The Second World War is a very interesting and fascinating time in the history of the world. Being able to find more about what happed in that time in a specific place is educational.

The author offers a lot of details, some of them interesting, some of them no so much. I think that If you know London a little bit can be more fascinating.

A good read for history lovers and travelers.

When I’m asked where I’m from, I usually reply, “London.” It’s a place almost everyone has heard of, unlike the actual towns where I spent my first nine years. Truthfully, I lived in Sutton and Kingston. These are towns in the county of Surrey, and both are London boroughs. My paternal grandparents were also born in south London, in the boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth. When I think of London, the urban sprawl both sides of the River Thames comes to mind. So, it’s no wonder I had a moment of confusing London with the City of London when I first saw this book title. The City of London is the square mile north of the river, the business district, and the ancient city established by the Romans. This is the area author Stephen Wynn focuses on in the latest in the “Your Towns and Cities in World War Two” series put out by British publisher Pen and Sword.

This is the first time I’d read one of these titles, so I wasn’t sure of the format. Would it be in depth or mostly pictorial? What I got was a journal of sorts, a chronological telling of war-related events from 1939 to 1945. Subjects vary and jump around. In one paragraph I read about the last execution at the Tower of London (not actually part of the City), and the next paragraph was about the creation of a war time hospital. Global events such as the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising are also included. Occasionally, the author includes subjective observations on subjects such as guest lists for formal luncheons. There are some amazing photographs, ones that translate very clearly into the Kindle format I read. I only wish there were more.

Yes, there are negatives to the book. I was disappointed to see the author reference Wikipedia at one point. I wish the electronic copy clearly separated quotes from the author’s words. There isn’t a detailed notes/bibliography, so I couldn’t go to the source for more detail on particular events. If the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is included, why aren’t war time events in Greater London also mentioned? The author acknowledges that the Tower of London isn’t in the City of London, so why does it merit an entire chapter? The author states it’s because most people would associate it with the City, but I’d say – with a personal bias – that many London boroughs such as Southwark might also be associated in the same fashion. I’d have also been interested in daily life for those who did live in the City. How was rationing, for example? Were there fines for not having blackout curtains? Were local pubs still open? How much was a pint of beer?

Okay, so what’s good about City of London at War? I’ve already mentioned the clarity of the photographs. I like that it’s broken down by year, and in chronological order. It’s a good resource for any “On This Day” feature, although the lack of bibliography doesn’t help. I learned the sort of tasks my great uncle would have done as a member of the Air Raid Precautions Service, and it was good to see that women had important roles in the Civil Defence Service as well.

The most poignant parts of the book, however, are the lists of the dead. Not every casualty from the Blitz is noted, but those who died at or near underground stations due to German bombing are included. We get their names, ages, where they lived, and who they left behind. Towards the end of the book, the author provides the same information for all those who with London connections who gave their lives fighting for our freedoms in Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. We owe them a great debt, and this is a nice gesture for the families.

So maybe I didn’t get much of an insight into the lives of my south London family members during World War Two. This is still an interesting overview, and a good beginning point. Now that I’m familiar with the series and know what to expect, I’d like to see the title about Tynemouth and the upcoming book about South Shields because I had family members who did live and work in those areas during the war.

Disclaimer: Although I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley, the words and opinions below are my own.

Perhaps the fact that I have read many books on London, The Blitz and WW II as well as living there for a number of years. I have read many moving and fascinating stories about that time. All one has to do is view the pictures of the destruction and carnage to feel a strong affinity to the people of London. For that reason, I am not as impressed with this book as I might have been. It was filled with details and information but it seemed to lack the soul that lifts pure history from facts and data to the stories of real live people.
That is not to say the author did not give glimmers of what might have been. Several times during the book, he stopped to tell more of the backstory of an individual or an event. At those times, the book became more personal and more compelling.
If, however, it is is a fact filled book that you seek, this does the job admirably. It even lists the dead who were connected in one way or another to the City. I want that information but I also want to be moved.
Three purrs and two paws up.

The author's writing was so vivid that it was easy to picture what life was like in London during the war. The bravery of the staff at St. Bart's is something that I had never heard of before reading this book. To stay open to help those that need it as bombs are being dropped on the city is truly heroic. I definitely recommend this one.

I was expecting something much different from this book. I was thinking we would see personal accounts of those who experienced the war or survived the war from the City of London - something personal anyway. Instead we primarily seem to get detailed lists of damaged buildings and people who died as well as the efforts the city made during the war. While all of this was still fascinating, especially when we get to the Tower of London (which is mentioned even though it isn't in the City of London) and the Women's Voluntary Services (WVS), it just wasn't what I thought it was going to be. There is so much more I'd like to know about a lot of the events and people mentioned here, especially the women of the WVS during wartime. In my opinion the photos featured in this book really make it since most of them I'd never seem before.

Wonderful read I’ve always been fascinated by that time in history,Reading about the people their daily lives during Ww2 so well written so informative really enjoyed the glimpse at their world their time.#netgalley#penn&sword

Wonderful book. Great to read true stories of WWII well written. Author tells of the life of the people living through the bombing of London

I really enjoy the books in this series and this one was a pleasure to read, as I have said in previous reviews for books in the series, the photographs and the captions that illustrate the series are what makes the books in the series so special to read for me.

This book focuses a lot on the buildings and infrastructure and how this was impacted. The City of London is not a large area generally, and it is known as the Square Mile, but the impact of the War was great. The book highlights too those that lost their lives that had links to the area to really bring home how the War affected those in the City boundary.

I love the insight that is given to the social history of the time too that enables the reader to step back in time and experience what it would have been like during this period - the book was well researched and well written and I found it to be an easy read – the author clearly knows his topic and that shines through as you read it.

It is 4.5 stars from me for this one – very highly recommended – I thought that it was a great read and a great insight into what it would have been like in the City of London during the period of World War II.

"City of London at War 1939–45" eBook was published in 2020 (June) and was written by Stephen Wynn (http://www.stephenwynn.co.uk/). Mr. Wynn has published nearly 40 books.

I categorize this novel as ‘G’. The book gives many details of life in London during WWII.

London was certainly going to be a target for the German Luftwaffe. The book documents the results of the German air raids. Lists of casualties are given for some of the more devastating attacks. There is particular focus to the eight months of Blitz between September 1940 and May 1941. Stories of individuals who survived the bombings are told.

I enjoyed the 2.5+ hours I spent reading this 224-page history. I did enjoy reading about the trials and tribulations of Londoners. The long lists of casualties was something that I found myself just skimming over. I do like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a 3.6 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

An interesting read, well researched and well written.
I liked how the book is organised and the style of writing. It's an excellent history book and I highly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This is a comprehensive look at the people and buildings in just the "City of London" during the war years. This doesn't mean London, but the square mile or so that makes up the City of London. As such, it wasn't as comprehensive or in-depth as I was hoping. I am fascinated by The Blitz and love to read about how every day people dealt with that. I thought this book would be full of that but the City is mainly office space; as such, there aren't a lot of Blitz stories from civilians. There isn't much in the way of personal accounts. There are lots of lists and a comprehensive detailing of what certain people were doing or where they died, but no human elements to go along with that.
Thank you to NetGalley and especially the publisher, who granted my wish to read this book!