Tracing Your First World War Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians by Simon Fowler (Pen & Sword, 2013). Whether your military ancestors served at home or overseas during World War I, whether they were soldiers, sailors, or airmen, whether they were male or female, Fowler’s book can help you discover their wartime service records. The book discusses resources for Britain, Canada, Newfoundland, India, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Finding Your Father’s War: A Practical Guide to Researching and Understanding Service in the World War II US Army, 2nd ed. by Jonathan Gawne (Casemate, 2013). Military historian Gawne discusses how to track down a World War II soldier’s service record by using archives, libraries, veterans associations, and other resources. According to APG Quarterly, Finding Your Father’s War is “a great read not only for genealogists wishing to research an ancestor, but also for those who simply have an interest in the United States Army during World War II…[It is] a must-read reference book for any professional genealogist or military historian.”
The Canal Bridge by Tom Phelan (Arcade, 2014). Many people are surprised to learn that close to a quarter of a million Irish men fought in the British army in World War I and tens of thousands died. Forum member Tom Phelan’s novel tells the story of two young Irish men who join the army in order to see the world but end up serving as stretcher bearers in the trenches instead. According to the Irish Independent, the novel is “Another First World War masterpiece…An ambitious, accomplished and deeply moving contribution to Ireland’s formidable corpus of fiction about the Great War.”—Jim Regan
Women of the Irish Revolution by Liz Gillis .(Mercier, 2014).Gillis describes the role women ……played, both directly and indirectly, in the Irish revolution. At a time when society saw their role as that of wife and mother, these women made a decision to stand up not only for their own rights, but also the rights of future generations. The independence movement would not have succeeded without their contribution, which saw them face significant danger in order to help free Ireland. The book also tells the story of the wives, mothers, sisters, and girlfriends of those who fought for Irish freedom; though not directly involved, they lost a great deal.
Atlas of the Irish Revolution by John Crowley, Mike Murphy, and Donal Ó Drisceoil, eds. (Cork University Press, 2017). Thisdefinitive resource brings to life a pivotal moment in Ireland’s history. Published to coincide with the centenary of the Easter Rising, it illuminates the effects of the revolution on Irish culture and politics. The book includes contributions by leading scholars and is illustrated with over 400 illustrations, maps, and photos. Irish Central calls it “the bible of this most important time in Irish history.”
Greatest Brigade: How the Irish Brigade Cleared the Way to Victory in the American Civil War
by Thomas J. Craughwell (Fair Winds Press, 2013).The Irish Brigade, an infantry brigade made up of mostly Irish Americans, served in the Union Army in the U.S. Civil War. The brigade, which suffered heavy casualties, was known for its war cry, “Faugh a Ballagh!” an anglicization of an Irish phrase that means “Clear the way!”
In his book, author Craughwell takes the readerthrough the major battles of the Civil War alongside the soldiers of the brigade. He tells the story of a group of heroes who covered the Yankee retreat at Bull Run, drove the Confederates from the Sunken Road at Antietam, and made charge after charge up Marye’s Heights at Fredericksburg. The brigade’s gallantry won it the admiration of the high command of both North and South, earned it seven Medals of Honor, and after the war, went a long way in helping the Irish assimilate into the American mainstream.
