This BBC2 series takes readers back to the days when Hitler's U-boats patrolled the Atlantic, and imported foods were scarce. For the men, woman and children left behind during World War II, life changed dramatically. People who had never gardened before had to start growing their own fruit and vegetables, housewives had to cope with rationing, and their families had to get used to unfamiliar foods such as spam and nettle soup. The book includes the personal memories of Ruth Mott and Harry Dodson (television's "Victorian" cook and gardener, respectively), as well as tales and anecdotes from many people who remember wartime cookery and "digging for victory".