As life on the Home Front became less tedious and instead much, so Entertainment was important in providing escape from the difficult and dangerous times of war. Radio, cinema, and dancing were increasingly seen as ways to improve morale.
The British came up with clever means of boosting morale. Music While You Work was broadcast twice daily, halfway through shifts when production might be flagging. The choice of music encouraged workers to whistle or sing along.
There was plenty of controversy over what was acceptable. Most requests sent in by soldiers were for sentimental tunes, with recordings by Miss Vera Lynn specifically and predominantly asked for. But the argument by those who wanted her off the air that her sentimental songs were bad for morale.
If one song were to perfectly encapsulate the overriding wartime experiences of the heartbreak of parting and the enduring hope of eventual reunion, it was ‘We’ll Meet Again’.
The closing of places of entertainment was bad for morale, but the loss of life at a crowded dance hall or cinema always raised the question of the wisdom of allowing such events to go ahead in areas most likely to be targeted by the Luftwaffe.
Also touched on are rationing—Britain relied heavily on imports for its food, especially meat and fruit. The authorities came down hard on the ‘abuse’ of petrol. A man was fined for wasting it because he was caught driving to watch a derby.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Wartime Entertainment How Britain Kept Smiling Through the Second World War is so much more than a nostalgic trip amongst the entertainers of the time, the familiar films, and the impact of food rationing. All these topics are covered, and include material that is not well known, but where this book shines is in the information about less well-known aspects of Second World War entertainment. The material is enhanced with the occasional comment from the authors – tart, humorous or poignant and anecdotal evidence from conversations recorded at the time or recalled by those were war time adults and children. This, together with the immense amount of research that must have gone into Anton Rippon’s and Nicola Rippon’s book, makes it a tome of testimony to the range of entertainment, ideas, government responses and community acceptance, together with the thrill of finding f new aspects of entertainment on offer at the time. Written in the familiar Pen & Sword style of accessible and lively language, this work stands out as one to devour.

The debates in parliament, the media and amongst interest groups are a fascinating insight into the way in which concern for human life, concern for maintaining the human spirit, clinging to familiarity and the economics of reducing large scale entertainment battled to gain precedence. Sporting and cultural activities became sources of conflict off the field and stage because the large numbers in a confined space were seen as a likely focus for bombing. The arguments and solutions make interesting reading, reminiscent of those that have recently occurred around the Covid 19 pandemic – what are the relative merits of high-level risk to life when considered against the need for social activity? Other debates were more practical – should petrol and public transport be used when both were essential to the war effort? Debates around all the entertainment options are well articulated in this book and are valuable sources of the way in which the war was approached as well as providing information about entertainment.

Wartime Entertainment How Britain Kept Smiling Through the Second World War is a splendid source of information, with details of sources, an index, and photographs.

War! Hah! What is it good for?
Actually, as this book reminds us, it can be pretty good for generating entertainment as in the Second World War, musicians, actors, comedians and broadcasters alike rallied in an effort to keep morale levels high.
Whether it was George Formby playing on his little ukulele, radio comedians delivering popular but now meaningless catchphrases or Vera Lynn belting out emotionally charged classics, this book serves as a useful reminder of the vital role entertainment played in defeating Hitler.