Home Fires: The Story of the Women's Institute in the Second World War

Very disappointed that BBC didn't renew. This is an important glimpse into the great contributions women made to the war effort.

CAREFUL. This book is identical to the book Jambusters (only the publishers are different). I ordered both thinking they were two different stories. Was I surprised! The cover of the book reads, "As Seen On Masterpiece PBS," which makes one tend to think it is like the Masterpiece TV program. IT IS NOT. The TV program was very good but had an unsatisfying ending. I thought this book might end with more information. Well, it does not. So two disappointments. But the book has some interesting information about the Women's Institute.

This is a factual, serious book of Women's Institute during it's founding and during WWII. If you are interested in the facts, figures, and nuts and bolts of the WI, this book is for you. This is a reference book for the PBS series. Recommended for the reader who wants the facts behind the story. Deserve an A+++ for serious research.

The original British title was much better than the rather humdrum Home Fires that replaced it in the USA. This was a very loving account of an organisation that has often been the target of humour, but clearly played a vital role for women, especially in rural areas, during WW2, and continues to do so for many. I particularly enjoyed the personal stories told in it.

But for the work of the Women's Institutes in Great Britain, Hitler would not have been turned back from England. It is past time to tell the story of the heroines of World War II whose guts, faith and hard work saved Britain. Well-researched and documented, this book goes beyond the commonly-held belief that the WIs just made a lot of jam during the war. It is a shame that their work was so undervalued. Not only did the countrywomen do their regular tasks, they took up what their men had done as they were off at war. Beyond that, they took in evacuees from the cities, grew and processed extra food, made clothing for refugees, collected donations for the government and many other tasks. I kept wondering if American women today would be willing to do as much for their country. A remarkable story.

WE shared this book at our bookclub and actually I found the TV series of the same stores more interesting as it was easier to be connected with each of the characters

Home Fires is a very good non-fictional portrayal if the Women's Institute, which was a most extraordinary effort by the women of Britain to assist the War Effort, especially during World War II. It may bem in fact the only one of its kind to so thorough cover the subject, and its material is fascinating. If I have any objection at all, it is in its marketing. I had watched the series of the same name and was stunned by its abrupt ending, the mother of all cliff-hangers, when the story itself should have gone on for another season. I turned to the book on which it was based to try to find some resolution. But the series is fiction, based on, not the non-fiction book, but on its collection of information. There is no story in the book, as such. And there is no resolution to the truncated series. But there are the three main characters of the series on the cover. Sorry, I do not like that. All the same, as a portrayal of the life of women in Britain during the terrible conflict of World War II, I know of no other book that is its equal.

This is a History Book, and a very interesting one. If you are looking for a novel similar to the story-line of the PBS series (which you might expect from the cover illustration of characters from the series) you will be disappointed. The series is fiction, based on facts that are found in the book. Excellent read.

A history of the Women's Institute was not what I expected. Going by the photo and title, I fully expected the book based on the series of the same name.I would not recommend this to anyone who is watching the television series. Unless of course, they want to learn the history of the W.I.For the second time, Amazon has left a bad taste in my mouth with their synopsis of the books.

I was sort of mislead. The cover lead me to believe this was a book was the story as seen on PBS. I had already brought the book Jam Busters, so was disappointed to find our this was same book only under a different cover. The cover showed the characters from the show and it said as seen on PBS. To me very misleading. Although I did donate both books to the library. The librarian stated that this quite common.

Because this used the marketing material of the TV series, I expected it to be a written version of the series. Instead, it was an account of the research material that went into the making of the series. Although well-written and researched, it was not what it was advertised to be and therefore why I gave it a low rating.

Bought this for the wife. She had watched season one on tv & really enjoyed it..but then they cancelled Part 2 in Canada but not in Britain..so ordered the book!She was intrigued that the British women during World War 2 made millions of jars of jams to support the fighting troops...who knew?They were also called the Jam Busters!Cool

Está estupendo y da una idea perfecta de cómo soportaron cinco años de guerra en Inglaterra.