In 1940 the familiar British landscape was under attack, not only from the imminent threat of German bombers but also from rapid urban development. The Ministry of Labour, in association with the Pilgrim Trust, commissioned many of Britain's foremost artists to paint a record of the changing face of the country. The resulting record of more than 1500 watercolours was given into the care of the Victoria & Albert Museum, and this book presents more than 100 of the paintings. The artists featured include John Piper, Kenneth Rowntree, Barbara Jones, Rowland Hilder and Sir William Russell Flint.