Scottish Society in the Second World War

Utilises fresh archival evidence to significantly advance our knowledge of Scottish experiences of war Surprisingly little is known about Scottish experiences of the Second World War. Scottish Society in the Second World War addresses this gap in the research by providing a pioneering account of society and culture in wartime Scotland. Through investigating recently discovered archives, this text examines key aspects of wartime life, including work, leisure, morale and religion. It also explores the underlying tension between conformity and resistance, and the ways that social fissures shaped Scottish responses to war. While significantly illuminating a pivotal episode in Scottish history, this book also charts the uncertainties related to nationhood, cultural identity, Scotland's place within the Union and the country's future that permeated Scottish society at that time. By doing this it interrogates wartime conceptions of community and examines how the national emphasis on British unity played out in a fragmented Scottish nation. In taking a national approach to the British home front, it draws out areas of cultural difference between Scotland and other nations and regions in Britain as represented in established scholarship. This book reinserts the voices of Scots and those living in Scotland into the narrative of Britain's Second World War years. Key features and benefits: - The first academic monograph that attempts a national approach to the British home front - Provides an original overview of Scottish society during the Second World War - Makes a significant contribution to knowledge of Scottish culture and society during the twentieth century - Uses a diverse and largely untapped range of archival sources - Features 19 black & white illustrations showcasing the everyday lives of people residing in Scotland during the war - Focuses on the experiences of women, children, prisoners of war, Irish people in Scotland and Scottish Jews Dr Michelle Moffat is a historian of war and society, affiliated with the History Programme at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. Her award-winning doctoral research examined Scottish life and society during the Second World War. She is currently researching dissent and discontent in Second World War Scotland.