Primary sources accounts of life during World War II?
Asked by
Ria777 (
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January 12th, 2009
I particularly would like to read homefront accounts of life in the British Isles and during the early part of the war, i.e. 1939–41. looking for diary accounts particularly. I trust works written during the war more than accounts written with twenty years’ hindsight.
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I read a book titled Christobel or Christobal by a young English woman who married a German and was a young wife in Germany. She and her husband missed their chance to get out before the war. It is not about doing heroic things in the underground, it is mainly about what it was like to live a normal in Germany. Very interesting.
I had heard of that book. thank you for the reminder, though, even if mainly want to research life in Great Britain during that time.
thank you, Harp. exactly what I wanted to find.
I don’t know if this is relevant, but my dad has a history book by a man called HAL Fisher (or maybe Fischer). The amazing thing about it is that it was published in 1939, so you get the pre-Holocaust perspective of how people perceived Nazi Germany, Hitler, the Jews. And in the foreword a very interesting and prophetic view of the world and its dynamics at that particular moment in time. I don’t know if it helps you, but to me it was very fascinating to read.
@Jack79. thank you. that sounds very useful. I located the author, but do you think you could find out the name of the book?
Oh it’s either “History of the World” or “History of Europe” or something like that. It’s your basic history book with all the ancient battles and Columbus and Da Vinci and the French Revolution all the way up to 1939.
Could look it up when I see my dad on Friday.
that sounds like enough information for that I could track it down. thanks.
http://www.shvoong.com/books/128245-history-europe/
I think this is the extract I meant, from the 1938 edition.
”... But when in 1933 Japan broke away from her allies, and by unilateral action seized a province of China, the whole plan for naval disarmament contained in the Treaty of Washington was placed in peril. In point of fact. Japan lost no time in announcing that she did not propose after 1936 to renew the treaty. She was developing a bigger and very controversial policy in China and was resolved upon a bigger navy with which to support it.
As yet there is no agreement as to political objectives in Europe. Germany wishes to absorb Austria. Italy and France are resolved that Austria should maintain her independence. A deep chasm of sentiment and policy sunders Nazi (National Socialist) Germany and the Communist rule of the Soviets. The year which witnessed the return of the Saar to Germany, so far from ushering in a happier period of international relations, has seen darker storm clouds over Europe than any period since the guns stopped firing in the Great War.
Full text at: http://www.johndclare.net/LoN_HALFisher.htm
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