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Half the battle : civilian morale in Britain during the Second World War / Robert Mackay.
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Mackay, Robert, 1940-
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- World War, 1939-1945--Great Britain.
- World War, 1939-1945.
- Great Britain--Social life and customs--1918-1945.
- Great Britain.
- Manners and customs.
- World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Great Britain.
- Physical Description:
- vi, 282 pages ; 23 cm
- Place of Publication:
- Manchester ; New York : Manchester University Press ; New York : Distributed exclusively in the USA by Palgrave, 2002.
- Summary:
- This book shows that before World War II the official prognosis in Britain was pessimistic but that measures to bolster morale were taken nevertheless, in particular with regard to protection against air raids. An examination of a range of indicative factors concludes that morale fluctuated but was in the main good, right until the end of the War. In explaining this phenomenon, due credit is accorded to government policies for the maintenance of morale, but special emphasis is given to the " invisible" chain of patriotic feeling that held the nation together during its time of trial.
- Contents:
- Part I Prospect and Reality
- 1 War imagined 17
- The prospect of total war
- again 17
- A united nation? 22
- Preparing for the storm 31
- The view from below 39
- 2 War experienced: September 1939-May 1941 45
- The Phoney War 46
- The Emergency
- May-September 1940 59
- The Big Blitz 68
- 3 War experienced: 1941-45 91
- A different sort of war 91
- Separations 97
- Restrictions, restrictions 105
- Working and not working 119
- Part II Explanations
- 4 Persuading the people 141
- Controlling the news 142
- The propaganda of reassurance 149
- Stimulating patriotism 161
- 5 Easing the strain 186
- Protection 186
- Food 195
- The cost of living 202
- Working conditions 205
- Health 207
- Recreation and leisure 209
- Some essential inessentials 215
- 6 Beveridge and all that 221
- Thinking about the future 222
- The impact of Beveridge 231
- Another sign of things to come? 240
- Conclusion: The invisible chain 248.
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages [267]-274) and index.
- ISBN:
- 0719058937
- 0719058945
- OCLC:
- 50695380
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