of the Two World Wars at the University of Edinburgh. They are the editors of The Burning Blue and Firestorm, collections of essays on the Battle of Britain and the Allied bombing of Dresden respectively.
Review:
"A chronicle of human infirmity and vice. But it also shows that the popular image of a British people united in adversity and displaying... extraordinary powers of patience and fortitude is essentially correct... the historical value of this evidence is enormous."
— Sunday Telegraph
"Digestible form with valuable contextual notes. There are many fleeting gems."
— Observer
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