A PROLIFIC writer from Uley has produced a portrait of rural Britain during the Second World War.

Duff Hart-Davis, 78, has written or edited over 50 books on a wide variety of subjects, both fiction and non-fiction.

Most recently he has produced ‘Our Land at War: A Portrait of Rural Britain 1939-45’, a study of the profound changes to the face of the British countryside during wartime.

Mr Hart-Davis compiled the book using diaries, letters, books, official documents and interviews to paint a picture of how ordinary people survived the war years.

A large portion of the book arose from conversations with another Uley resident Bob Browning, in his 80s, who came to Owlpen, in Uley, as a refugee from Birmingham following the outbreak of war.

The move from the concrete urban environment to rural Gloucestershire is the key theme of Mr Hart-Davis’ book, something explored through the life of Mr Browning.

“What’s amazing is how much everything was changed by the war,” he said.

“There were so many people like Bob who were moved from the cities and told that London was going to be destroyed.

“Children that had never been into the countryside before were terrified of animals and the lack of light at nights. No shops, no buses, no cinemas – just black nights.”

As well as looking at the war and the shift from city to country through the eyes of a child, Mr Hart-Davis also examines the significant role allocated to rural areas by government during the Second World War.

“There was a big drive in agriculture. We were afraid that our imported produce would be prevented from reaching the country, that submarines would sink our ships, so there was a big move towards growing our own food.”

Combining hardship and humour, Mr Hart-Davis' book is a must-read for anyone looking for a fresh perspective on the period.

Our Land at War can be found in hardback, paperback, and e-reader editions on amazon.co.uk.

Mr Hart-Davis was literary editor of the Sunday Telegraph and for fifteen years contributed the ‘Country Matters’ column to the Independent.