Moshenska, Gabriel Archaeology of the Second World War. Uncovering Britain's Wartime Heritage

The Second World War transformed British society. Men, women and children inhabited the war in every area of their lives, from their clothing and food to schools, workplaces and wartime service. This transformation affected the landscapes, towns and cities as factories turned to war work, beaches were prepared as battlefields and agricultural land became airfields and army camps. Some of these changes were violent: houses were blasted into bombsites, burning aircraft tumbled out of the sky and the seas around Britain became a graveyard for sunken ships. Many physical signs of the war have survived - a vast array of sites and artifacts that archaeologists can explore - and Gabriel Moshenska's book is an essential introduction to them. He shows how archaeology can bring the ruins, relics and historic sites of the war to life, especially when it is combined with interviews and archival research in order to build up a clear picture of Britain and its people during the conflict. His work provides for the first time a broad and inclusive overview of the main themes of Second World War archaeology and a guide to many of the different types of sites in Britain. It will open up the subject for readers who have a general interest in the war and it will be necessary reading and reference for those who are already fascinated by wartime archaeology - they will find something new and unexpected within the wide range of sites featured in the book.

His work provides, for the first time, a broad and comprehensive overview of the main themes of Second World War archaeology and a guide to many of the different types of sites in Britain. It will open up the subject to readers with a general interest in the war and will be essential reading and reference for those already fascinated by wartime archaeology - they will find something new and unexpected in the wide range of sites featured in the book. The Second World War changed British society. Men, women and children experienced the war in every aspect of their lives, from their clothes and food to their schools, workplaces and military service. This change impacted on landscapes, towns and cities as factories were converted to war labour, beaches were turned into battlefields and farmland became airfields and army camps. Some of these changes were violent: houses became bombing sites, burning aeroplanes fell from the sky and the seas around Britain became a graveyard for sunken ships.