Scottish Society in the Second World War - by Michelle Moffat

About the Book

Uncovers a distinctly Scottish experience of the Second World War

Book Synopsis

Surprisingly little is known about Scottish experiences of the Second World War. Scottish Society in the Second World War addresses this oversight by providing a pioneering account of society and culture in wartime Scotland. While significantly illuminating a pivotal episode in Scottish history, this book also charts the uncertainties that permeated Scottish society at that time: relating to nationhood, to cultural identity, to Scotland's place within the Union, and towards the country's future.
Using recently discovered archives, this text examines key aspects of wartime life, including work, leisure, morale, and religion. It also explores the underlying tension between conformity and resistance, and the ways that social fissures shaped Scottish responses to war. Further, in taking a national approach to the British home front, it draws out areas of cultural difference between Scotland and established scholarship on other nations and regions of Britain.

Review Quotes

A path-breaking and thorough study of Scotland during World War 2 which is a major contribution to twentieth-century Scottish history and to the documentation of Britain's experience at war.--Sir Thomas Martin Devine, University of Edinburgh