Home Front: The Complete BBC Radio Collection, Volume 2

By: Richard Monks, Lucy Catherine, Katie Hims, Shaun McKenna, Sarah Daniels, Sebastian Baczkiewicz

Narrated by: Gunnar Cauthary, Maggie Steed, Anton Lesser, Martine McCutcheon, full cast

Length: 39 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Series 6-10 of the epic BBC Radio 4 drama charting life on the home front during the First World War - plus special episode 'Home Front: A Lightening'.

First heard on radio between 4 August 2014 and 9 November 2018, each episode of Home Front is set exactly 100 years before the broadcast date, and each follows one character’s day. Together they create a mosaic of experience from a wide cross section of society, mixing historical fact with enthralling fiction to explore how ordinary people coped with daily life in wartime Britain.

We resume the story in Folkestone, where hospital staff face pressure to return wounded men to duty as conscription is introduced. Zeppelin bombs leave residents jumpy, and ‘spy fever’ is at a pitch as the Secret Service comes to town. Food shortages begin to bite - and the town is rocked by Britain’s first ever air raid, causing the greatest number of civilian casualties of the war to date.

We also meet the residents of Ashburton, Devon, where the future of Isaac Cox's family hangs in the balance as old feuds are reignited at Halecot Farm.

In Tynemouth, paranoia is rife and emotions run high for those at Marshall’s factory. The repercussions of a devastating explosion ripple through people's lives, but they face the future with fortitude, taking small but courageous steps forward.

Tackling themes including nursing and casualties, conscription and objection, espionage and propaganda, xenophobia and suspicion and the church and class are some of radio’s foremost dramatists including Richard Monks, Mike Walker and Sarah Daniels. Among the extensive cast are Martine McCutcheon, Anton Lesser, Maggie Steed and Gunnar Cauthery. Also included is 'Home Front: A Lightening', a special 45-minute episode marking the centenary of Britain’s first Gotha Air Raid, which devastated Folkestone on 25 May 1917.

©2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Chapters instead of date

I'm enjoying this collection as much as I loved the first collection. I just wished they labelled each section by the date like they did for the first collection. It was easier to visualise the time of year, keep track of where I am, etc.

Un-missable World War 1 Drama

Having binge listened to the first part I became addicted to Volume 2. It is a fantastic look at like in World War 1, seen from many viewpoints. The last part of this series which deals with the World's first air raid by fixed wing aircraft, is very moving and one of the best pieces of radio drama I have heard. The fact surrounding this raid are very accurate,

My only negative is the writers obsession with swapping and loosing babies. That aside I can highly recommend this recording.

Time flies by quickly

This series has me hooked. I downloaded this volume immediately after finishing volume 1 and finished in 10 days.

I feel that I have learnt a lot about normal life during that time period, and about peoples perspectives of the War and the role of Folkestone in troop deployment. I have even found myself looking up information to find out more, e.g. landslides, bombing raids. There is a lot to pick up about the movies people watched and songs that were popular.

Such good value and well worth one of your credits.

2nd time listening to this fantastic series

This is brilliant,have listened to it all twice,absorbing and great characters ,10 \10 superb recommended

Inspiring

The more you listen the more you can’t put it down well written social history of may aspects of civilian life with many twists and turns. I listened to volume 1 and the had to listen to volumes 2 and 3 really enjoyed them .Don’t be put off by the length of each book it’s riveting