There were also more immediate dangers raids by German ships on coastal towns, and air raids throughout the country by Zeppelins, and later, aeroplanes. Civilians were also hit by shortages of petrol and clothing, leading to petrol rationing, gas-cars, and standard cloth. Food remained a problem shortages led to food queues, leading to increasing Government control and eventually rationing. The armed forces had first call on men, food, and material, so shortages hit the civilian population hardest replacement labour was found in women, who began to take on work previously the reserve of men in the factories, transport, commerce, and agriculture. This in turn denuded the factories, shops and farms of labour, at a time when industry needed to expand to clothe and supply the armed services, and agriculture needed to fill the shortages of food created by the U-boat assault on our merchant fleet. The war would affect every level of British society first through the urgent need for a massive expansion of the armed forces, drawing in ever-more men from civilian life. Yet this security was an illusion a war of unimaginable scale was just days away. Britain, through its navy, ruled the waves, and a fair part of the world through its Empire. In the summer of 1914, Britain felt secure that the old order was firmly in place. It is less about the big picture of brigades and armies and more about what happened on the ground and how you can link the stories to what you can still see.ĭear Old Blighty: Britain's First World War Home Front It also includes personal stories, the ones normally reserved for the professional guides. The book is packed with over 100 maps, illustrations and photographs showing locations, routes and conditions at the time. There is also contextual information, diagrams and tables to help the understanding of the sites. The book is new and fit for the modern day with GPS locations that can be easily looked up on smart phones and other devices and map diagrams which show how to get the most out of the sites when there. This guidebook by an experienced teacher, explains the sites, the context and the stories in a simple and easily understood way so that you can enjoy your visit more fully. Many people visit the First World War battlefields and leave disappointed, not understanding the connection to the sites they go to or their significance. This is the book that gives you the experience of a professional guide but allows you to dip in and go at your own pace in your own car. This modern and GPS located guidebook to the WW1 battlefields of Ypres and the Somme includes contextual information, maps, photographs and personal stories. Following in the Footsteps of Heroes: A WW1 Guidebook to Ypres and the Somme by Tom Strickland

Bloody British History by Penny Legg