BRITISH & IRISH HISTORY: SECOND WORLD WAR. This haunting book sets out to provide a first-hand account of the impact of the Blitz upon an ordinary and very recently married couple in Upminster, Essex. The Blitz diary, written by the author's mother, began less than a year after she had married, which itself was just three days before the Declaration of War in 1939. It may be quite representative of the experiences of millions. The diary entries throw light on the minutiae of trying to continue everyday life with a sense of normality against the backdrop of fear and uncertainty.