Overview

A gripping new history of London during the Blackout—revealing the violent crime that spread across the capital under the cover of darkness Fear was the unacknowledged spectre haunting the streets of London during the Second World War; fear not only of death from the German bombers circling above, but of violence at the hands of fellow Londoners in the streets below. Mass displacement, the anonymity of shelters, and the bomb-scarred landscape offered unprecedented opportunities for violent crime. In this absorbing, sometimes shocking account, Amy Helen Bell uncovers the hidden stories of murder and violence that were rife in wartime London. Bell moves through the city, examining the crimes in their various locations, from domestic violence in the home to robberies in the blacked-out streets and fights in pubs and clubs. She reveals the experiences of women, children, and the elderly, and focuses on the lives of the victims, as well as their deaths. This groundbreaking study transforms our understanding of the ways in which war made people vulnerable—not just to the enemy, but to each other.

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9780300270051

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Reviews

"""Second World War London, with its blackouts, bombing raids, and continual movements of people, provided the perfect opportunities for murder. History has tended to focus only on the police investigation of wartime killings while ignoring their social contexts and the lives of the victims, many of whom were women. Amy Bell's expertly researched, haunting account of Blitz murders gives us a fresh view of the wartime city and its vulnerable, desperate citizens.""—Alan Allport, author of Britain at Bay ""An original and thrilling social history of wartime London, revealing the darkness beyond the blackout with a forensic but sensitive touch.""—Jane Robinson, author of Bluestockings ""A fascinating, lively, and engrossing read. Bell gives us a fresh perspective on the terrifying, claustrophobic conditions of ‘blackout,’ and rather than sensationalising the murders that took place, breathes new life into the experiences of their victims.""—Eloise Moss, author of Night Raiders   ""A richly evocative account of a time when Londoners feared bombs and rockets killing them more than they did their fellow citizens despite a dramatic leap in the murder rate. Bell explores the lives and deaths of those murdered on the Home Front carefully and empathetically, restoring their humanity and revealing them to be victims of war as well as murder victims.""—Mark Roodhouse, author of Black Market Britain, 1939-1955"

Author Information

Amy Helen Bell is professor of history at Huron University College, University of Western Ontario. Her research focuses on the social and cultural history of twentieth-century Britain, particularly London. She is the author of Murder Capital, London Was Ours, and Life Sentence.

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