Mixing It

Reviews / Votes

Mixing It, which provides a rich and multilayered account of 'transnational mixing' (p. 12) in wartime Britain, is a welcome addition to Wendy Webster's already outstanding scholarship addressing the diverse populations of Britain during the Second World War and beyond. * Wendy Ugolini, War in History * A compelling argument, built upon a rich collection of sources; it deserves to be widely read. * Dr Henry Irving, Reviews in History * What makes Mixing It both highly readable and, on multiple pages, genuinely heartrending is the space the author dedicates to personal testimonies. Just how disconnected the myth that Britain 'stood alone' has become from the complex reality is revealed in panoramic detail and compelling human colour. The picture she paints is fresh and exhilarating, in part because the stories and the voices she has exhumed from the archives have for so long been marginalised and forgotten. * David Olusoga, New Statesman * One of the many great strengths of this book is that Webster covers the entire range of ethnic groups in Britain during the war. Another great strength lies in the way it constructs a narrative using numerous personal stories. Webster proves herself a master of the art. She has constructed a beautiful narrative that anyone working on Second World War Britain or who wants to learn the meaning of diversity should read. * Panikos Panayi, Times Higher Education * A fascinating study of official and popular responses to overseas arrivals and a population more diverse than ever before. * Paul Laity, The Guardian * Wendy Webster's new book is a rich and vivid account of the tensions and relationships forged as Britain became increasingly exposed to people from across the world. Carefully selected and often lyrically presented personal stories ... are gripping and wonderfully rendered. Mixing It uncovers an explosion of social difference rippling through the country from the town hall of Bury St. Edmunds to Llanwrtyd Wells. * Sam Wetherall, Twentieth Century British History * Wendy Webster draws on a rich range of sources and biographical life stories to describe the immigration experience and the responses of individuals in the host communities to migrants during the war years ... warmly recommended for those who wish to have an informed view of the British immigration experience during the past 80 years. * David Killingray, Family & Community History * Mixing It is both a first class scholarly history and a parable for our own day. I doubt if anyone who reads the book will ever picture the home front in quite the same way again * Paul Addison, University of Edinburgh *