Crime, Regulation and Control During the Blitz

Peter Adey is Professor of Human Geography at Royal Holloway University of London, UK.David J. Cox is Reader in Criminal Justice History at the University of Wolverhampton, UK.Barry Godfrey is Professor of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology at the University of Liverpool, UK.

Second to London, Liverpool and the wider Merseyside area was the most continuously bombed city in Britain during the Blitz, largely because it was a major port. In the ten months of air raids, some 4,000 people died, and the area suffered enormous loss of property. This is not a military history and is not concerned with theoretical arguments or even many literary accounts—it is truly administrative history on the ground. The authors describe how the city regulated itself to cope with the bombing. This meant burdensome restrictions on virtually all aspects of civic life, including prewar planning, enforcement of blackout regulations, rescue work, damage control, civilian evacuation, and the need to rehouse people and keep schools open. The blackout provided ample opportunity for theft from dock areas and looting of damaged property. Stolen goods often made their way to a thriving black market. In spite of some false news reports, there were no gas attacks and no widespread panic, and although many people despaired, the city managed to carry on. A fascinating, scholarly, well-documented book that will expand the history of that grim time. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic levels/libraries.

• IntroductionPart I: Preparation1. Anticipation and Preparation for the Blitz2. The Nervous System of Police Control and War-Time RegulationPart II: Blitz3. Wartime Crime and Criminalisation4. Measuring Crime and Disorder, and Maintaining Morale5. Preventing and Dealing with Juvenile Delinquency6. Controlling Movement in the City7. The Black Market and Circuits of CriminalityPart III: Aftermath8. The Legacy of the BlitzConclusion: Living with TerrorBibliographyIndex