Drawing material from the Imperial War Museum s extensive aural archive, Joshua Levine brings together voices from both sides of the Blitz and the Battle of Britain to give us a unique, complete, and compelling picture of this turbulent time. In June 1940, British citizens prepared for an imminent German onslaught. Hitler s troops had overrun Holland, Belgium, and France in quick succession, and the British people anticipated an invasion would soon be upon them. From July to October, they watched the Battle of Britain play out in the skies above them, aware that the result would decide their...

It is 1916, the Somme. With over a million casualties, it was the most brutal battle of the First World War. It is a clash that even now, over 90 years later, remains seared into historical consciousness, conjuring up images of muddy trenches and young lives tragically wasted. Its first day, July 1st 1916on which the British suffered 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 deadis the bloodiest day in the history of the British armed forces to date. On the German side, an officer famously described it as the muddy grave of the German field army. By the end of the battle, the British had learned...

It could have been the biggest military disaster suffered by the British in the Second World War, but against all odds the British army was successfully evacuated, and "Dunkirk spirit" became synonymous with the strength of the British people in adversity. On the same day that Winston Churchill became Prime Minister, German troops invaded Holland, Luxembourg, and Belgium. The eightmonth period of calm that had existed since the declaration of war was over. But the defences constructed by the Allies in preparation failed to repel a German army with superior tactics.The British Expeditionary...

A brilliantly researched, lively and colourful portrait of how we behaved in Britain's cities during the darkest days of the Blitz