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Synopsis
Very little attention has been given to black British and West African and Caribbean citizens who lived and worked on the ‘front line’ during the Second World War. Yet black people were under fire in cities like Bristol, Cardiff, Liverpool, London and Manchester, and many volunteered as civilian defence workers, such as air-raid wardens, fire-fighters, stretcher-bearers, first-aid workers and mobile canteen personnel. Many helped unite people when their communities faced devastation. Black children were evacuated and entertainers risked death when they took to the stage during air raids. Despite some evidence of racism, black people contributed to the war effort where they could. The colonies also played an important role in the war effort: support came from places as far away as Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana and Nigeria. Mother Country tells the story of some of the forgotten Britons whose contribution to the war effort has been overlooked until now.
'Stephen Bourne brings great natural scholarship and passion to a largely hidden story. He is highly accessible, accurate, and surprising. You always walk away from his work knowing something that you didn't know, that you didn't even suspect. Mother Country is quite simply a home-grown triumph.' Bonnie Greer, playwright and critic
'This absorbing and sometimes salutary story of the black contribution to Britain's war effort is one that urgently needs to be told, and Stephen Bourne has done so with great sensitivity and insight.' Juliet Gardiner, author of Wartime Britain 1939-1945
'Mother Country provides a greater understanding of the contribution to World War Two of the black people of the Commonwealth countries. It will inspire the reader and prove an invaluable research resource.' Alex Pascall OBE
'This timely, accessible, fascinating, hugely enlightening and often moving book finally uncovers a much-neglected part of the story of the black contribution to life on the home front. Essential reading.' Robert Taylor, photographer
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