This is the complete story of how the First World War affected the lives of Reading residents. It tells of how the town mobilised in response to government directives; how it became important as a medical centre; and how its industries took on war work and coped with labour shortages. The changing mood and expectations of the townsfolk are charted, from the worries about spies to food shortages, and the role of the local council in what was an unprecedented and testing time is considered. Finally, as signs that the war on the western front was drawing to a close, Simons describes how Reading prepared for peace, and reflects on the changes that four years of war had wrought on the town.