The moving and dramatic account, in words and pictures, of how the London borough of Southwark survived the Blitz

A concise and balanced view of what is known as the Blitz on London. The title emphasizes bombing over blitz and recognises that the meaning of ‘the Blitz’ has now acquired other general connotations and is often equated to ‘Britain in wartime’ or the spirit of carrying on.

On 10-11 May 1941, Londoners thought the Nazi bombs would never stop falling as the London Blitz reached its furious zenith. These are the true stories from the survivors of one of the longest nights in the Second World War 'An excellent book . . . Mortimer has interviewed scores of survivors for this gripping tale' Scotland on Sunday On the afternoon of Saturday 10 May 1941, crowds gather at Wembley to watch Arsenal play Preston in the Cup Final. Australian journalist John Hughes starts his shift at Reuters in Fleet Street; 20-year-old Reenie Carter reports for duty at her fire station in Westminster Abbey; RAF pilot Guy Gibson relaxes in the sun before his night patrol; Vera Lynn drives in for an evening concert. Meanwhile, thousands of German airmen are preparing for a massive night raid. Gavin Mortimer has interviewed many survivors of this night to reveal the reality of the London Blitz. In a matter of hours, 1,486 Londoners were killed, 11,000 houses were destroyed, and millions of lives were changed for ever.

On September 7, 1940, the Blitz began. The bombing of London, by over one thousand planes on that night alone, was recognised at the time as being a direct measure to break the country's resistance. This book tells of the impact that this terror from the skies had on British people and the course of war.

Through a series of five walks this book discovers the sights, sounds and experience of the capital at war; it details the remaining tangible evidence of the dark days via air raid shelter signs, bomb damage on buildings and memorials detailing heroic and often tragic events. The new routes cover a wide area of London and reveal further evidence of the experiences of four years air war in the skies above our capital city. The East End & Docks, Greenwich, Holborn, Bermondsey, Southwark and the West End are all featured, along with detailed maps and numerous contemporary photographs that accompany the text for each walk. The book also contains a number of appendices relating to the wider picture of the war. A well deserved story of Londons Home Guard is told. A list of Civil Defense casualties that occurred within the boroughs covered by the walks is included as well as a detailed list of the locations of wartime fire and ambulance stations across the capital.This book will appeal to both the enthusiast and anyone with an interest in Londons past. It is a further record of the memories and tangible evidence of this dramatic period of our capitals past and a tribute to those who lived through the Blitz and sadly so often, those who did not.

A unique way to experience the history of London during the Blitz of World War II through seven leisurely and informative walks. In Walking the London Blitz, Clive Harris guides you on a highly informative tour through one of World War II’s most pivotal and devastating military campaigns. By means of seven easily manageable walks and accompanying maps and photographs, anyone—from history buffs to tourists to seasoned armchair travelers—can experience the significant sites of those dark days when the German Luftwaffe relentlessly bombed Great Britain between 1940 and 1941. Some of the walking tours include: Bank Station to London Bridge Station; Ludgate Circus to Trafalgar Square; Marble Arch to the Cabinet War Rooms; Hyde Park Corner to Westminster; and London Bridge to St. Paul’s. Using rich anecdotes and first-hand accounts, the suffering and bravery of ordinary Britons in the face of Hitler’s V-weapon attacks comes to life.

Follows historical events in London's history and the persons who had or have inhabited London.

A historical narrative of Germany's 1940 Luftwaffe attack on London vividly reconstructs the events of December 29 during which Hitler's forces attempted to burn the city to the ground, in an account told from the perspectives of everyday survivors as well as such figures as Edward R. Morrow and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Between 1940 and 1945 London suffered 101 daylight and 253 nighttime air raids from the Luftwaffe and V1 and V2’s. There were 80,000 fatalities or serious injuries and appalling devastation. Well documented as these horrific events are, there was another major threat – the all too real possibility of widespread flooding whenever the Nazi onslaught breached the Thames’ river defenses. This superbly researched and illustrated book describes the vital role and unsung achievements of the London County Council emergency repair teams ably led by Chief Engineer Thomas Peirson Frank. Three rapid response units were formed and, in the event, undertook repairs to over 100 breaches of the flood defenses, thus saving the Capital from drowning. We also learn of the fate of London’s docks and bridges and of the ships, boats and barges lost in the estuary and tideway. This fascinating account has been compiled by the Thames Discovery Programme team and, 80 years on, pays tribute to the noncombatants who kept the major port running and saved London.

“An emotionally stirring account of the single most devastating attack on London during the Blitz… A captivating and important contribution… History that reads like a novel.”—Kirkus The untold story of the massive bombing raid that almost brought Britain to military collapse, The Longest Night reveals just how close the Luftwaffe came to total victory. On the night of May 10, 1941, Nazi Germany sent some five hundred aircraft to drop more than seven hundred tons of explosives on London. This vivid, dramatically told account depicts how fate shifted based on Hitler's mistaken belief that he'd actually lost the air war over Britain, and portrays the unsurpassed, "we-can-take-it" bravery of the British people when they'd been pushed beyond all human endurance. “An excellent book… Gavin Mortimer has interviewed scores of survivors for his gripping narrative.”—Andrew Roberts, The Wall Street Journal