Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
36 used & new from £2.00
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
We are at War: The Diaries of Five Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

We are at War: The Diaries of Five Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times (Paperback)

by Simon Garfield (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
Price: £5.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.00 (25%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, July 14? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
24 new from £3.63 12 used from £2.00
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover £19.99 £16.99 30 used & new from £1.66

Frequently Bought Together

We are at War: The Diaries of Five Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times + Our Hidden Lives: The Remarkable Diaries of Postwar Britain: The Remarkable Diaries of Postwar Britain + Private Battles: Our Intimate Diaries - How the War Almost Defeated Us
Price For All Three: £18.47

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Our Hidden Lives: The Remarkable Diaries of Postwar Britain: The Remarkable Diaries of Postwar Britain

Our Hidden Lives: The Remarkable Diaries of Postwar Britain: The Remarkable Diaries of Postwar Britain

by Simon Garfield
4.4 out of 5 stars (12)  £5.49
Private Battles: Our Intimate Diaries - How the War Almost Defeated Us

Private Battles: Our Intimate Diaries - How the War Almost Defeated Us

by Simon Garfield
4.0 out of 5 stars (3)  £6.99
Nella Last's War: The Second World War Diaries of 'Housewife, 49': The Second World War Diaries of 'Housewife 49'

Nella Last's War: The Second World War Diaries of 'Housewife, 49': The Second World War Diaries of 'Housewife 49'

by Trustees of the Mass Observation Archives
4.8 out of 5 stars (22)  £4.50
Nella Last's Peace: The Post-War Diaries Of Housewife 49

Nella Last's Peace: The Post-War Diaries Of Housewife 49

by Trustees of the Mass Observation Archives
4.4 out of 5 stars (17)  £4.49
Our Longest Days: A people's history of the Second World War

Our Longest Days: A people's history of the Second World War

by Sandra Koa Wing
3.8 out of 5 stars (6)  £5.39
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Ebury Press; New Ed edition (2 Mar 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0091903874
  • ISBN-13: 978-0091903879
  • Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.6 x 3.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 15,285 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #18 in  Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Countries > Britain
    #26 in  Books > Biography > War & Espionage > World War II
    #26 in  Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Biographies & Memoirs

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Review
"'Snowdrops have been in flower for weeks. Violets are still waiting to bloom. Broad beans are showing their heads perkily. But I forget. We are at war. The boys in the village are leaving one by one.' Maggie Joy Blunt * 'A lovely book. It will appeal to anyone who appreciates the richness and diversity of human experience' - Tony Benn * 'I haven't read a more engrossing book in years' - John Carey, Sunday Times * 'A quite magical store of voices from another age' - Observer"

Mail on Sunday
"Almost every entry has its poignant or fascinating moments...makes our wartime past seem no more distant than yesterday."

See all Product Description

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(2)
(2)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A real time-machine!, 28 Nov 2005
By D. C. Gowans (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: We are at War: The Remarkable Diaries of Five Ordinary People (Hardcover)
The unfolding drama of wartime life is captured faithfully in these first-hand accounts. I wonder what would be the reaction of the diarists to know that in sixty years time their submissions to Mass Observation would be printed and made into a book. I suspect they would secretly be quite pleased that their efforts would be enjoyed by future generations - a kind of immortality. I was particularly moved by Christopher Tomlin's honest descriptions of the struggle to keep his family afloat financially while coping with the anxiety and sleeplessness of incipient invasion. A different world indeed.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling, 30 Dec 2007
I read each person's account seperately, as they were becoming muddled in my mind. I was struck by the differences between four of the diarists and "Eileen Potter". Why was she included I wonder? All the others had fascinating, interesting tales to tell of their ordinary lives. Hers, by comparison was very dull and was also the most incomplete. With the other four I felt I knew them and had a deep interest in how they ended up in life.

Reading the four complete diaries was an engrossing experience. How different these people were to each other and how similar they are to people today. Nothing much changes, does it? I see that there is another book just published and I shall be buying that one, too.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Coping with the Everyday in a Dangerous World, 10 Aug 2008
By Graceann Macleod "Books Fuel My Life" (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Continuing the thread begun in Hidden Lives, Simon Garfield offers selections from the Mass-Observation Project diaries of five people caught up in the preparations and then the beginning of the infamous Blitz. The uncertainty, the anger, the fear; it's all here and it leaps off of the pages in a way that keeps you turning them.

Sometimes the diarists are not particularly likeable - you encounter racism and defeatist attitudes at certain points. But that is something that makes this volume particularly interesting. Knowing that these pages are going to be read by others, the diarists are still painfully honest in their fears and their prejudices. Very enlightening, and highly recommended, especially as a companion volume to Hidden Lives.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The war for ordinary folk
In today's world, with hindsight and our intense historical knowledge of the periods encompassing both the World Wars, we feel our knowledge is complete. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Elisa Wilson

4.0 out of 5 stars Life in wartime Britina by those who were there
A fascinating portrait of those who lived in Britain in the immediate days and weeks after the declaration of the start of World War 2. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mrs. Jane C. Kirk

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Glimpse of the Past
Very involving and eye-opening view of the past from the grassroots rather than the usual historical overview. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Paul M. Wright

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Health & Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

Elemis Resurface and Renew Skin Care Gift Set of 4 Products
From soap to shavers, massagers to mascara, stock up on your daily essentials or truly pamper yourself.

›Discover Health & Beauty

  

Up to 75% off Shoes

Shoe Clearance - 75% off Shoes
Save up to 75% on shoes for the whole family.

›Shop clearance shoes

  

Up to 53% off Braun Series Shavers

Braun Series 3 390cc Clean & Renew System Rechargeable Foil Electric Shaver
Get in touch with your smooth side with Braun Series shavers, now with Gillette blade technology.

›Discover Braun Series at Amazon.co.uk

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (74)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (463)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (165)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (81)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates