Citizen Soldiers: The Liverpool Territorials in the First World War

ISBN-13: 9780521848008 / Angielski / Twarda / 2005 / 294 str.

Helen McCartney

Opis

The popular image of the British soldier in the First World War is of a passive victim, caught up in events beyond his control, and isolated from civilian society. This book offers a different vision of the soldier's experience of war. Using letters and official sources relating to Liverpool units, Helen McCartney shows how ordinary men were able to retain their civilian outlook and use it to influence their experience in the trenches. These citizen soldiers came to rely on local, civilian loyalties and strong links with home to bolster their morale and challenge those in command.

Recenzje

Review of the hardback: ' … this is a subject which deserves a wider readership and Citizen Soldiers is an excellent start; may it inspire urban and local historians to re-examine the relationship between the city and its citizens …' Urban History

Spis treści

1. Introduction; 2. Pre-war Liverpool and the Territorial Force; Part I. Territorial Characteristics and the Morale of the Soldier: 3. 'Cuff and Collar Battalions:' social change and its impact on the unit; 4. 'Common ties at home and strong county pride': the persistence and importance of county uniformity; 5. The links with home: communication between the home front and the fighting front; Part II. Command, Discipline and the Citizen Soldier: 6. Command and consent in the trenches; 7. Discipline, punishment and the territorial ethos; Part III. Attitudes and Experience: The War and its Aftermath: 8. The experience of active service on the Western Front; 9. The aftermath of war.