AN author who casts light on what life was like during the Great War has released a book focused on the Lake District.

Ruth Mansergh's latest title for Pen and Sword Books, 'Windermere and Grasmere in the Great War', looks at home fronts and features illustrations.

The book is designed to be accessible to all, and for this reason it includes the history of the South Lakes, where the scarcity of visitors was felt during the Great War.

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Ruth's research for the book came in the form of keeping an eye out for attention-grabbing stories about people related to the towns she was researching and collecting them.

She said: "I think it’s important to find quirky and unusual tales. Therefore, I put unusual tales I came across by chance in separate files on my desktop, in case of further contacts about towns that I am familiar with."

"For example, M15 files were made available in 2014: Arthur Ransome was kept on file by M15 as a suspected Russian spy.

"I then put this in a Windermere file because of his connections to the town."

When asked about her particular areas of interest, Ruth said:"My books increasingly became about war memorials.

"Ian Stuart Nicholson at Whitehaven Archives does voluntary research for the Imperial War Museum. He is creating a database of memorials and discovers memorials that have been forgotten about and we share information.

"He informed me that St Martin’s next to the Old England Hotel, Windermere has more memorials than any other church in Cumbria.

"Therefore, Windermere seemed a good choice for a Great War title."

Stories featured include Windermere's role as a watery runway, stories that an airship operated from a secret German base near Grasmere and Cumberland Wrestling's post-war boom. It also looks at prisoner of war Frederick Mallinson, graduates of the Lakes Flying Company, the boatmen who sewed bags for sand and conscientious objectors.

It also acts as a guide to local war memorials.

Ruth has worked as a journalist and has spent her career developing her skill and love for writing.

She inherited her father's keen interest in local history and although she no longer lives in Cumbria, 'Windermere & Grasmere in the Great War' combines her passion for writing and for history with the love of Cumbria where she was born and raised.