"The Great Silence" by Juliet Nicolson

I was trying to figure out what I wanted to read next, scanning both my e-reader and my bookshelves to see what would most grab my attention. I was still thinking about "The Great Influenza" (reviewed here) and the aftermath of World War I/the Great War, when I spotted a title that I bought in hardcover when it first came out in 2009 and (insert red-faced icon here) has languished unread on my bookshelves ever since then: "The Great Silence 1918-1920: Living in the Shadow of the Great War"  by Juliet Nicolson. 

This book will not be everyone's cup of tea, but the war, as well as its aftermath and its impact, is something that has long fascinated me. This is a period that was covered in "Downton Abbey," and in another recent read, "Mothering Sunday" (reviewed here) as well as "Into the Silence," which I read and reviewed back in 2013 (here). 

"The Great Silence" covers the first few years immediately after the war, and specifically focuses on the same day over three consecutive years -- (1) November 11, 1918, the day the armistice was signed and the war officially ended; (2) November 11, 1919, the first day of remembrance one year after the war ended, and the first time "the Great Silence" -- a nation-wide two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. -- was observed; and (3) November 11, 1920, when the permanent Cenotaph was unveiled by King George V in Whitehall, and the body of the Unknown Soldier was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey. (This was the last chapter of the book, and I will admit I had tears in my eyes as I read.)  

Personal stories -- from upper classes (including the Royal family) and servants, men and women, veterans and their families -- some names familiar, some not -- are recounted throughout. The stories of the many women who were widowed or left without men to marry (and, subsequently, left without children) are also touched upon. (This is the subject of another book that's in my reading pile, "Singled Out" by Virginia Nicholson.  I'll be honest -- I thought both books were by the same author -- Nicholson/Nicolson -- close!!)  There is an appendix at the end of the book where we find out a little about what happened to them. 

I found this book fascinating, and I learned a lot: about (to give just a few examples) the origin of the term "red light district" (!) and the inspiration behind D.H. Lawrence's scandalous novel "Lady Chatterley's Lover" (which I read when I was in my early 20s);  how the war led to advances in plastic surgery and prosthetics; the changing roles of women, including their entry into British government and political life; the rise of jazz music; the "Spanish" flu pandemic (of course); and so much more. There's a little of this and a little of that -- obviously, some of it more interesting than others. 

The grief and loss and turmoil of the war years and the years immediately after it eventually gave way to the Roaring 20s. It will be interesting to see what will happen in the years following our current turbulent times, including this most recent pandemic. 

4 stars on Goodreads. 

This was Book #23 read to date in 2022 (and Book #1 finished in May), bringing me to 51% of my 2022 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books -- I'm now past the halfway mark! I am (for the moment, anyway...!) 8 books ahead of schedule. :)  You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2022 tagged as "2022 books."