BOOKSHOP WINDOW

Friday 05 May 1995 23:02 BST

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

THE HOME GUARD by S P MacKenzie, Oxford, £16.99

The Home Guard was always hypersensitive to not being taken seriously; it would probably be irritated with posterity for immortalising it in Dad's Army while failing to provide it with a proper scholarly history. MacKenzie's academic study redresses the balance - but it's hard to eliminate all traces of the ridiculous - like Churchill's decision to provide each man with a "pike or mace" instead of firearms. When guns were available, they were put to some bizarre uses: one photograph shows a training exercise in which an "enemy agent" disguised as a nanny with a pram brandishes a pistol at a sentry who appears to be clad in bee-keeping headgear.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

BOOKSHOP WINDOW

Join our commenting forum

Thank you for registering