Britain in the Second World War

Was the Second World War a great turning-point in British social history? This concise, readable volume provides original documents from the war years which will help the reader evaluate claims that the war introduced a new sense of social solidarity and social idealism which led to a consensus on welfare state reform.

It provides important evidence and employment policy, race relations and anti-semitism, women, health and the family, in addition to examining the blitz, evacuation and the making of social policy. Special attention is paid to the internal debate within the Conservative Party on the Beveridge Report and the proposed national health service. Many of the documents are drawn from the Public Record office and have not previously been published.