Book Description | In the summer of 1914, britain felt secure that the old order was firmly in place. Britain, through its navy, ruled the waves, and a fair part of the world through its empire. Yet this security was an illusion; a war of unimaginable scale was just days away.
The war would affect every level of british society; first through the urgent need for a massive expansion of the armed forces, drawing in ever-more men from civilian life. This in turn denuded the factories, shops and farms of labour, at a time when industry needed to expand to clothe and supply the armed services, and agriculture needed to fill the shortages of food created by the u-boat assault on our merchant fleet.
The armed forces had first call on men, food, and material, so shortages hit the civilian population hardest; replacement labour was found in women, who began to take on work previously the reserve of men; in the factories, transport, commerce, and agriculture. Food remained a problem; shortages led to food queues, leading to increasing government control and eventually rationing. Civilians were also hit by shortages of petrol and clothing, leading to petrol rationing, gas-cars, and `standard' cloth.
There were also more immediate dangers; raids by german ships on coastal towns, and air raids throughout the country by zeppelins, and later, aeroplanes.
In `dear old blighty', mike brown looks in depth at the experience of the civilians, men, women and children, of britain throughout those four momentous years. |