Spellmount Guide to London in the Second World War

During the lead up to and over the course of World War II, London was a city transformed as it simultaneously became the front line and the command center of Allied operations. The scale and speed of the city’s transformation has been unparalleled in London’s history as the government requisitioned buildings and defenses were built while bombing wrought devastation across the city, changing it forever. This book will guide the reader, as a virtual tourist—or a real one—around war-time London. Buildings that had a specific war time use or have a link to an important event that occurred during the war are revealed, along with the often secret activities, known only to a select few at the time, of the organizations who occupied them. Buildings used as air raid shelters, iconic buildings damaged by enemy bombing, and how London itself changed is all brought to life. Clear maps make this a user-friendly guide for the London explorer and the fascinating background information will enthrall the virtual tourist. Selfridges was still a shopper’s paradise during the war—but what did the emporium hide in the basement?