Books

Here he tells BBC Staffordshire about how he came to write the book and the problems he faced.

How it all started

I started by interviewing local war veterans and including their stories in exhibitions, which I staged in museums, galleries and libraries in Stafford.

When the Anne Frank exhibition came to Stafford about ten years ago I was invited to stage my own display which ran in tandem.
 
Interest in the Second World War has grown quite considerably over the last few years, and I have continued to stage exhibitions, but also regularly take time out to commit my painstaking research to paper.

Stafford at War

The book includes many of the people whose stories I have covered in my displays, although I have done a lot of addition work to add to my previous knowledge.

There are many previously unpublished photographs - I think there must be close to 100 illustrations in total. Like the book, they cover every theatre of the War from The Home Front to the war against Japan.

For the first time all of the gallantry awards made to Staffordians are included, as are the names and details of those who were killed during the Second World War.

I am currently collecting information relating to Staffordians who served during the Great War and hope to publish their stories at a later date.

You can buy Nick’s book, Stafford at War, from Borders. Click here for more information, http://www.borders.co.uk/book/stafford-at-war-1939-1945/1226365/.