Fighting fit: the wartime battle for Britain's health / Laura Dawes

London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2016. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Fine cloth copy in a near-fine, very slightly edge-dulled dust wrapper, now mylar-sleeved. Remains particularly well-preserved overall; tight, bright, clean and strong. Physical description: 279 pages, illustrations. Summary: At the beginning of the Second World War, medical experts predicted that rationing would decimate the nation's health, drugs, blood and medical resources would be in short supply, air raid shelters and evacuation would spread diseases and the psychological effects of bombing raids would leave mental hospitals overflowing. Yet, astonishingly, Britain ended the war in better health than ever before. Based on original archival research Fighting Fit reveals an extraordinary, forgotten story of medical triumph against the odds. Through a combination of meticulous planning and last-minute scrambling, Britain succeeded in averting, in Churchill's phrase, the 'dark curse' on the nation's health. It was thanks to the pioneering efforts of countless individuals - doctors, nurses, social workers, boy scouts, tea ladies, Nobel Prize winners, air raid wardens, housewives, nutritionists and psychologists - who battled to keep the nation fit and well in wartime. These men and women not only helped to win the war, they paved the way for the birth of the NHS and the development of the welfare state. Subjects: World War, 1939-1945 Health aspects Great Britain. World War, 1939-1945 Health Great Britain. Public health administration Great Britain 20th century. World War II. Great Britain Social conditions 20th century. Great Britain Social life and customs 20th century. Genre: Illustrated. Still image.