World War ll London Blitz Diary (A Woman's Revelations Enduring War and Marriage) (1939-1940) [Kindle Edition]

Ruby Alice Side-Thompson (Author), Victoria Aldridge-Washuk (Editor), Adele Thompson-Aldridge (Illustrator)

Book Description

Imagine yourself seeing hundreds of Messerschmitt war planes overhead and hearing the explosion of bombs being dropped around you. Wondering if this is the day one will fall on your house.

Ruby Side Thompson’s personal diary was written during the terrifying World War Two London Blitz. Her diary is a true and detailed account of what she experienced during that horrific time. The diary chronicles Ruby's struggle to survive in the midst of a horrendous war, where London is bombed nightly.

Ruby speaks candidly about her unhappiness enduring an unsatisfactory marriage. She was the mother of seven sons, two of whom were enlisted in the R.A.F. One of which became an amputee as the result of hitting a land mine and the other son was captured and sent to a concentration camp as a prisoner of war. Her tale is a mix of the commonplace and the historic as seen through her eyes.

The diary was an outlet for Ruby’s thoughts and feelings that could not be spoken out loud; however, in publishing the diary it gives readers an honest and unfiltered look back at a time that may have been long since forgotten.

Join Ruby on her trying journey as she tries to keep her life and family together during this difficult time in history.

This is volume one of a four volume series written by Ruby Alice Side Thompson.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A choice pick, not to be overlooked" Midwest Book Review 5 stars Margaret's Shelf  November 2011 
A personal story of a mother trying to keep her life together along with simple survival, "World War II" is a choice pick, not to be overlooked. 

From the Author

 
Victoria Aldridge Washuk
Great Granddaughter of Ruby Alice Thompson Side
Received a B.A. in Psychology from Fairfield University

Inherited a set of 43 diaries that span from 1909 - 1969. They were given to my grandmother Ruth Ferris Thompson and she passed them down to me.
 
I started re-reading the World War ll journals and found them extremely worthy of note on many levels.  I realized how little I knew about the events surrounding World War ll and what the Londoner's in particular had to endure.  These journals are a combination of the historical and the exceptionally personal.
 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 621 KB
• Print Length: 182 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005H7TVRE
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #239,383 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Trapped October 6, 2011

By Jacqueline Harmon Butler

Format:Kindle Edition

Ruby was a woman trapped in fading Victorian morals, religion and outdated marriage customs. Surrounded by people, she had absolutely no one she could share her thoughts and emotions with. I realize how much freedom today's women have. I can't imagine having to ask my husband for money to buy underwear! And then having him complain at the cost. Her descriptions of the horrors of war and the daily bombings brings tears to my eyes.

This is a must read for anyone interested in the development of women's rights or history buffs. Ruby's descriptions of her life during the war are chilling. I look forward to reading the next installment.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Survivor August 21, 2011

By Nick

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

She was trapped between Hitler's bombs, a husband's indifference, religious conflict, seven brilliant sons, and no way to express her feelings. She poured it all out into a diary that is one of the very best reads of the 20th century.

32 of 41 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars What a hateful woman! August 19, 2012

By Barbara Mcauliffe

Amazon Verified Purchase

Let's see, she hates:

All men (except her father)
Religion
Every woman she actually meets
Wuthering Heights
The Brontes in general
Her cleaning lady
Her in laws
Son's girlfriend

She likes:
Bayonne, NJ
The weather
Mary Baker Eddy

She was one of those people who are never shut up. She carries on about how she hated Wuthering Heights (the movie) then complains that her husband doesn't take her to the movies often enough. Well maybe he doesn't want to listen to her complain. And oh my, does she complain about everything, constantly.

At one point she complains that no one but her hated in-laws ever comes to visit. She blames her husband for this, but really, take it from me--it's her

I gave up on her in early 1940, so she may change, but I really doubt it.

If you want to wallow in hatred (for the most mundane things) read this, otherwise skip it, not worth the effort

More About the Author

Ruby Thompson(1884-1970) born in London England. Author of 43 journals.
Ruby Side Thompson, an ordinary woman living during the World War ll London Blitz bombing blasts history out of the realm of dry, dusty names and dates and places the reader in the midst of the terrifying events as they unfold. This is very important documentation and will have tremendous appeal to those who have an avid interest in the effect of the war on ordinary citizens.

In between the lines there is a glimpse of how life must go even in Britain-at-war as she deals with health issues, in-laws, censors, rationing and fashion. An excellent look at one woman's view of World War II from before the war to England's darkest hour.

The Story Was Recently Printed in a London Paper as follows:

This is something that many of us can only ever imagine, but now a book containing the personal diaries of a woman living in Romford during the Second World War has been published.

Called World War II London Blitz Diaries, they were written throughout the war from 1939 to 1945 by Ruby Side Thompson who lived in Western Road and have now been published by her great granddaughter Vicki Washuk.

Vicki said: "Ruby's diaries are just very interesting. I learned more about the war from her diaries than I ever learned in school."

Frustrations

The diary contains information about day-to-day life during the war and Ruby's worries as the mother of two sons (she had seven sons in all) who were both in the RAF.

Ruby also discusses her frustrations with being trapped in an unhappy marriage and a male orientated world.

One entry reads: "So this morning I feel I can't worry about the war. I don't care a hoot about Hitler, Goring, Ribbentrop and co. I can't even care about the invasion of Finland, earthquake in Turkey. I just can't worry myself, that's what I feel.

"The war is a man's doing: the earthquake's natures and I can't do anything about either." In another entry she writes: "Ted left a few minutes ago for his evening of cards. I am furious with him, feeling downrightly that I hate him."

Vicki, who lives in America, was passed the diaries by her grandmother Ruth Thompson in 1991.

A year ago she created a blog where she would regularly upload daily entries from Ruby's diaries.

She decided to publish them due to the response she was getting from people all over the world.

Vicki added: "I feel great about sharing this information with people that may have no idea about what happened during the London Blitz and how it affected so many ordinary citizens every day.

"It is incomprehensible to me the stress so many had to live under.

"Ruby was outspoken and an early feminist, she could only speak in private about things that she could not speak about to anyone."