Book details

Book description

Never before have the diaries and letters of young people from all sides of World War Two been woven together to provide an account of what it was like to grow up amidst the daily struggles and horrors of this devastating war.

We Were Young And At War follows the stories of sixteen teenage boys and girls who write with a disarming directness about their reactions to and experiences of a very adult war. They are British, French, American, Japanese, Polish, German and Russian, each with a unique and heart-rending tale to tell.

Only two of them are alive today. Some of them fought and died in the war, others starved to death; many were separated from their families. All were forced to grow up quickly, their lives changed beyond all recognition by their experiences.

This is their story. Sarah Wallis was born in America and moved to Britain as a child. She finished her degree in Russian and German the year the Berlin Wall came down. Sarah has worked on several major historical documentaries including the BBC series People's Century and the Channel 4 series The First World War. She lives in North London with her husband and their two children. Svetlana Palmer was born in Moscow and has lived in Britain since 1990. She has worked on acclaimed historical television series including the Bafta-nominated BBC/CNN The Cold War, ITV's award-winning The Second World War In Colour and Channel 4's The First World War. She lives in North London with her husband and sons.