17 April 2019
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In 1919, as British troops returned home, massive social upheaval was underway.
Author: MIKE HUTTON
Reviewed by: Duncan Evans
In 1919, as British troops returned home, massive social upheaval was underway. First though, Spanish Flu ripped through Europe and tragically, many soldiers who had survived the horrors of the front succumbed to the epidemic. After a brief period of celebration of the Armistice, trouble reared its head as soldiers found that their jobs had been taken by women on lower pay, men who had made fortunes in the war now frequented the London clubs that were previously the province of the upper classes and motor transport started replacing horses. On the one hand there were strikes and riots, there were soldiers and tanks on the streets, but on the other sporting events, cinema, music all provided new sources of entertainment. The Roaring Twenties of sex, drugs and jazz were just around the corner. The author does a great job of making all this accessible and highly entertaining, sprinkling lots of interesting stories along the way. Recommended.
• Amberley Books
• 306 pages • Hardback • £20
As reviewed in The Armourer June 2019
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