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9781783270514

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A well-researched and written account of how the Church of England carried out its wartime duties. It will be of interest to military, social and family historians to better understand life during that time. ESSEX SOCIETY FOR FAMILY HISTORY Beaken's research is immense . . . and his writing is accessible and attractive, a combination that makes for an absorbing read. JOURNAL OF BRITISH STUDIES A well-researched and written account of how the A local study can have significant benefits. Local vicar Robert Beaken clearly understands the context of Colchester ... [H]e shows a generally excellent and up-to-date sense of the wider historiography of the British home front during World War I. CATHOLIC HISTORICAL REVIEW Robert Beaken shows how the Church of England typically responded to mass casualties and civilian privations. His careful research demonstrates the response to have been much better than popularly painted. THE TIMES 'Must-read military books of the year' (The Right Rev. Nigel Stock) Dr Beaken's dual background as an Essex parish priest and historian, allow him to paint an informed and critical, but generally sympathetic picture of the work of the Anglican clergy and laity during the war. JOURNAL OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY If anyone is looking for a way to understand how the Church of England worked for the first half of the twentieth century...this book would be an excellent starting place. PRAYER BOOK TODAY An eminently readable work which makes a significant contribution to the on-going reappraisal of the ecclesiastical history of the war while remaining accessible to the interested non-specialist reader. JOURNAL OF BELIEFS AND VALUES A captivating account of an extraordinary time in our history. The thoroughness of his research is balanced by warm and endearing personal stories as well as by some wise and helpful reflections on the issues raised. THE MONTH [The Right Rev. Roger Morris, Bishop of Colchester] The publishers are to be congratulated on a handsomely produced and clearly printed book, and author and publisher on the excellent illustrations, which admirably complement the text. [A] fine book. ANGLO-CATHOLIC HISTORY SOCIETY [Robert Beaken] is to be congratulated for blowing away a myth about the church and the war that has had far too much currency. CHURCH TIMES

(Robert Beaken) is to be congratulated for blowing away a myth about the church and the war that has had far too much currency. More than that, he has produced a book that is highly readable, and which opens up a window into the past which fills the reader with admiration and respect for our gallant forebears, both on the Home Front and in the church pews. CHURCH TIMES An extremely good book. THE CATHOLIC HERALD (ALEXANDER LUCIE-SMITH) 'Robert Beaken provides an elegantly written account of an important aspect of how English society coped with the 1914-1918 war on the home front. In his study of parochial life in Colchester during the period, Dr Beaken tests and demolishes a number of myths, tracing their origins to the late 1920s, a period of disillusionment and literary reconstruction of the war years. His final chapter on the dubious contrast between a bad First World War and a good Second World War for the Church of England makes an important contribution to remembering those who endured and fought in 1914-1918, without condescension but with honesty and compassion.' The Right Rev. and Right Hon. Richard Chartres KCVO DD FSA, Bishop of London 'In telling the story of the Church and its people in Colchester, a garrison town, Robert Beaken enlivens our understanding of the First World War - not only as a clash of mighty forces, but also at a personal and communal level.' The Very Rev. Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster 'An admirable book. In a year when we are encouraged to assess or reassess our attitudes to the Great War, it is useful to have this timely account of how the Church of England faced its wartime duties.' The Right Hon. Lord Hurd of Westwell CH CBE

'Robert Beaken provides an elegantly written account of an important aspect of how English society coped with the 1914-1918 war on the home front. In his study of parochial life in Colchester during the period, Dr Beaken tests and demolishes a number of myths, tracing their origins to the late 1920s, a period of disillusionment and literary reconstruction of the war years. His final chapter on the dubious contrast between a bad First World War and a good Second World War for the Church of England makes an important contribution to remembering those who endured and fought in 1914-1918, without condescension but with honesty and compassion.' The Right Rev. and Right Hon. Richard Chartres KCVO DD FSA, Bishop of London 'In telling the story of the Church and its people in Colchester, a garrison town, Robert Beaken enlivens our understanding of the First World War - not only as a clash of mighty forces, but also at a personal and communal level.' The Very Rev. Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster 'An admirable book. In a year when we are encouraged to assess or reassess our attitudes to the Great War, it is useful to have this timely account of how the Church of England faced its wartime duties.' The Right Hon. Lord Hurd of Westwell CH CBE

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