MAKE THE BRITISH
In a world hit by both the pandemic and economic woes, historian Gavin Mortimer argues in his new book that we need to take on board the spirit of the past to help see us through. JON COATES meets the author as he urges us to work together
BRITAIN must heal the rifts in our society and banish the tide of bitterness, anger and self-absorption, says a leading historian and bestselling author. With the country divided by protests against racism, climate change, even attempts to edit the lyrics of Rule Britannia, if we are to overcome the pandemic and looming economic crisis, we should take inspiration from history, says Gavin Mortimer.
He says the unique qualities of the “Greatest Generation” that lived through the Second World War and defeated Hitler’s Nazis can show people of all ages how to shape up and move forward.
After all, it took three members of this generation, Captain Tom Moore, Dame Vera Lynn and the Queen, to take the lead in lifting the nation’s spirits during the darkest days of lockdown.
In his book Guidance from the Greatest, Mortimer explores the 12 best qualities of the wartime generation, with each of the 12 chapters looking at how important each attribute was in coming through the Second World War.
With the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain having been remembered on Tuesday, he says he was inspired to write the book after being struck by the similarities and differences in the response to the pandemic and the Blitz in 1940.
“Lockdown was just a crazy period which in a way was the inspiration because there are so many comparisons and parallels to draw between now and the Second World War. I am not talking about the cliche of the ‘Blitz Spirit’ but just in terms of risk taking and individual choice.”
Over 22 years he has interviewed more than 200 veterans of the war, including about 75 special forces veterans, to record their stories.
He says: “In speaking to these people I was struck by their stoicism and their unique spirit. One chap described it to me as a spiritual wealth, that people were really good to each other and we have seen this during the coronavirus crisis.
“There has been good and bad, and let’s not try and gloss over what happened during the Blitz, there was profiteering and looting, people fled the capital without a pass and hid in other cities or the countryside, so did not do their bit, but in general the coming together was unique and inspiring, and there have been traces of that during the last six months.”
He adds: “I wanted to write a book that dealt with the characters of these people, the Greatest Generation. The SAS veterans are nearly all gone now and when they are we will have lost something.
“Just look at Captain Tom and Dame Vera Lynn, and even the Queen, how during the crisis they rose to the challenge. I think that is why there was a genuine outpouring of grief and sadness when Dame Vera died but also admiration for Captain Tom.
“In those people we saw the best qualities of the British people, of self-discipline and selflessness in the face of adversity, and stoicism more than anything.”
The father-of-one is hoping his book will inspire people to stop trying to rewrite history, which has been dubbed “cancel culture”, while appreciating how tolerant a nation we really are.
Protests across the UK saw statues torn down and damaged earlier this year.
He says: “I began writing the book just before the statue business burst into life. Like every country we have ave obviously done things that were bad, that we should be ashamed of and learn n from, but we have got a rich history and a proud history, particularly in the Second World War.
“It was quite extraordinary to see people going after Sir Winston Churchill. The question I would like to ask them was, what would you have e preferred? Hitler?
“History has to be seen in its context but something we have lost today is that people can be good and bad, they can have good qualities and bad qualities, and Churchill was one of these people like everyone but my goodness we needed him in 1940.
“A lot of the veterans I interviewed were working class and were not Conservative supporters but they recognised that Churchill was inspirational, he captured the mood and he rose to the occasion and made people think that we could get through. “Many Many m millions of Britons have shown great adaptability and spirit spiri in response to this cri crisis, but the Government h has been indecisive and l lacking in boldness in complete contrast to what we saw in 1940. “The Rule Britannia row, people who are ashamed of their count try, was very worrying. “As a nation we need to have a discussion beca because, yes, we have things to be a ashamed of but we also have a lot to be proud of and it is bizarre the anger we are seeing in the UK and US.
“We do not see this navel gazing in Turkey, in Spain, in Japan, all of which have things to be ashamed of, but we do see it in Britain and just the wilful ignorance of what we have to be proud of, particularly with the generation about to die out.
“The liberality of that generation is often overlooked. Two people might not agree but they would see the validity of both arguments.
“It’s scary what has happened now in that we are not allowed to voice an opinion which could upset someone else, even a mainstream opinion which someone claiming to be liberal will start shouting “Nazi” or “fascist” at, without any irony that they are showing those qualities.
“We used to hear after people had had an argument that they would say ‘We will have to agree to disagree’, but we do not hear this anymore, it’s you’re a racist, a fascist or a Communist, which is very infantile.
“I would pinpoint social media as a cause of this, particularly Twitter where you have a small amount of space to get your opinion in, so for someone on the Left or the Right
you become more entrenched as it’s not a platform for discussion. It’s killed debate.
“If people voted Remain or Leave they need to listen to why other people voted differently to them and to respect that opinion and not just insult them as happens now as a result of social media.
“It has happened quickly, it’s just in the last six of seven years that people have stopped listening to each other and cancel culture has come in with a climate of fear that prevents honest discussion.”
Mortimer, 49, is from London but, after playing rugby semi-professionally in England, New Zealand and France, divides his time between France and England.
He spent lockdown in Paris to be close to his daughter who lives with her mother there and, through living on the Continent, has gained an appreciation for being British.
“We are such a tolerant country but we have convinced ourselves we are not,” he says. “As someone who has travelled a lot in Europe and lived in Europe, let me assure you we are the most tolerant country in Europe.”
He has written 16 other books, including The Longest Night, about May 10, 1941, when 1,500 people were killed during the bombing of London in which the Houses of Parliament were badly damaged.
Back in 2004 he interviewed wartime sweetheart Dame Vera, who died aged 103 in June, at her home in Ditchling, East Sussex, for that book and some of her thoughts make it into the new one.
He hopes that by looking to the Greatest Generation people will regain respect for their elders, saying: “I don’t think people look to learn from older generations any more, there is a generational divide that borders on contempt.
“People need to be more tolerant and understanding. There are tough times ahead but we are only going to get through this if we come together, not by being at each other’s throats as we are now.”
Guidance From The Greatest by Gavin Mortimer (Constable, £14.99). For free UK delivery call Express Bookshop (01872 562310) or visit expressbookshop.co.uk