Auntie's War: The BBC during the Second World War by Edward StourtonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Auntie's War is about the significance of the BBC during the second world war and how it became to be such the trusted media powerhouse we've come to take for granted today.
The importance of radio during the war should not be and is not understated in this book, and Stourton discusses many of the pioneering techniques that were required for successful broadcasting that are either taken for granted today or wouldn't even be entertained as a genuine consideration.
From broadcasting nearly no news to creating broadcasts recorded with a mobile gramophone like device (known as the midget) from German trenches, the power of radio surged, and Stourton does an excellent job of compiling accounts and sources to talk about the technological, political and logistical challenges that the BBC faced.
Some of my favourite sections included learning about different recording techniques; the time spent on air by George Orwell and the vast amount of bureaucracy that the BBC had to go through with regards to censorship for fear of giving the enemy an advantage on the battlefield. I was also astonished to learn of the Beeb's importance outside of Britain, being used as a propaganda machine in Germany, France, India and more. Why this wouldn't be the case I'm not sure, but it was interesting learning about the varying content and on air personalities that were used in different regions to boost the status of the Brits and diminish the Nazi influence.
At times, I found the book hard to absorb - the language is very prim and proper, and occasionally I found myself re-reading sections I'd not absorbed first time. That said, it's clear Stourton has a love for the source material and the subject, and for anyone with an interest in audio technology, radio broadcasting or world war two will find a lot to like here.
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