Don't assume that it presents an accurate picture of life in post-War Guernsey. It names addresses that have never existed; mis-spells Guernsey names; and to anyone who knows the Channell islands, the history of the Occupation, and of the post-War period when the islands were literally Bankrupt, it is quite obvious that the Authors know very little about the Island; and have drawn their references from a few, populist sources created by non-Residents. There are better books out there - both fiction and non-fiction - which really DO give an accurate background picture of the unique culture of the Anglo-Norman Isles. I've lived in Jersey for over 40 years now; and I married a girl who was of primary-school-age during the Occupation. I was passionately interested in what happened in the C.I. during the Occupation, - and shortly after I met her, I started collecting all the verbal histories I could from her large family, and their friends. Her parents had a Wehrmacht Major forcibly billetted on them, who commandeered the four best rooms in their 4-story house; and this left them sleeping in the attics, and living and cooking in the servants' basement - when they had food to cook, and fuel to cook it with.. "Grim" doesn't even begin to describe the conditions in Jersey and Guernsey during the Occupation for the Population for whom there were NO evacuation ships available in 1940; who perforce had to remain and suffer under Wehrmacht Military Rule. The Island populations were "taken hostage" on an huge scale. - and there was no escape possible. Een though few rabid Nazis seem to have been posted to the Islands, except to Alderney, the helplessness of the Islanders allowed the occupying troops to cmmit all kinds of petty cruelties. - simply because they could; and wpouold not be punixhed under their own CMJ.
Julian Wilson, aka matthew Baker in the SCA. --- On Wed, 8/7/09, Sharon Collier <[email protected]> wrote: From: Sharon Collier <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [h-cost] OT: book recommendation To: "'Historical Costume'" <[email protected]> Date: Wednesday, 8 July, 2009, 8:09 PM I just read a great book, "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society", by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, set in Guernsey right after World War II. Written in the form of letters, for those of you who like that (ala 84 Charring Cross Road). When I tried Google Earth to get a glimpse, it first took me somewhere inland, I had to specify Guernsey ISLAND, instead. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of julian wilson Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 10:05 AM To: Historical Costume Subject: Re: [h-cost] Placenames - was Virginia Women's Colleges in the1960's --- On Wed, 8/7/09, Kate Pinner <[email protected]> wrote: > > Oh, the memories you guys (**that's Jersey for "ya'll"**) are bringing back. COMMENT Not in the Jersey where I live, it isn't.We still speak the Queen's English and also Jersey-French. I really do wish that you Americans, posting on Lists with an international readership,- would remember that if there is a "New Anyplace" in your US place names - then there is an original "Anyplace" - likely back in one of the "old countries" That forgetfulness/ignorance is one reason why my mail from the States sometimes takes weeks to get here, while the USPostal Service tries to find my address more than 3000 miles from where I actually live! It's also the reason why part of my sign-off is usually "dwelling in 'old' Jersey". Anf you'd be surprised at the number of queries that causes, from those whose grasp of Geography & History is somewhat lacking. Matthew Baker, :-)> [ only half-joking] _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
