HERE'S a neat idea in a year that marks both the 100th anniversary of the First World War and the 70th anniversary of D-Day: a book 'topping and tailing' the two world wars from the perspective of the York people who fought in and lived through them.

Local historian David Rubinstein has already written impeccably researched and vivid accounts of York at the beginning and end of the First World War, and at the beginning and end of the Second World War.

In York In War And Peace, he brings them all together within the covers of a single volume for the first time. Written in four sections – War, Summer 1914; Peace, Autumn 1918; War, Autumn 1939; Peace, Summer 1945 – this is a book that stands as a powerful testament to the way in which York was changed by the global conflicts that twice tore the world apart in the last century.

Despite the efforts of pioneering reformers such as the Rowntrees, York in early 1914 was a city which would have been all-too-familiar to the Victorians.

"Most of the working class was badly paid and large numbers lived in slums," Mr Rubinstein writes. Fees were charged by local secondary schools, so only a minority of children could attend.

"York has undoubtedly lagged behind, and has thus unwittingly handicapped a host of boys, and possibly girls also, at the outset of their careers," acknowledged a report by the council's Education Committee.

Poor as conditions may have been, there seemed little sense that the nation was on the brink of being engulfed in chaos and destruction, however.

The Yorkshire Herald covered the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand; but despite these distant rumbles, the Yorkshire Evening Press gave its opinion that 'the normal man' cares more about the activities of the household cat than about events abroad. It was only by the end of July that the Press suddenly woke up to the realisation that war was probably inevitable.

"War Confronts Europe" was its headline on July 25.

Even then, many of York's leading men opposed the war - among them councillor JB Morrell. He told a meeting of York Liberals that he "knew of no single war in history when there had been less reason why they should embark upon war, than in the one that was being urged at the present time.'

As late as August 1, the Yorkshire Gazette declared in an editorial that "Our duty is not to risk the lives, the social wellbeing, and the financial stability of this nation as a mere offering to this god of war."

A war which many had expected to last until Christmas was ultimately to rage for four dreadful years. Mr Rubinstein's account skips to Autumn 1918, when an exhausted nation was finally able to celebrate the end of hostilities.

By this time, as many as 2,000 York servicemen (and at least two women) had died in the King's service - the names of more than 1400 of them are recorded in the King's Book of York Heroes at York Minster.

Foodstuffs of all kind were in short supply in York following the years of war - even beer was being watered down. Nevertheless, York erupted with joy on news the war was finally over. Flags were everywhere, and crowds poured onto the streets to celebrate. The celebrations, The Press noted on November 11, marked the "final triumph of civilisation over savagery."

Little more than 20 years later, the savagery of war was to return. But whereas in 1914 there had been widespread astonishment at the outbreak of war, the same was not true in 1939, Mr Rubinstein writes. Hitler's rise to power a few years earlier, and the annexation of Austria and Czechoslovakia by Germany in 1938 had made war seem inevitable.

By the time it ended, almost six years later, York - like the rest of the country - had changed again, forever. A Labour government was elected; union membership was booming; and the NHS was not far off.

The Yorkshire Evening Press, at the close of 1945, still had much to grumble about. The new Labour government was busying itself with 'vast nationalisation schemes' while 'the nation waited for its most pressing needs, above all, housing, to be tackled," it warned. Nevertheless, it hailed 1945 as "the greatest (year) of our island story." Few, even at this distance of years, would disagree.

• David Rubinstein, together with other local authors, will be at Quacks the Printer in Grape Lane at 3pm on Wednesday to sign copies of his book. He will then be at Waterstones in Coney Street from 4.30pm.