For Eaker and his group, it was a shock to be in a country under siege; none of them had realized how pinched life had become in Great Britain. Meat, fish, vegetables, jam, margarine, eggs, condensed milk, breakfast cereal, cheese, and biscuits were severely rationed, along with clothing, soap, and coal for home heating. No one was starving, but rationing had reduced everyone to a monotonous, starchy diet that sapped vitality.
