The Wartime House : Home Life in Wartime Britain 1939-1945

What was it like to live in Britain during the Second World War? What kind of house did the average family live in? How did people cope with the ever-present threat of air-raids, not to mention the hardship of food and clothes rationing? How was a typical suburban home built? What were the choices open to householders when it came to interior decoration and furnishing? How did the war affect the domestic routines of an average household? The demands of a nation at war had many other far-reaching effects on the average home. How did women cope with bringing up a family single-handedly after their husbands were conscripted for military service? How did they use the rations and keep up their families spirits? What was it like to 'Make do and Mend' or 'Dig for Victory', or to sleep in an Anderson shelter? By looking at the lives of ordinary people who inhabited the semi-detached world of suburbia, Mike Brown and Carol Harris have painted a vivid picture of daily life on the Home Front in wartime Britain. The demands of a nation at war had many far-reaching effects on the average home. How did women cope with bringing up a family single-handed after their husbands were conscripted for military service? How did they use the rations and keep up their family's spirits? What was it like to "Make Do and Mend" or "Dig for Victory," or to sleep in an Anderson shelter? By looking at the lives of ordinary people who inhabited the semi-detached world of suburbia, Mike and Carol Harris have painted a vivid picture of daily life on the Home Front in wartime Britain. Chapters include: The Suburban Dream, House Beautiful, Furniture and Furnishings, Housework and DIY, Rationing, The Wartime Kitchen, "If the Invader Comes," Fashion, Entertainment and Reconstruction. With a wealth of illustrations and ephemera, this book brings wartime experience to life. The demands of a nation at war had many far-reaching effects on the average home. How did women cope with bringing up a family single-handed after their husbands were conscripted for military service? How did they use the rations and keep up their family's spirits? What was it like to 'Make Do And Mend' or 'Dig for Victory', or to sleep in an Anderson shelter? By looking at the lives of ordinary people who inhabited the semi-detatched world of suburbia, Mike and Carol Harris have painted a vivid picture of daily life on the Home Front in wartime Britain. Chapters include: the Suburban Dream, House Beautiful, Furniture and Furnishings, Housework and DIY, Rationing, The Wartime Kitchen, 'If the Invader Comes', Fashion, Entertainment and Reconstruction. With a wealth of illustrations and ephemera, this book brings wartime experience to life