- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Channel 4 Books; Ill edition (11 Oct 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0752265148
- ISBN-13: 978-0752265148
- Product Dimensions: 24.4 x 18.8 x 2.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
58,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #9 in Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Film > History of Film > Britain
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
World War II was dubbed "the people's war". In the words of Winston Churchill it was "a war of unknown warriors (in which) the whole of the warring nations are engaged, not only soldiers, but the entire population, men, women and children". From children to great-grandparents, everyone was expected to muck in and make do. How then would a modern-day family cope with the hardships and inconveniences forced upon people in Britain between 1939 and 1945? That was the idea behind the Channel 4 series The 1940s House. Having volunteered to swap home comforts for the home front, the Hymers were evacuated to a property of the period and exposed to the harsh realities of wartime living: a bygone world of powdered eggs, gas masks, ration books, blackouts and air raids.
"There were many occasions when I thought, 'I can't do this, too much is being expected of me'," wrote Lynn Hymer in her diary. "But then I'd stop and say, 'Hang on a minute, I am here for a wartime experience'. In the war the women didn't say they couldn't do it, they just got on with it".
Far from being a lightweight behind-the-scenes TV companion The 1940s House offers a serious insight into what day-to-day family life was really like during wartime. By featuring photographs from the Imperial War Museum and including correspondence of home-front veterans, historian and author Juliet Gardiner documents the reality along with the reconstruction. A beautifully produced book that pays tribute to the millions of ordinary people who lived through extraordinary times. --Christopher Kelly --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
A book based on the TV series in which a family were transported back to the 1940s for two months. A 'War Cabinet' of historians, nutritionists and Home Front veterans controlled how they lived from food rations to the amount of hot bathwater used. It is also a comprehensive account of life in 1940s Britain.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I gobbled up the book. It describes both life on the wartime homefront of West Wickham and life as an ordinary 21st century family recreating the experience for nine weeks. I felt drawn in the wake of the family's coping experiences. There are little details that about coping without a 'frig, about the family's feelings about stumbling into their air-raid shelter, about the experiences of their neighbours who actually lived through the war. Extremely moving, esp. for a Canuck born after the war. We didn't deal with much of the horror here, the uncertainty, yes, so it's a revelation. I really appreciated the commitment the family had to fully participating in the difficulties of the war experience both for their education and as a tribute to the women who went through the real thing.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I loved the series on tv, and was really looking forward to reading this book to learn more about the familys experiences, but unfortunately the bulk of this book is about the war and Churchill in general - rather than the Hymers social experiment. Its still a very interesting and informative read, but I wanted to see more of the Hymers day-to-day experiences which weren't in the all to brief tv series. Most of the info in this book is available in any 'Wartime London' history book. A little disappointing.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If you have no idea how families lived in 1940, not just coping with a war but in their everyday lives, this book takes you there. It tells of a modern day family who are sent to live in a house equipped exactly as in that period, and to lead as accurate a 1940's life as possible. The reader follows their progress and their problems, their delights and their complaints. Illustrated wonderfully in both colour and black and white, it is a must for any library. Both entertaining and educational. The photography is first class.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
the 1940's house
A brilliant insight into life in wartime. I missed the BBC programme when it was shown but was wanting something for my grandchildren to read in conjunction with a story of my... Read more
Published 19 months ago by ACACIA
History in the making...
This is a wonderful companion to the TV series that I have become obsessed with. I watch it over and over and never get tired of it. Read more
Published on 5 Sep 2003 by Julianne M. Moore
An easy life for '40s' housemates!
The occupants didn't have a clue how people lived in the 1940s, as they weren't faced with the real terrors and restraints of day-to-day living. Read more
Published on 27 Jan 2001
Accesible history, gripping story
This book is a great addition to what was a gripping television series. Beautifully illustrated and full of fascinating detail.
Published on 12 Jan 2001
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