Under Cover of Darkness: Murders in Blackout London

A gripping new history of London during the Blackout--revealing the violent crime that spread across the capital under the cover of darkness

Fear was the unacknowledged spectre haunting the streets of London during the Second World War; fear not only of death from the German bombers circling above, but of violence at the hands of fellow Londoners in the streets below. Mass displacement, the anonymity of shelters, and the bomb-scarred landscape offered unprecedented opportunities for violent crime.

In this absorbing, sometimes shocking account, Amy Helen Bell uncovers the hidden stories of murder and violence that were rife in wartime London. Bell moves through the city, examining the crimes in their various locations, from domestic violence in the home to robberies in the blacked-out streets and fights in pubs and clubs. She reveals the experiences of women, children, and the elderly, and focuses on the lives of the victims, as well as their deaths.

This groundbreaking study transforms our understanding of the ways in which war made people vulnerable--not just to the enemy, but to each other.

Amy Helen Bell is professor of history at Huron University College, University of Western Ontario. Her research focuses on the social and cultural history of twentieth-century Britain, particularly London. She is the author of Murder Capital, London Was Ours and Life Sentence.