While There is Tea, There is Hope by Alex Johnson

If your country is at war it probably seems as if things couldn’t get any worse. But for the British, it did. On 9 July 1940 the government decided to ration tea.

This wonderful little book covers the history of tea during the World Wars, the importance of the beverage and how folk coped during these times. It is full of information and quirky facts, backed up with documents and authentic photographs and artefacts taken from the Imperial War Museum. Clearly laid out, this book is both fun and edifying.

The title – While There is Tea, There is Hope – is a phrase that probably came about during the First World War but came to symbolise morale and unity for the British people. Everyone drank tea, from ordinary folk at home trying to hold together life and society, to royals and those serving in the armed forces. The photographs portraying this are both charming and emboldening. During the challenging conditions it is impressive to see how creative people were in order to have their tea!

But where there is tea there are necessary additions. Teapots and cups (nearly always with saucers), milk, sugar (nearly always added to tea) and biscuits, and the relevant industries and supplies are included in the book. Tea was essential to the war effort. The struggles of rationing lead to inventive ways to make favourite meals, and a couple of wartime recipes are included. 

I love this book both for the historical content and the way a staple of British life was used as morale-boosting propaganda showing how powerful something so simple can be. A brilliant gift for someone, even better if paired with some tea and biscuits. Highly recommended.