
Waiting for War
Britain 1939-1940
Barry Turner(Author)
Icon Books (Publisher)
Published on 4. July 2019
Book
Hardback
368 pages
978-1-78578-548-1 (ISBN)
Description
At the outbreak of war in 1939, ordinary people were quickly forced to adapt to the realities of a nation under dire threat.
But it soon became known as the Phoney War, a time when official incompetence reigned supreme. Theatres and cinemas were closed and football matches cancelled, only for the government to realise belatedly that morale was plunging as a result. Thousands of women and children were evacuated to the countryside, only for many to flood back to the cities, preferring the dangers to separation from their families. Censorship of news was heavy-handed and bred widespread resentment.
In fact, the period from September 1939 to May 1940 was a time of intense political and military activity - the blitzkrieg on Poland, the start of the U-boat menace, the disastrous Norwegian campaign, the political manoeuvrings that brought Churchill to power. Barry Turner skilfully weaves these events into a compelling home front narrative which evokes the fears and dangers but also the humour and the absurdities of everyday life in the dark days of 1939-1940.
But it soon became known as the Phoney War, a time when official incompetence reigned supreme. Theatres and cinemas were closed and football matches cancelled, only for the government to realise belatedly that morale was plunging as a result. Thousands of women and children were evacuated to the countryside, only for many to flood back to the cities, preferring the dangers to separation from their families. Censorship of news was heavy-handed and bred widespread resentment.
In fact, the period from September 1939 to May 1940 was a time of intense political and military activity - the blitzkrieg on Poland, the start of the U-boat menace, the disastrous Norwegian campaign, the political manoeuvrings that brought Churchill to power. Barry Turner skilfully weaves these events into a compelling home front narrative which evokes the fears and dangers but also the humour and the absurdities of everyday life in the dark days of 1939-1940.
Reviews / Votes
Absorbing ... evocative ... enlightening * Daily Mail *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Duxford
United Kingdom
Illustrations
8 Plates, black & white
Dimensions
Height: 241 mm
Width: 154 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
670 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78578-548-1 (9781785785481)
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
Other editions
Additional editions

Person
Barry Turner is a popular historian whose many books include Suez 1956, When Daddy Came Home (with Tony Rennell), Karl Doenitz and the Last Days of the Third Reich (Icon, 2015) - 'a page-turning narrative' (Daily Mail) - and The Berlin Airlift (Icon, 2017) - 'a fine piece of popular history' (BBC History).