Early Twentieth Century ¦ World War II

Can there be a more stimulating way of learning about the recent past than straight from the horse's mouth?

These fascinating books are each based on the recollections of a living person - 83-year-old Nancy Emery, one of nine daughters of a Yorkshire cattle dealer, and 56-year-old Charlie Jones from Stoke Newington, North London who still lives not far from his birthplace. Although their eras and backgrounds are very different, the common preoccupations of childhood - family life, friends, school, entertainment and, eventually, work - are mutual themes explored through entertaining and informative narrative.

The inclusion of personal family photographs in addition to a well-chosen selection of contemporary archive material further enhances the individual perspective, whilst recent photographs of significant locations and buildings provide an interesting up-date to the memoirs. The rather cluttered page layouts seem in keeping with the family album approach.

Each book concludes with a glossary, a photospread of newsworthy events of the period, and suggestions as to how young readers might conduct similar research amongst their own families and neighbours - inspired perhaps by such poignant reminiscences as Charlie's first encounter with tapioca after he was evacuated to a strict convent school in Letchworth: 'It was so horrible seeing it for the first time.'