The Great Silence

Peace at last, after Lloyd George declared it had been the war to end all wars , would surely bring relief and a renewed sense of optimism? But this assumption turned out to be deeply misplaced as people began to realise that the men they loved were never coming home. The Great Silence is the story of the pause between 1918 and 1920. A two-minute silence to celebrate those who did was underpinned by a more enduring silence born out of national grief. Those who had danced through settled Edwardian times, now faced a changed world. Some struggled to come to terms with the last four years, while others were anxious to move towards a new future. Change came to women, who were given the vote only five years after Emily Davidson had thrown herself on the ground at Ascot race course, to the poor, determined to tolerate their condition no longer, and to those permanently scarred, mentally and physically, by the conflict. The British Monarchy feared for its survival as monarchies around Europe collapsed and Eric Horne, one time butler to the gentry, found himself working in a way he considered unseemly for a servant of his calibre. Whether it was embraced or rejected, change had arrived as the impact of a tragic war was gradually absorbed. With her trademark focus on daily life, Juliet Nicolson evokes what England was like during this fascinating hinge in history.

“Juliet Nicolson examines a much overlooked period of history. She painstakingly recounts how those who had stayed at home came to terms with a brutally changed world in the aftermath of the first world war and how the returning soldiers struggled to cope with the horrors they faced - Elizabeth Day, ObserverPraise for The Perfect Summer:'As page-turning as a novel ' - Joanna Trollope, GuardianThere is an unpretentious directness about Nicolson's approach to her subjects that gives the book a freshness and vitality. Happily, she also has an eye for the amusing or the ironic - ScotsmanA fascinating read - Mail on SundayThoroughly entertaining . . . full of memorable detail - SpectatorThe strength of the book lies in the sensitivity and skill with which the private lives and relationships of the protagonists are recounted. Nicolson writes fluently and paces her narrative expertly - BBC History MagazineNicolson writes well and thoughtfully - Sunday TelegraphNicolson has opened the door onto a time of misery, introspection and change - Lancashire Evening Post”

Juliet Nicolson examines a much overlooked period of history. She painstakingly recounts how those who had stayed at home came to terms with a brutally changed world in the aftermath of the first world war and how the returning soldiers struggled to cope with the horrors they faced - Elizabeth Day, Observer

Praise for The Perfect Summer:

'As page-turning as a novel ' - Joanna Trollope, Guardian

There is an unpretentious directness about Nicolson's approach to her subjects that gives the book a freshness and vitality. Happily, she also has an eye for the amusing or the ironic - Scotsman

A fascinating read - Mail on Sunday

Thoroughly entertaining . . . full of memorable detail - Spectator

The strength of the book lies in the sensitivity and skill with which the private lives and relationships of the protagonists are recounted. Nicolson writes fluently and paces her narrative expertly - BBC History Magazine

Nicolson writes well and thoughtfully - Sunday Telegraph

Nicolson has opened the door onto a time of misery, introspection and change - Lancashire Evening Post

Juliet Nicolson is the author of The Perfect Summer and has written for the Daily Telegraph, Vogue, the London, Evening Standard, Tatler and the Guardian, amongst others. She was also the editor of the memoirs of Lady Annabel Goldsmith. She read English at the University of Oxford and has worked in publishing in both the UK and the States. She is the President of the Kent Branch of the Jane Austen Society, has two daughters and lives in London and Kent.

Peace at last, after Lloyd George declared it had been the war to end all wars , would surely bring relief and a renewed sense of optimism? But this assumption turned out to be deeply misplaced as people began to realise that the men they loved were never coming home. The Great Silence is the story of the pause between 1918 and 1920. A two-minute silence to celebrate those who did was underpinned by a more enduring silence born out of national grief. Those who had danced through settled Edwardian times, now faced a changed world. Some struggled to come to terms with the last four years, while others were anxious to move towards a new future. Change came to women, who were given the vote only five years after Emily Davidson had thrown herself on the ground at Ascot race course, to the poor, determined to tolerate their condition no longer, and to those permanently scarred, mentally and physically, by the conflict. The British Monarchy feared for its survival as monarchies around Europe collapsed and Eric Horne, one time butler to the gentry, found himself working in a way he considered unseemly for a servant of his calibre. Whether it was embraced or rejected, change had arrived as the impact of a tragic war was gradually absorbed. With her trademark focus on daily life, Juliet Nicolson evokes what England was like during this fascinating hinge in history.

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