An extraordinary account - from firsthand sources - of upper class women and the active part they took in the War
Pre-war debutantes were members of the most protected, not to say isolated, stratum of 20th-century society: the young (17-20) unmarried daughters of the British upper classes. For most of them, the war changed all that for ever. It meant independence and the shock of the new, and daily exposure to customs and attitudes that must have seemed completely alien to them. For many, the almost military regime of an upper class childhood meant they were well suited for the no-nonsense approach needed in wartime.
This book records the extraordinary diversity of challenges, shocks and responsibilities they faced - as chauffeurs, couriers, ambulance-drivers, nurses, pilots, spies, decoders, factory workers, farmers, land girls, as well as in the Women's Services. How much did class barriers really come down? Did they stick with their own sort? And what about fun and love in wartime - did love cross the class barriers?
| ISBN: | 9781474625166 |
| Publication date: | 5th May 2022 |
| Author: | Anne De Courcy |
| Publisher: | Weidenfeld & Nicolson an imprint of Orion |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 352 pages |
| Series: | Women in History |
| Genres: |
History Second World War Social and cultural history Modern warfare |
An extraordinary account - from firsthand sources - of upper class women and the active part they took in the War
Pre-war debutantes were members of the most protected, not to say isolated, stratum of 20th-century society: the young (17-20) unmarried daughters of the British upper classes. For most of them, the war changed all that for ever. It meant independence and the shock of the new, and daily exposure to customs and attitudes that must have seemed completely alien to them. For many, the almost military regime of an upper class childhood meant they were well suited for the no-nonsense approach needed in wartime.
This book records the extraordinary diversity of challenges, shocks and responsibilities they faced - as chauffeurs, couriers, ambulance-drivers, nurses, pilots, spies, decoders, factory workers, farmers, land girls, as well as in the Women's Services. How much did class barriers really come down? Did they stick with their own sort? And what about fun and love in wartime - did love cross the class barriers?
Debs at War features in the following genres: History, Second World War, Social and cultural history, Modern warfare
Debs at War is available in Paperback
Debs at War was written by Anne De Courcy and published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson an imprint of Orion
Debs at War has 352 pages
Yes it is part of Women in History series
£11.69