It would be hard to imagine two decades more filled with major events and developments than the 1930s and 1940s, so much so that I was reluctant to take on the task of compiling this dictionary. Having done so, I found my worst fears justified as it became a work that required twice as much time to complete as originally anticipated. That the book was finished at all was due to Jon Woronoff’s patience and also that of my long-suffering wife, Regina, who was forced to spend many an evening and weekend alone while I labored on the task. The work was to some extent made possible by the support allowed by the Department of Humanities at the University of Gloucestershire, through the provision of time to spend in the libraries. Despite this, I still suspect one volume cannot do full justice to these two decades. I discovered many gaps in my own knowledge, and in making inevitable choices about what or whom to leave out, I am sure that I will disappoint many experts in the field. This is particularly likely to be true in the sphere of culture and entertainment, as these were enormously creative years. In the end, even with having been granted extra space, I was forced to include only those I thought were the most significant figures or developments in these fields; however, I hope I have managed to give a sense of the key changes in those areas while concentrating on the major political and international developments. I dedicate this dictionary to the memory of my mother, Hilda Wynn, who lived through all the decades I have written about but sadly did not survive to see this book completed.