''Endlessly fascinating. . . White is such a brilliant historian'' Mail on Sunday

Lasting for six long years, the Blitz transformed life in the capital beyond recognition, marking a time of almost constant anxiety, disruption, deprivation and sacrifice for Londoners. With the capital the nation''s frontline during the Second World War, by its end, 30,000 inhabitants had lost their lives.

While much has been written about ''the Myth of the Blitz'', its riveting social history has often been overlooked. Unearthing what it was actually like for those living through those tempestuous years, Jerry White paints a fascinating portrait of the daily lives of ordinary Londoners, telling the story through their own voices.

''As a history of the capital in wartime, it is probably unsurpassable'' Sunday Telegraph

''An impressive history of the capital at war. . . White, an accomplished chronicler of London''s history, tells it with brio and a confident mastery of the sources'' Literary Review