A new book is set to reveal the powerful stories of children who survived the Blitz.

Blitz Kids, by Duncan Barrett and Nuala Calvi, is based on extensive interviews with those who lived through the bombings in cities like London and Birmingham, including Irene Brown from Southampton, who saw troops departing on D-Day.

The authors said: "With the eightieth anniversary of VE Day approaching, the project felt even more pressing.

"For most 'Blitz Kids,' this will be the last major anniversary they live to see."

The book recounts the experiences of children who spent nights in air-raid shelters, only to find their homes and schools destroyed the next morning.

Yet, amidst the chaos, they found ways to enjoy their childhoods, collecting shrapnel and playing in bombed-out houses.

The authors said: "Even a book about the Blitz can’t be all doom and gloom.

"A lot of our interviewees were riotously funny.

"In fact, many told us the war was a wonderful time to be a kid."