Air Raids & Ration Books by Mike Brown & Carol Harris

Life on the Home Front in Wartime Britain

A colourful and very knowledgeable book that is packed full of well researched and interesting information all about what life was like for normal families during the war. Topics covered are Air Raids, Gasmasks, The Black out, Food Rationing and Ration books, Food Clothing and much, much more. The authors of this book Mike Brown and Carol Harris leave no stone unturned as this book really does cover each topic very thoroughly and I learnt so much from reading this book.

We learn about handy hints given to the public from magazines and the government also money saving tips about how normal life was affected by War. The book includes some wonderful illustrations, posters and photos that make this book an amazing educational read that I really enjoyed one of the best social history books I have ever read.

To buy this book from Amazon UK click here http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/095527236X

The 1950’s Look - Recreating the Fashions of the Fifties by Mike Brown

This is a fantastic book which covers all aspects of fashion and accessories from the 1950’s. We get to look back to the look of the 1950’s. Topics covered are men, women’s and children’s fashions including clothes, shoes, hats, scarves, gloves, belt, spectacles, jewellery, watches, bags, cases, umbrellas, hairstyles and make-up.

Accompanied by brilliant pictures, photo’s, interesting and fascinating information; my favourite was learning that many men finding out to their cost the slippery properties of the nylon pyjama/sheet combination waking to find themselves on the floor! That made me smile.

There are so amazing advertisements from this period and fashion tips from popular magazines of the time Men Only and Woman’s Weekly.

The book ends with a nice price guide to show a typical price guide, so we can see how much things cost back then.

For someone like myself who was not around in the 1950’s and who is interested in fashion, I found this book a very enjoyable and entertaining read.  I liked how the book also included instructions how to make items and I really liked looking at all the pictures.

Each page in this book is busy, packed with interesting information that helps us create in our minds the look of the 1950’s.

To buy this book from Amazon UK click here http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0955272335

The 1940’s Look by Mike Brown

RECREATING THE FASHIONS, HAIRSTYLES AND MAKE-UP OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR.

This is a fascinating and interesting book about everything to do with the 1940’s look. It covers what people were wearing fashion wise, during the Second World War. Some of the topics covered are hair, make-up, ladies/men’s and children’s fashions, jewellery, shoes, glasses and much more. In the time of ‘Make Do and Mend’ we find out what people were buying and how they bought it. The advice they were given in a time of shortages caused by the War and the impact of rationing.

This book is just brilliant, very well researched and there are some fantastic illustrations and photographs to accompany the information. The information is presented in a bright lively way, which makes the book an enjoyable read.  So if you would like to have a nostalgic look back at the 1940’s. If you are a fan of vintage fashion and are looking to recreate the look of the 1940’s or if you are like me and just have a huge interest in history and learning about the simple everyday things, that you wish they had taught in history at school, to make the lessons much more interesting!

I really enjoyed this bright and colourful book and I learnt a lot from reading it. I will very much look forward to reading more books by author Mike Brown.

Mike Brown is an authority on the Home Front during the Second World War, and is the author of several books, including A Child’s War, Put that Light Out, and is co-author of The Ration Book Diet and the Wartime House.

To buy this book from Amazon UK, click here http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0955272319

The Pin-up in World War II by Mike Brown

This is a well-researched book all about the history of the pin-up. The pin-up usually a photograph or illustration of a semi-nude or nude model, that became popular especially during World War II. The book contains a collection of pin-up pictures accompanied by many interesting and historical pin-up facts. We learn who the first pin-up was and which ones were the most popular during the second world war.  We learn also about the artists behind the pictures and the fashion, the style and the pose of the pictures. The book covers a good nostalgic look back of the pin-up.

Mike Brown was Head of History in a London school. In the absence of a book about the Home Front for his pupils, he decided to write one himself. In so doing he became something of an authority on the Home Front and has to date written many books on the subject, several in conjunction with his wife Carol Harris. They live in South-east London with their sons William and Ralph (when they come back from university to be fed). Mike retired from teaching in July 2010 and now works full-time writing, giving talks and doing research.

To buy this book from Amazon UK, click here http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1781220026