Where Stands A Wingèd Sentry
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- Create Date：2021-03-23 00:26:49
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Margaret Kennedy
- ISBN：1912766388
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Summary
Most people knew in their hearts that the lid had been taken off hell， and that what had been done in Guernica would one day be done in London， Paris and Berlin。’
Margaret Kennedy’s prophetic words， written about the pre-war mood in Europe， give the tone of this riveting 1941 wartime memoir: it is Mrs Miniver with the gloves off。 Her account， taken from her war diaries， conveys the tension， frustration and bewilderment of the progression of the war， and the terror of knowing that the worst is to come， but not yet knowing what the worst will be。
English bravery， confusion， stubbornness and dark humour （‘Nanny says that an Abbess is threatening to swallow the whole of Europe’） provide the positive， more hopeful side of Kennedy’s experiences， in which she and her children move from Surrey to Cornwall， to sit out the war amidst a quietly efficient Home Guard and the most scandalous rumours。 Where Stands A Wingèd Sentry （the title comes from a 17th-century poem by Henry Vaughan） was only published in the USA， and has never been published in the UK before。
The Introduction will be by Faye Hammill， Professor of English at the University of Glasgow。
Margaret Kennedy’s prophetic words， written about the pre-war mood in Europe， give the tone of this riveting 1941 wartime memoir: it is Mrs Miniver with the gloves off。 Her account， taken from her war diaries， conveys the tension， frustration and bewilderment of the progression of the war， and the terror of knowing that the worst is to come， but not yet knowing what the worst will be。
English bravery， confusion， stubbornness and dark humour （‘Nanny says that an Abbess is threatening to swallow the whole of Europe’） provide the positive， more hopeful side of Kennedy’s experiences， in which she and her children move from Surrey to Cornwall， to sit out the war amidst a quietly efficient Home Guard and the most scandalous rumours。 Where Stands A Wingèd Sentry （the title comes from a 17th-century poem by Henry Vaughan） was only published in the USA， and has never been published in the UK before。
The Introduction will be by Faye Hammill， Professor of English at the University of Glasgow。
Reviews
Cathy
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Superb memoir of wartime Britain - full review to follow
Primrose Jess
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"There was a time in the summer of 1940 when it almost seemed as if sheer badness was a dominant principle" This is an account， written in 1941， of the summer of 1940 by Margaret Kennedy。 She realizes she is living through history and wants to give her accounting of it for the future generation in her family。 Kennedy makes a point to note she's an ordinary person， living an ordinary life。 And that is what makes this book so completely fascinating and compelling to me。 Her fears， her anger， her "There was a time in the summer of 1940 when it almost seemed as if sheer badness was a dominant principle" This is an account， written in 1941， of the summer of 1940 by Margaret Kennedy。 She realizes she is living through history and wants to give her accounting of it for the future generation in her family。 Kennedy makes a point to note she's an ordinary person， living an ordinary life。 And that is what makes this book so completely fascinating and compelling to me。 Her fears， her anger， her joys， and her worry for the future are so utterly relatable。 I also found this book to have so many eery parallels today when she discusses the rise of the Nazis。 She mentions Hitler is a "spellbinder; an illusionist; he does things which we know are phony and yet we can't show him up"。 And observes "His Third Reich is the phoniest thing of all。 His fellow thugs， Goering， Ribbentrop， and all， are known to have arranged their getaway， and have huge fortunes safely stowed in neutral countries to which they can scuttle when the crash comes。" （p 54） But he huffs and puffs and he blows the world down。 Kennedy wonders at the world her children will grow up in （as I'm sure all mothers did） and vocalizes her fears for them and others during these summer months。 Her correspondence with her American friends is interesting because some still don't get what is happening and write that England just needs to try harder。 Kennedy is kind and logical in explaining to the diary readers her understanding of the American perspective。 She then writes that perhaps both countries have two different views of what constitutes democracy。 One of my favorite parts of the book is when Kennedy tries to explain to her Kansas acquaintance what it is that "Americans don't like about the British" in a scene from Little Women involving Meg March， John Brooke， and Miss Kate。 It was very well done and her friend's response "Who are Meg March， and John Brooke and Miss Kate？ Are they people in a book？" Kennedy writes "Dammit！ I'm a better Yank than she is。 I'll never her hear the end of this。 I've a good mind to send her a cable: "LITTLE WOMEN WHERE WAS YOU RAISED" But beyond the politics and hope that America will enter the war。 Kennedy writes on religion and the musings between people who pray for victory whether God will side with the praying Brits or the praying Germans？ She also， writes of the influx of refugees and the suspicion of them and each other during preparations for potential air raids。 Which do come。 It is a heavy， dark summer。 So much uncertainty hangs over their heads。 In August， it culminates in a scene she writes about that moved me。 She and her husband， come over from London， were picnicking。 He remarks the day is August 15; the day Hitler said he would dictate world peace from Buck House。 As they walk back a huge plane with a black crosses on it flies over。 She writes "I wasn't frightened， I was in such a rage 。 My skin crawled on my bones and I jumped up and shouted " You。。。。！ （a word no lady uses）。 And I picked up a small stone and flung it at the plane。 At least I meant to fling it at the plane， but it went in the opposite direction， as things always do when I throw them" （pg 183） It was a culmination of months of worry， fear， anger， and making plans for an uncertain future。 She writes that she understands now how the mildest， most good tempered of boys can lead a bayonet charge。 Overall， I found this to be so compelling of read， worthy of a reread。 It is full of the average human experience that doesn't make the history books。 But it happened and Kennedy has captured it brilliantly。 。。。more
Donna
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