An English Governess in the Great War: The SEcret Brussels Diary of Mary Thorp b

The Nile on eBay   An English Governess in the Great War by Sophie De Schaepdrijver, Tammy M. Proctor

Mary Thorp, an English governess working for a Belgian-Russian family in German-occupied Brussels, kept a secret war diary from September 1916 to January 1919. This long-forgotten diary sheds light on an important aspect of the First World War: civilian life under military occupation in a transnational conflict.

FORMATPaperback LANGUAGEEnglish CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description

An Englishwoman of no particular fame living in World War I Brussels started a secret diary in September 1916. Aware that her thoughts could put her in danger with German authorities, she never wrote her name on the diary and ran to hide it every time the "Boches" came to inspect the house. The diary survived the war and ended up in a Belgian archive, forgotten for nearly a century until historians Sophie De Schaepdrijver and Tammy M. Proctor discovered it and theremarkable woman who wrote it: Mary Thorp, a middle-aged English governess working for a wealthy Belgian-Russian family in Brussels.As a foreigner and a woman, Mary Thorp offers aunique window into life under German occupation in Brussels (the largest occupied city of World War I) and in the uncertain early days of the peace. Her diary describes the roar of cannons in the middle of the night, queues for food and supplies in the shops, her work for a wartime charity, news from an interned godson in Germany, along with elegant dinners with powerful diplomats and the educational progress of her beloved charges.Mary Thorp's sharp and bittersweetreflections testify to the daily strains of living under enemy occupation, comment on the events of the war as they unfolded, and ultimately serve up a personal story of self-reliance and endurance. DeSchaepdrijver and Proctor's in-depth commentary situate this extraordinary woman in her complex political, social, and cultural context, thus providing an unusual chance to engage with the Great War on an intimate and personal level.

Author Biography

Sophie De Schaepdrijver is Walter L. and Helen P. Ferree Professor of Modern European History at Pennsylvania State University. She has written on First World War Europe, with a focus on military occupations. Her latest books are Bastion: Occupied Bruges in the First World War and Gabrielle Petit: The Death and Life of a Female Spy in the First World War. She has co-written and presented a television documentary, Brave LittleBelgium.Tammy M. Proctor is Professor of History at Utah State University. She is the author of several books on the history of gender, youth, and war in modern Europe, including Civilians in a World at War, Scouting for Girls: A Century of Girl Guides and Girls Scouts, and Female Intelligence: Women and Espionage in the First World War.

Table of Contents

Introduction: "Still I feel I did my duty": Diary of an English Governess, 1916-1919Historical Background: "Life in an Occupied City: Brussels"Mary Thorp's DiaryPart 1: No "eleventh hour": September 1916 - February 1917Part 2: "Qui vivra verra": March - December 1917Part 3: "We still hear the same eternal cannon": January - October 1918Part 4: "The Book of Peace!!!": October 1918 - January 1919EpilogueNotesAppendix: Thorp Family TreeBibliography

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A rare female perspective on the intersection of war and daily life in World War I Belgium

Long Description

An Englishwoman of no particular fame living in World War I Brussels started a secret diary in September 1916. Aware that her thoughts could put her in danger with German authorities, she never wrote her name on the diary and ran to hide it every time the "Boches" came to inspect the house. The diary survived the war and ended up in a Belgian archive, forgotten for nearly a century until historians Sophie De Schaepdrijver and Tammy M. Proctor discovered it and theremarkable woman who wrote it: Mary Thorp, a middle-aged English governess working for a wealthy Belgian-Russian family in Brussels.As a foreigner and a woman, Mary Thorp offers a unique window into life under German occupation in Brussels (the largest occupied city of World War I) and in the uncertain early days of the peace. Her diary describes the roar of cannons in the middle of the night, queues for food and supplies in the shops, her work for a wartime charity, news from an interned godson in Germany, along with elegant dinners with powerful diplomats and the educational progress of her beloved charges.Mary Thorp's sharp and bittersweet reflections testify to the daily strains of living under enemy occupation, comment on the events of the war as they unfolded, and ultimately serve up a personal story of self-reliance and endurance. De Schaepdrijver and Proctor's in-depth commentary situate this extraordinary woman in her complex political, social, and cultural context, thus providing an unusual chance to engage with the Great War on an intimate and personal level.

Feature

Selling point: The first edition of the long-forgotten diary of Mary Thorp, an English governess in Belgium during World War ISelling point: A personal perspective on civilian life in the Great WarSelling point: A sharp and articulate commentary on the political, social, and cultural changes rocking Europe in the latter years of the war and following the Armistice

New Feature

Introduction: "Still I feel I did my duty": Diary of an English Governess, 1916-1919 Historical Background: "Life in an Occupied City: Brussels" Mary Thorp's Diary Part 1: No "eleventh hour": September 1916 - February 1917 Part 2: "Qui vivra verra": March - December 1917 Part 3: "We still hear the same eternal cannon": January - October 1918 Part 4: "The Book of Peace!!!": October 1918 - January 1919 Epilogue Notes Appendix: Thorp Family Tree Bibliography

Details ISBN0190087617 Author Tammy M. Proctor Short Title An English Governess in the Great War Pages 290 Language English ISBN-10 0190087617 ISBN-13 9780190087616 Format Paperback Subtitle The SEcret Brussels Diary of Mary Thorp Publisher Oxford University Press Inc Year 2021 Imprint Oxford University Press Inc Place of Publication New York Country of Publication United States Publication Date 2021-04-21 UK Release Date 2021-04-21 NZ Release Date 2021-04-21 US Release Date 2021-04-21 Illustrations 23 illus. Edited by Kingman Strohl Birth 1797 Death 1851 Affiliation Robert and Susan Finocchio Professor of Economics, Santa Clara University Position Robert and Susan Finocchio Professor of Economics Qualifications Ph.D. Alternative 9780190276706 DEWEY 940.349332092 Audience Professional & Vocational AU Release Date 2021-05-04 We've got this

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