THE SPADE AS MIGHTY AS THE SWORD by Daniel Smith (Aurum, £16.99)

This country didn’t learn an important lesson from the First World War as far as food was concerned. Food supplies were under pressure throughout that engagement, not least because of U-boat blockades, and at one point in 1917 there was only enough food to keep going for a few weeks. We became more and more complacent about this in the 1920s and 1930s, despite Hitler’s rise to power and belligerent behaviour, so that in 1939 we imported 55 million tons of food, about three-quarters of the national total need. When war broke out again, the supply of food once more became critical to the nation’s very existence.

The Ministry of Agriculture decided that “something had to be done” in order to move significantly towards self-sufficiency in food. Officials came up with the Dig for Victory campaign, which encouraged anyone who could to dig up flower beds and bits of spare ground and grow vegetables. The Royal Family set a good example and gave up their beloved rose gardens to grow onions. Even Oswald Moseley, the interned British Fascist leader, tended a little vegetable plot within the walls of Holloway Prison. Dig for Victory was a very successful propaganda campaign, and by 1942 half of the population was joining in, some on newly established allotments, many adding to their calories with a pig or a small colony of rabbits.

This riveting book tells the story of Dig for Victory, how it came about politically, how the message was put across to the nation by the Ministry of Information, and how everyone did his or her bit for Victory. Although he didn’t garden himself, Michael Foot, destined to become the Labour Party leader, is credited with thinking up the catchy phrase. One key promoter who did dig up his flowers was Mr C.H.Middleton. He gave wartime gardening broadcasts on the radio on Sunday afternoons, telling listeners how to get the best out of their gardens, with hints and tips on all manner of gardening lore.

Middleton was the pathfinder for Percy Thrower and Monty Don and the like.

Dig for Victory was a resounding success, not just because of a significant increase in food production and daily exercise, but because the nation’s morale and nutrition improved dramatically. The story behind the spade is a fascinating one.