The Wartime House

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.