Contents

Acknowledgements

Part One: The Girls from the Stately Homes of England

1 Becoming a Deb is a Difficult Matter: Who Did the Season, and Why?

2 I’ve Been to London to Look at the Queen

3 The Childhood of the Debs: Preparing to Be a Beautiful Lady

4 Change Your Partner, Dance While You Can

Part Two: That Unspeakable Summer

Prologue

5 The Last Four Months of Peace: May

6 The Last Three Months of Peace: June

7 The Last Two Months of Peace: July

8 The Last Month of Peace: August

Part Three: The War: Real Phoney and Aftermath

9 This Country Is at War with Germany

10 An Excellent Introduction for Life ?

Appendix: Slang Expressions Current in 1939

Select Bibliography

References