From the author of Black Poppies, Fighting Proud and Evelyn Dove comes a timely new account exploring Britain’s diverse history from the Second World War to the Empire Windrush and beyond, told through the experiences of black British women.

Commemorating the 70th anniversaries of the arrival of the Empire Windrush on 22 June 1948 and the birth of the National Health Service on 5 July 1948, Stephen Bourne’s War to Windrush shines a light on the lives of black women in Britain in the decade leading up to and just after those historic occasions.

Spanning the years from the start of World War II to the arrival of the Empire Windrush, this engaging and informative book celebrates the contribution of black women to British society in a decade of major upheaval and social change.

Alongside key figures such as wartime heroes Lilian Bader, Nadia Cattouse and Norma Best, and pioneers in the arts and media Una Marson and Winifred Atwell, War to Windrush pays homage to the unsung heroines who were integral to the post-war effort. It acknowledges those ordinary black women who contributed signficantly to rebuilding post-war Britain and creating a home for later generations, through their everyday lives.

Through strong imagery and evocative prose including many rare and previously unpublished photographs from Stephen Bourne’s private collection, War to Windrush retraces the history of the black women who helped to build the great, multicultural Britain we know today. A much needed book in today’s political climate.

By Stephen Bourne

Published by Jacaranda

ISBN: 9781909762855