Nella Last's War: The Second World War Diaries of Housewife, 49

In September 1939, housewife and mother Nella Last began a diary whose entries, in their regularity, length and quality, have created a record of the Second World War which is powerful, fascinating and unique. When war broke out, Nella's younger son joined the army while the rest of the family tried to adapt to civilian life. Writing each day for the Mass Observation project, Nella, a middle-aged housewife from the bombed town of Barrow, shows what people really felt during this time. This was the period in which she turned 50, saw her children leave home, and reviewed her life and her marriage - which she eventually compares to slavery. Her growing confidence as a result of her war work makes this a moving (though often comic) testimony, which, covering sex, death and fear of invasion, provides a new, unglamorised, female perspective on the war years.'Next to being a mother, I'd have loved to write books.' Oct 8, 1939

Author: Nella Last
Publisher: Ips - Profile Books
Published: 01/01/2009
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.53lbs
Size: 7.84h x 5.20w x 0.81d
ISBN13: 9781846680007
ISBN10: 184668000X
BISAC Categories:
- Biography & Autobiography | Historical
- Biography & Autobiography | Women
- History | Military | World War II

About the Author
Nella Last kept a diary throughout WWII, under the auspices of the Mass Observation Archive. Her record of events offers a unique insight into one woman's war - on the Home Front. She died in 1968. Richard Broad is a filmmaker; he lives in Ireland. Suzie Fleming is a feminist writer and speaker; she lives in Cornwall.