{"product_id":"the-country-house-at-war-9780300290134","title":"The Country House at War : A Story of Loss, Reinvention and the Birth of a New Britain","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe story of how English country houses were repurposed during the Second World War, told through the lives of those who lived and worked in them\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the Second World War, country houses across England were requisitioned by the government for the war effort. These homes opened their doors to evacuated children, were transformed into hospitals, and played host to training camps for the armed forces. The care of the estates was often left to young women and the elderly, who had to completely change the running of their homes to accommodate essential wartime activities.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this fascinating history, Judith S. Lewis explores the lives of country houses during the Second World War. Some homes were requisitioned for intelligence operations, like Audley End, which was used as the headquarters of the Polish Section of SOE, whereas others, like West Wycombe, were used to house artefacts of national importance. Examining the long legacy of the war, Lewis reveals why some houses survived, whether as family homes, museums, or public parks, while others simply disappeared altogether.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor: Judith S. Lewis\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch4\u003eUnited Kingdom, Great Britain, 20th century, c 1939 to c 1945 (including WW2), British \u0026amp; Irish history, 20th century history: c 1900  to c 2000, Social \u0026amp; cultural history, Second World War\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003ch5\u003ePublished on 25 Aug 2026 by Yale University Press.\u003c\/h5\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHardback\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Judith S. Lewis","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57321042051450,"sku":"9780300290134","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0373\/4125\/files\/24899083482294.jpg?v=1790669836","url":"https:\/\/belfastbooks.co.uk\/products\/the-country-house-at-war-9780300290134","provider":"Belfast Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}