The Real Dad's Army
The Story of the Home Guard
Published on 15. April 2012
Book
Paperback/Softback
206 pages
978-1-4456-0688-0 (ISBN)
Description
A narrative history of the Home Guard from its creation in May 1940 to the end of the Second World War. The enduring popularity of the BBC TV series Dad's Army has focused attention on one of the strangest and least military armies ever formed - The British Home Guard. What started as an improvised band of volunteers had grown by 1942 into a conscripted, disciplined and well-equipped force with a strength of nearly two million men. Norman Longmate, an ex-member of the Home Guard and an authority on wartime Britain, has collected together a wealth of hilarious anecdotes as well as all the unlikely facts to produce the first popular history of the Home Guard to be written since the war. Illustrated with over 100 photographs, 17 in colour.
Reviews / Votes
'A fascinating history' THE DAILY MAIL 'Wonderful stories - a well-written account of the last line of defense' THE DAILY MIRROR 'No one like Norman Longmate manages to convey with such verve and authority many of the most intriguing aspects of the Home Front in the Second World War' JULIET GARDINER 'Just how close the TV was to reality is amply demonstrated in Norman Longmate's affectionate tribute to the men who served in the real Dad's Army... the Germans may never have invaded, but Longmate's book contains enough examples of quiet heroism to suggest that had they done so they might have been in for a nasty surprise.' THE MAIL ON SUNDAY 'Norman Longmate's finely illustrated and produced volume... is full of true stories every bit as entertaining as the hit TV series' SOLDIER MAGAZINEMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Chalford
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
112 Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 124 mm
Weight
245 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4456-0688-0 (9781445606880)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Norman Longmate, ex-Private 'F' Company, 3rd Sussex Battalion, Home Guard, joined 'Dad's Army' at the same age as the fictional character 'Pike', 17. To this day he contends that the much-loved sitcom was remarkably accurate in it's portrayal of life in the Home Guard. After the war he read modern history at Worcester College, Oxford worked as a journalist and radio producer of history documentaries and is the author of twenty books on the Second World War. He lives in London.
Content
1. Give Them LDV! 2. From Dusk to Dawn 3. After You With The Steel Helmet 4. Mind My Pike! 5. Waiting For Jerry 6. The Last Round Sources List of Illustrations Index