1940s Books, Films And TV: The Decade Guide
Wartime cinema and radio, then a post-war burst of British film and the books that came out of the war.
Below: the books worth reading from the 1940s, then the films and television year by year from 1940 to 1949.
Useful for a themed night, a reading list, a reminiscence session or working out what someone grew up with.
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Years covered in the 1940s
- 1940 - Rationing, Dunkirk, Churchill and the Blitz - the year everything changed. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1940
- 1941 - The Blitz continued, clothes went on the ration and America entered the war. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1941
- 1942 - The Beveridge Report, soap on the ration and the first American troops arriving. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1942
- 1943 - The tide turned, the Dambusters flew and the country got used to going without. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1943
- 1944 - D-Day, the V-1s and the Education Act that changed school for everyone. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1944
- 1945 - VE Day, VJ Day, a landslide election and street parties on bomb-damaged roads. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1945
- 1946 - Television came back, bread went on the ration and the family allowance started. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1946
- 1947 - The worst winter in memory, a royal wedding and Indian independence. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1947
- 1948 - The NHS began, the Olympics came to London and the Windrush docked at Tilbury. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1948
- 1949 - Clothes rationing ended, the pound was devalued and the decade closed on austerity. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1949
- That is every 1940s year we have written up so far: 1940 to 1949.
Books of the 1940s
- George Orwell, Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949).
- Enid Blyton, Five on a Treasure Island (1942) - the first Famous Five.
- Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited (1945).
- C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (1942).
- Nancy Mitford, The Pursuit of Love (1945).
- Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl (first published 1947 in Dutch).
- T. S. Eliot, Four Quartets (collected 1943).
- Mary Norton, The Magic Bed-Knob (1943).
- Graham Greene, The Heart of the Matter (1948).
Film and television, year by year
- 1940 - BBC television had closed in September 1939 and stayed off air.
- 1941 - 49th Parallel and Citizen Kane were released.
- 1942 - In Which We Serve was released.
- 1943 - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp was released despite official disapproval.
- 1944 - Henry V, with Laurence Olivier, was released.
- 1945 - Brief Encounter was released in November.
- 1946 - BBC television returned on 7 June, London only.
- 1947 - Hue and Cry, often called the first Ealing comedy, was released.
- 1948 - Oliver Twist and The Red Shoes were released.
- 1949 - The Third Man and Passport to Pimlico were released, and Kind Hearts and Coronets the same year.
More from the screen
- 1940 - Cinemas reopened after an initial wartime closure and stayed busy all decade.
- 1941 - Cinema attendance rose as people looked for somewhere warm and distracting.
- 1942 - Cinemas were open seven days a week in many towns.
- 1943 - Cinema attendance reached record levels.
- 1944 - Newsreel footage of D-Day was watched over and over in packed cinemas.
- 1945 - Newsreels showed the liberation of the camps in the spring.
- 1946 - Great Expectations and A Matter of Life and Death were released.
- 1947 - Black Narcissus and Odd Man Out were the year's British films.
- 1948 - Television coverage of the Olympics was the first sport broadcast at any scale.
- 1949 - Television licences reached around one hundred thousand.
How to use this
- Themed night: one film from the decade, the matching party playlist, and a quiz round from the trivia page.
- Reading list: pick one book from the decade someone was born in and one from the decade they turned eighteen.
- Reminiscence session: read the television lines out and let people finish the theme tunes.
- Anyone born in 1940 turns 50 in 1990, 60 in 2000 and 70 in 2010.
Found your words? Now find the card
Shop cards Look back to 1940 Look back to 1941 Look back to 1942
How to write it so it lands
- Pair one film and one playlist from the same decade for an easy themed night.
- For a card, name the book or programme they grew up with rather than the decade.
- Charity shops are still the cheapest place to find the older titles on this list.
Where to shop next
- Look back to 1940
- Look back to 1941
- Look back to 1942
- Look back to 1943
- Look back to 1944
- Look back to 1945
- Look back to 1946
- Look back to 1947
- Look back to 1948
- Look back to 1949
- 1940s history: events, politics and culture
- 1940s calendar: year by year
- 1940s music: songs, genres and trends
- 1940s films and directors
- 1940s books: novels and authors
- 1940s art: artists and styles
- 1940s fashion: styles, designers and trends
- 1940s food: dishes, restaurants and trends
- 1940s travel: destinations and holidays
- 1940s technology: gadgets and computers
- 1940s shopping guide: what to buy
- 1940s games: board, card and video
- 1940s trivia: fun facts
- 1940s quiz: questions and answers
- The 1940s: the whole decade
- The decade before: the 1930s
- The decade after: the 1950s
- All decade guides in one place
- Card messages by occasion: every guide in one place
- Card hub: cards, badges and messages by occasion
- Decade history by era
- Decade calendars: every year from 1920
- Decade music: songs, genres and trends
- Decade films: best movies and directors
- Decade books: novels, authors and reading trends
- Decade art: artists, styles and trends
- Decade fashion: styles, designers and trends
- Decade food: dishes, restaurants and eating trends
- Decade travel: destinations and holidays
- Decade technology: gadgets and computers
- Decade shopping guides
- Decade games: board, card and video games by era
- Decade trivia: fun facts by era
- Decade quizzes: questions and answers by era
- Decade trivia game: play for points
- Decade quiz: test your memory
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best books of the 1940s?
The list above names real titles published between 1940 and 1949, with their years - a mix of the novels that defined the decade and the children's books that have stayed in print since.
What films and TV shows were popular in the 1940s?
The year-by-year list above gives the screen highlights for each year of the decade. For the full picture of any single year, open that year's page.
Where do these come from?
The film and television lines use the same checked facts as our year pages. The book lists are our own picks - real titles with real publication years, nothing invented.
Do you sell books or films?
No. We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. This page is free to read and free to copy.