Access is available on and off campus to current McMaster University students, faculty and staff.
Coverage: 1939 to 1948
Contains 300 titles from key nations across the globe that took part in the Second World War. Includes an extensive range of both rare and well-known wartime publications produced for military and civilian units serving at home and abroad.
Service newspapers kept those serving in the war informed and connected. They kept the units apprised of the general progress of the war, provided news local to where the units were stationed, reported on life back at home, encouraged discussion and intellectual improvement, and offered amusing anecdotes, competitions, cartoons and entertainment.
These newspapers are rich in social and cultural history, offering a unique perspective on the local and global experience of the war.
Key topics include ...
- News coverage of key events, victories and battles
- The soldier’s experience
- The role and portrayal of women
- Activity on the home front and the civilian experience
- Identity and belonging
- Morale and propaganda
- Light entertainment
- Local news and customs
- Education and welfare
- Empire
The collection consists of newspapers published during the war and its immediate aftermath (1939-1948). Titles from all the key theatres are featured, including some non-English material in German, Czech, Hindi, Russian, French, Italian, Polish, Hebrew, Afrikaans, Swahili, and African dialects.