Veterans voices from the Commonwealth tell how the Second World War changed their lives irreversibly and blew the British Empire apart.
Christopher Somerville skillfully links these personal testimonies to present an epic which embraces comedy and tragedy, pride and degradation, close comradeship and stark racial prejudice, devotion to the benign Mother Country and a burning desire to see the back of her.
Many of the veterans whom the author interviewed had never before spoken of their war experiences, even to their closest loved one. They cover such topics as attitudes to Britain before and after the war, why Commonwealth citizens offered to fight, and how some volunteers were inspired by their wartime service while others were thoroughly disillusioned. The result is a faithful and unique memoir to the five million Commonwealth citizens who fought for the Allies and the 170,000 who died or went missing.
Contents:
Illustrations
Maps
Introduction
Part 1: Before the Gun
1. Belonging
Part 2: Action
2. Setting Out 1939-40
3. Low Point 1941
4. Turning Round 1942
5. Gathering Ground 1943
6. Big Push 1944
7. Full Tide 1945
Part 3: Aftermath
8. Reckoning
Acknowledgements
Select Bibliography
Chapter Notes
Index
