Description
Book Synopsis"Amazing & Extraordinary Facts: London at War" is a unique collection of surprising revelations, heroic deeds and other quirky pieces of trivia from the conflicts that have shaped London’s fascinating past. From British wartime commanders and other characters who called London their home, through the privations of war and their social impact, to the devastation caused by the Blitz in World War II and London’s subsequently resilience, an intriguing history is revealed. With stories of human endeavour in the face of adversity, the rich history of this great capital city at war is revealed.
Table of Contents1 Introduction 8
2 Cousins at war 10
3 Essex rebels 11
4 Curious encounter 14
5 Scathing reports 16
6 Mafeking is relieved 18
7 Concealing German spies? 20
8 Don't upset the family 21
9 Underground refuges 22
10 Preferable to hobbledehoys 23
11 Wearing the trousers 25
12 Standing in line 26
13 London to the Lake District 27
14 What did they live on? 30
15 Spivs at your service 32
16 Man of vision 33
17 Nowhere is sacred 36
18 Not fine dining 37
19 Covering costs 40
20 Miracles of science 42
21 Unduly pessimistic 43
22 Shelter from Hitler's wrath 45
23 Spitfires from saucepans? 47
24 Against the odds 49
25 Making the best of it 51
26 No guarantee of safety 54
27 Troglodytic existence 55
28 'Sardines in a gigantic tin' 57
29 On the Nazi death list 59
30 Origins of 007 60
31 Ministry of Truth 61
32 Closely guarded secrets 64
33 Famously taciturn 65
34 Dynamic force 67
35 Mickey the Midget 69
36 Cover at home 71
37 Looking the East End in the face 73
38 Bull and Bush 75
39 World's longest factory 77
40 Mysterious tunnels 78
41 Evacuating London 80
42 'Patron of our age' 83
43 Phoney war 84
44 Back and forth 85
45 Attendant inconveniences 87
46 'Clear Hospitals' 89
47 Increasingly irritating 90
48 Owing it all to Hitler 91
49 Mass audience 94
50 Philosophy and health 96
51 Asserting 'eternal values' 98
52 Paternoster Row hit 99
53 Obvious exception 101
54 Publishing success 104
55 Not forgotten 106
56 Not all heroes 108
57 Valued allies 110
58 Rather ambiguous 111
59 Little America 113
60 Knights errant 117
61 Question of colour 119
62 Making a point 121
63 Sheer necessity 122
64 In uniform 124
65 Khaki brigade 125
66 Valiant warriors 128
67 Amazing devices 130
68 At ease, Home Guard 132
69 Index
