England is a Village by C. Henry Warren

England is a Village by C. Henry Warren Hardcover: 252 pages Publisher: Dutton Released: 1941

Source: Bought at a library book sale.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
A prose record of life in an East Anglican village during the winter of 1939-40, a record touched with retrospective glimpses of men and summers past. The book is perfect in its unpretentious way; and the fine black-and-white illustrations are an admirable complement to the narrative.” - Weekly Review


My Review:
England is a Village is a series of stories about the people who lived in an certain English village. Each chapter started with a scene from the harsh winter of 1939-1940 but led to reflections on people and events in the previous years and how things were changing.

The book was written in an easy-to-read writing style and gave interesting details about living in thatched houses and the lives of various tradesmen in the village. The author had a very idealistic view of "old-fashioned" farming, though I do agree with some of his opinions. It also touched upon the war, but in the sense of how the winter snow drifts that cut them off from other towns also cut them off from immediate concern over the war.

I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in how life was changing in villages in England at this time.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.