Christopher Hilliard

This is excellent, a surprising candidate for book of the year. It is a superb example of microhistory, the majority of the protaganists living literally within a stone's throw of each other in the small town of Littlehampton on the English South Coast. In the wake of the Great War, an avalanche of anonymous letters are directed at a small group of Littlehampton residences, but are principally directed at the Swan family, particularly Edith Swan. Some would not be offensive today, even if irksome. Others are, as Hilliard well puts it, "timelessly offensive". All the evidence seems to point to one likely suspect, who is duly charged, tried and imprisoned on two occasions. And yet the letters continue, sometimes by mail, more often flung into the yard

Police took this seriously, whilst today they might not. But its fortunate that they did, for the case is very well documented giving Hilliard a trove of material to work with. And the mystery itself is less in who the writer of the letters was - that becomes clear soon enough - but it what the writers' motivation may have been. The Police seem uninterested in motive, much more so in means and opportunity, and of social class and morality as a predictor of guilt.

Hilliard also outlines the importance of the written word in working class families in the early years of the century, and in language as a class indicator. He is also good on women's participation in the formal and informal economies.

Highly enjoyable and informative… (mehr)