0
Your cart

Your cart is empty

Books > History > World history > From 1900 > Second World War

Buy Now

Our Uninvited Guests - The Secret Life of Britain's Country Houses 1939-45 (Hardcover) Loot Price: R335
Discovery Miles 3 350
You Save: R294 (47%)
Our Uninvited Guests - The Secret Life of Britain's Country Houses 1939-45 (Hardcover): Julie Summers

Our Uninvited Guests - The Secret Life of Britain's Country Houses 1939-45 (Hardcover)

Julie Summers

 (1 rating, sign in to rate)
List price R629 Loot Price R335 Discovery Miles 3 350 You Save R294 (47%)

Bookmark and Share

Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days

'Julie Summers has an amazing instinct for unearthing good stories and telling quotes.' Craig Brown, The Mail On Sunday. 'This is an enjoyable book, peppered with examples of under-reported wartime heroism.' Robert Leigh-Pemberton, The Daily Telegraph 'It's hard to believe that there are still untold stories about Britain and World War II, but Julie Summers has unearthed a fascinating one that she tells with great verve and style. All in all, Uninvited Guests is a sheer delight.' Lynne Olson, author of Citizens of London and Last Hope Island A remarkable narrative set against the dark days of World War Two, from one of the country's foremost social historians. Our Uninvited Guests perfectly captures the spirit of upheaval at the beginning of the Second World War when thousands of houses were requisitioned by the government to provide accommodation for the armed forces, secret services and government offices as well as vulnerable children, the sick and the elderly, all of whom needed to be housed safely beyond the reach of Hitler's Luftwaffe. Julie Summers gives the reader a behind-the-scenes glimpse of life in some of Britain's greatest country houses that were occupied by people who would otherwise never have set foot in such opulent surroundings.Blenheim Palace was colonised by schoolboys who slept in the Long Library; Polish special agents trained in the grounds of Audley End House, learning to forge and lie their way into occupied Europe in the old nursery. Brocket Hall, former home of Queen Victoria's favourite Lord Melbourne, was used as a maternity home for women from the East End of London, and the Rothschilds' magnificent French chateau-inspired Waddesdon Manor housed a hundred children under five. The Northern Highlands, where the fierce warriors of Scotland's past developed their unconventional military skills, played host to the most extreme form of warfare, training agents in the fine arts of sabotage, subterfuge and assassination. The juxtaposition of splendour and opulence with the everyday activities of people whose needs were at odds with their new surroundings is at the heart of this book. This thought-provoking and evocative narrative captures a crucial period in the social history of Britain. Praise for Julie Summers: 'Superb...highly recommended' Who Do You Think You Are Magazine 'A remarkable collection of stories...a rich and moving book' Mail on Sunday 'Summers is a good and knowledgeable writer...powerful, emotional stuff' Independent 'A poignant, lingering account' BBC History Magazine 'A revelation - full of information, reminiscences, humour and social history. Reading it not only gave me great pleasure but also made me proud to be a member of such a long lasting, valuable and vital organisation' Helen Carey OBE, former chairman of the National Federation of Women's Institutes

General

Imprint: Simon & Schuster
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Release date: March 2018
Authors: Julie Summers
Dimensions: 234 x 153 x 33mm (L x W x T)
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 464
ISBN-13: 978-1-4711-5253-5
Categories: Books > Arts & Architecture > Architecture > Residential buildings, domestic buildings > Palaces, chateaux, country houses
Books > Humanities > History > British & Irish history > General
Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history
Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Military history
Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > War & defence operations > Battles & campaigns
Books > Humanities > History > World history > From 1900 > Second World War
Books > History > British & Irish history > General
Books > History > History of specific subjects > Military history
Books > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history
Books > History > World history > From 1900 > Second World War
LSN: 1-4711-5253-7
Barcode: 9781471152535

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!

Partners