Introduction

War invariably brings suffering, even when the conflict is confined to opposing armed forces. Between 1939 and 1945, the civilian population in Britain was exposed to the grim realities of war to an unprecedented degree. Even man, woman and child was in the firing line, most dramatically at the moment of expected invasion in the summer of 1940. 'The Good War' includes a few interviews with people who were in Britain during the second world war. The best-known social histories of the second world war, such as those by Angus Calder, Norman Longmate, Arthur Marwick and Tom Harrisson have also focused on the experiences of ordinary people, but have relied almost entirely on written documents. Few general books published about the second world war have used the method of gathering evidence. Several local history or oral reminiscence projects have focused on the period, and then produced a booklet or pamphlet which encapsulates the memories of a particular group or community.