Life in Britain during the First World War was far stranger than many of us realize. In a country awash with mad rumour, frenzied patriotism and intense personal anguish, it became illegal to light a bonfire, fly a kite or buy a round of drinks. And yet the immense upheaval of the war led to many things we take for granted today: the vote, passports, vegetable allotments and British Summer Time among them. In this immensely captivating account, Jeremy Paxman tells the entire story of the war through the experience of those who lived it - nurses, soldiers, politicians, factory-workers, journalists and children - explaining why we fought it so willingly, how we endured it so long, and how it transformed us all.
Jeremy Paxman has a shrewd eye for detail and has woven together an easily absorbed history of the First World War. Using a wealth of first hand source material he brings vividly to life the day to day experience of the British over the entire course of the war, from politicians, newspapermen, campaigers and Generals, to Tommies, factory workers, nurses, wives and children, capturing the whole mood and morale of the nation. While much of the material is well known, it's assembly makes for a fast paced interesting history. This is a good read easy to understand and yet still springs suprises.
If your reading time is limited then Penguin have produced a 10 hour, 9 CD audio version which works very well in a car!
ISBN 978-0-241-96882-6