DESPATCHES From the Home Front

An unparalleled account of ordinary life in wartime Britain. From January 1st 1939 to the end of the Second World War Joan Strange kept a daily diary of her experiences. Alongside her record she collected news cuttings photos and cartoons of the time. Her notes range from the dramatic events of the world stage to the domestic difficulties of having in wartime Worthing. Comments on her allotment lie alongside speeches from Hitler and Churchill. The diary is a delightful mix of the mundane and the momentous and reveals much about the English character - quiet courage and unfailing optimism. 'Most surprising.. . it has a universality...the voice of the ordinary citizen.' ANNE CHISHOIM Times Literary Supplement