In UNDER FIRE, Stephen Bourne tells the whole story of Britain's black community during the Second World War. On the home front, civilians came under fire from the Blitz in cities such as Bristol, Cardiff, Liverpool, London and Manchester. Meanwhile, black servicemen and women, many of them volunteers from places as far away as Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana and Nigeria, risked their lives fighting for the Mother Country in the air, at sea and on land. Drawing on first-hand testimonies, Bourne sheds light on a wealth of experiences, from evacuees to entertainers, government officials, prisoners of war and community leaders. Despite facing the discriminatory 'colour bar', many black civilians were determined to contribute to the war effort where they could, volunteering as civilian defence workers - air-raid wardens, fire-fighters, stretcher-bearers and first-aiders. Among those remembered are men and women whose stories have only recently come to light, making UNDER FIRE the definitive account of the bravery and sacrifices of black Britons in wartime.