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'On 24 August (1940) the first bombs fell on central London, starting fires in the East End. Probably the bombing was accidental, but retaliatory raids on Berlin made it inevitable that the process, once started, would escalate dramatically.' The rallying effort to build the community was great, such that 'by February 1941, it was estimated that 92 per cent of London's population could be accommodated in public or private shelters.'
At the end of the war, the preparations of the rationing ministries and the police to keep civil order were almost as detailed and daunting as D-Day; the demand for material (flags) and food for celebrations required a reaffirmation of ration regulations; London and the rest of Britain would still remain on rations for years after the war. Even ceremonies such as the State Opening of Parliament would be scaled down due to the unreadiness of transport or lack of men and material.
Ziegler regrets that human nature reverted back to norm and the community spirit built up during the war quickly disintegrated after the war. Grand plans for rebuilding were never carried out -- London incurred more than half the casualties of cities during the war (over 80,000 in London alone), and the community pulled together to survive, but this cohesion didn't last after the threat was gone; however, Ziegler states, 'there is much that Londoners can look back on with pride, remarkably little about which they need to feel ashamed.'
Picture plates complete the visual story of London at war (the photograph on the cover of men looking through the still-standing library shelves of a bombed-out building is fascinating), and the writing style of Ziegler is compelling and full. A journey into our recent past definitely to be taken.
The first chapter The Greatest City provides a social and economic portrait of London in 1939.
London was the prime target for aerial attack, it's rulers believed it to be the most threatened and most vulnerable.
while it was not the city in England, that took the most damage, it was the city in Britain that came under the longest and most sustained attack.
It is impossible not to compare the anti-war movement in Britain of World War II, to the anti-war movement today. when you read about it, the similarities are striking.
Marchers took place in London, shouting the praises of Hitler and the Nazis, the same way 60 years later marches would take place by Muslims and Leftist radicals, shouting the praises of Saddam Hussein, Hamas, Hezbollah and condemning brave leaders like Tony Blair and George W Bush for taking a stand against evil just as anti-war rallies in the ;late 1930s had heaped abuse upon Churchill.
In 1940 there was even a Stop The War candidate in Bow and Bromley...we have such perfidious parties and groups with the same name today.
Thousands of people tuned into the broadcasts of Irish Nazi propagandist William Joyce, better known as 'Lord HawHaw'.
His counterparts today such as Robert Fisk and John Pilger abound.
Most strikingly the Jews were blamed by the anti-war movement prior to World War II, just as today's anti-war movement blames the Jewish State for all the world's problems and is 'anti-war' but pro-terror i.e so much for being supposedly peace loving.
Britain realized in 1939 that appeasement of evil tyranny does not work. Most the world realizes that going to war against German and Italian Fascism was the right thing to do in 1939/40, but have not yet internalized that we must take action against Islamo-Fascism.
We read of the damage done to the London zoo.
Many animals were evacuated. Chimpanzees and a young reindeer brought back from Russia known as Polyanna, helped to up morale.
On the zoo's front lawn people were taught how to keep fowl in a confined space and to rear rabbits, bees, pigeons and silkworms.
We learn of aerial milltary strategy and how the emergency services palyed their role in coping with casulaites and damage, the enetertainment during the war, and how people celebrated Christmas despite the shortages of so much that was usually taken for granted.
It is interesting to note that three quarters of those who defined themselves as atheists or agnostics admitted to having resorted to prayer in moments of intolerable stress.
A very interesting expose of how the people of London survived sustained attack with valour and determination.
In this age of terror, we can certainly learn from their example. Especially if the Islamo-Nazi terror spreads in a big way to the West.
We can also learn from the bravery of the people of Israel in coping with sustained terror and living under attack.
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