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Oxford's War - by Ashley Jackson (Hardcover)
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Highlights
- An extraordinary account of Oxford's role in the Second World War.
- About the Author: Ashley Jackson is professor of imperial and military history at King's College London and a visiting fellow of Kellogg College Oxford.
- 408 Pages
- History, Europe
Description
About the Book
"An extraordinary account of Oxford's role in the Second World War. Oxford played a unique part in the national endeavor to defend Britain in the Second World War. Thanks to its proximity to London, the city provided an alternative base for civil servants from the Ministry of Food, the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Home Security, the Ministry of Information, and the Ministry of Works. The Admiralty, the War Office, the Air Ministry, MI5, and Bletchley Park all also had a presence in Oxford. Colleges became military hospitals, evacuee centers, and both cadet and senior officer schools. Students fit for active service took shortened degree courses and underwent military training while they studied. Grassy quadrangles were converted into vegetable plots and the New Bodleian Library provided underground storage for treasures from Parliament and national museums. Drawing on first-hand narratives and the University of Oxford's archival material, this pioneering account reveals the essential role Oxford played in producing military intelligence, creating propaganda, and developing radar and the atomic bomb. It also explores how the university provided sanctuary for academics fleeing fascism who in turn made significant contributions in their fields of expertise, painting an astonishing picture of the war's profound impact on an ancient seat of learning." -- Amazon.Book Synopsis
An extraordinary account of Oxford's role in the Second World War.
Oxford played a unique part in the national endeavor to defend Britain in the Second World War. Thanks to its proximity to London, the city provided an alternative base for civil servants from the Ministry of Food, the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Home Security, the Ministry of Information, and the Ministry of Works. The Admiralty, the War Office, the Air Ministry, MI5, and Bletchley Park all also had a presence in Oxford. Colleges became military hospitals, evacuee centers, and both cadet and senior officer schools. Students fit for active service took shortened degree courses and underwent military training while they studied. Grassy quadrangles were converted into vegetable plots and the New Bodleian Library provided underground storage for treasures from Parliament and national museums.
Drawing on first-hand narratives and the University of Oxford's archival material, this pioneering account reveals the essential role Oxford played in producing military intelligence, creating propaganda, and developing radar and the atomic bomb. It also explores how the university provided sanctuary for academics fleeing fascism who in turn made significant contributions in their fields of expertise, painting an astonishing picture of the war's profound impact on an ancient seat of learning.
Review Quotes
"Ashley Jackson's engrossing new book describes how the city of dreaming spires woke up to the realities of the Second World War. His trawl through the archives has yielded a rich and glittering haul, containing much that will interest more people than mere Oxonians."-- "The Literary Review"
About the Author
Ashley Jackson is professor of imperial and military history at King's College London and a visiting fellow of Kellogg College Oxford.