book falls into three parts, the setting up of the Bevin Boys, their time down the mines and the end of the war and beyond.
The problem is that the long middle part could be about any mineworkers as it describes the conditions that they work in therefore it just feels like a book about mining Much to my shame, I know very little about the history of mining in this country.
My grandfather was a miner, and his stories of life in the mines hid the horrors of what it was truly like, This book explores what it was for those that were effectively conscripted to go into the pits, to hew coal for their country, and the unfairness that followed as the war ended and they tried to return to their normal lives.
The value of this book lies in the recording of the histories of the miners who lived through this, voices that otherwise be lost as they years pass.
The research was solid, the writing consistent, As I explore my own heritage, my own history, this book has been a real gem, Needed better proof reading and sometimes better editing as the odd bit was unclear, Otherwise very interesting and well written, At the outbreak of war, the government shortsightedly allowed thousands of miners to enlist in the armed services, Bythe war effort was in danger of grinding to a halt because of a lack of coal, In answer, Minister of Labour Ernest Bevin sought service volunteers, and compulsorily sent,yearoldswho had
expected to fight for their countrydown the mines with them.
Some were so angry that they preferred to go to prison, though the majority went to do their best, But some were psychologically or physically unsuited to such dangerous and arduous work, Many were injured some died, This study paints a picture not just of the arduous life below ground but as the Bevin Boys found it in the tightlyknit mining communities, which in some cases welcomed them but in others treated them with hostility.
This is an enthralling oral and social history of an episode of the Second World War that has never been fully told, Tom Hickman has worked as features writer, features editor and editor on various national magazines, newspapers and for the BBC, .