{"product_id":"dads-army-the-glorious-true-story-of-the-home-guard","title":"Dad's Army","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe remarkable story of the real 'Dad's Army', from the bestselling historian of \u003ci\u003eThe Secret Life of Bletchley Park\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e 'Impeccably researched and deliciously entertaining, \u003ci\u003eDad's Army\u003c\/i\u003e shines a bright searchlight on to an organization dismissed for far too long as humorously incompetent' - Giles Milton, author of the \u003ci\u003eThe Stalin Affair\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e With the threat of invasion from Hitler's forces looming large in 1940, British men of all ages and backgrounds assembled under the banner of the Home Guard. At its height, this voluntary force, much later nicknamed 'Dad's Army', was made up of almost two million volunteers prepared to defend every corner of the kingdom. Numerous notable figures were involved including George Orwell, A. A. Milne, and C. S. Lewis; many women took part too, including in the Women's Home Defence Force, which was formed in 1941.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In \u003ci\u003eDad's Army\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Sinclair McKay tells the remarkable story of these courageous, highly trained and often pioneering men and women through original archival research, vivid storytelling and insights into the beloved television comedy that has shaped the national memory of the Home Guard.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Far from the stereotype of charming incompetence, McKay shows that the Home Guard were in fact entirely serious in their approach. Many volunteers had fought in the First World War, and radical veterans from the Spanish Civil War taught new techniques in lethal guerilla fighting.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Chocolate-box village greens throughout the country were reimagined as bloody battlefields, with duties including rifle and mortar training, night-time patrols and manning anti-aircraft guns - all on top of volunteers' everyday jobs. Yet all of this was underpinned by an essential good humour, with moments of levity and camaraderie vital in keeping up a much-needed spirit of defiance.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e With its vibrant personalities and touch of nostalgia, \u003ci\u003eDad's Army\u003c\/i\u003e tells this extraordinary story in full colour.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e'One of my favourite historians' Dan Snow\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unity Books","offers":[{"title":"Dad's Army : The Glorious True Story of the Home Guard","offer_id":46279274725573,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0625\/6679\/3413\/files\/978-0-241-77232-4.jpg?v=1779758223","url":"https:\/\/unitybooks.myshopify.com\/products\/dads-army-the-glorious-true-story-of-the-home-guard","provider":"Unity Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}