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25+ Werke 543 Mitglieder 7 Rezensionen

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Norman Longmate (1925- ) is an English author and social and military historian. He was educated at Christ's Hospital and Worcester College, Oxford, where he specialized in Modern History. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Longmate is the author of many WWII historical books which mehr anzeigen include: If Britain Had Fallen, The GIs: the Americans in Britain 1942-1945, Hitler's Rockets: The Story of the V2s, and The Home Front: an Anthology of Personal Experience 1938-1945. In 2014 his book, How We Lived Then: A History of Everyday Life during the Second World War, made the New York Times bestseller non-fiction list. (Bowker Author Biography) weniger anzeigen

Beinhaltet den Namen: Norman Longmate

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Werke von Norman Longmate

The Workhouse (1974) 29 Exemplare

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The 1940's House (2000) — Vorwort — 52 Exemplare

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Wissenswertes

Geburtstag
1925-12-15
Todestag
2016-06-04
Geschlecht
male
Nationalität
UK
Geburtsort
Newbury, Berkshire, England, UK
Berufe
journalist
television producer
historian
Organisationen
BBC
Preise und Auszeichnungen
FRHistS

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A fairly unique look at the period from 1939 -1945 in Great Britain. Not a story of the RAF or US Army Air Corps or any of the various military units in action at that time but, rather, a view of life for the society as a whole. The accounts of people from all walks of life are incorporated into chapters dealing with discreet slices of life. Air raid shelters, food, education among many others. The author is adept at bringing the different voices into play and keeps a consistent weave of events without letting it deteriorate into disconnected points. This is a tricky task that is handled well. Reccommended for history enthusiasts.… (mehr)
½
 
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Whiskey3pa | 2 weitere Rezensionen | May 5, 2020 |
The soldiers and sailors had the flashy life, but this is about civilian life in Britain during WWII. a workmanlike account it was later replaced by the People's War by Calder, but still a good introduction to the deeper hardships.
½
 
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DinadansFriend | 2 weitere Rezensionen | Feb 1, 2017 |
World War II was in many instances the defining event for modern Britain. It lasted 6 long years, two of which they were fighting Germany alone. Norman Longmate gives us an encyclopedic look at what it was like to live in the UK during those years, From rationing (which lasted until 1954) to mandatory national service for anyone under the age of 60, to the nightly bombing during the Blitz (and later attacks by V-1 and V-2 rockets) to the more friendly, but still disconcerting invasion of over a million foreign troops. one can only have boundless admiration for the British people who not only managed to keep on going, but who were remarkably cheerful about it.

Today we fight ugly little wars in far away place and no one except the families of our all volunteer armed services make any kind of sacrifice. It's instructive to read a book like this to see what people had to do when they were literally with their backs to the wall trying to save western civilization.
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etxgardener | 2 weitere Rezensionen | Sep 7, 2014 |
"Later that afternoon with the Germans already in Trafalgar Square and advancing down Whitehall to take their position in the rear, the enemy unit advancing across St. James 'Park made their final charge. Several of those in the Downing Street position were already dead... and at last the Bren ceased its chatter, its last magazine emptied.

Churchill reluctantly abandoned the machine-gun, drew his pistol and with great satisfaction, for it was a notoriously inaccurate weapon, shot dead the first German to reach the foot of the steps. As two more rushed forward, covered by a third in the distance, Winston Churchill moved out of the shelter of the sandbags, as if personally to bar the way up Downing Street. A German NCO, running up to find the cause of the unexpected hold-up, recognised him and shouted to the soldiers not to shoot, but he was too late. A burst of bullets from a machine-carbine caught the Prime Minister in the chest. He died instantly, his back to Downing Street, his face toward the enemy, his pistol still in his hand."


This fascinating view of the proposed German Invasion of Britain in 1940 tells the story of a successful invasion following the defeat of the RAF and Royal Navy. Not hugely strong on actual accuracy, but a stirring patriotic account of what might have been...it would make a great film!
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mancmilhist | 1 weitere Rezension | Aug 28, 2014 |

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Werke
25
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1
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543
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#45,916
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