Black Tommies : British soldiers of African descent in the First World War / Ray Costello.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Costello, R., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Great Britain. Army--Minorities.

Great Britain.

Great Britain. Army.

World War, 1914-1918.

Soldiers, Black--Great Britain--History--20th century.

Soldiers, Black.

Armed Forces--Minorities.

History.

Minorities.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xiv, 216 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Liverpool : Liverpool University Press, 2015.

Summary:

Black Tommies is the first book entirely dedicated to the part played by soldiers of African descent in the British regular army during the First World War. If African colonial troops have been ignored by historians, the existence of any substantial narrative around Black British soldiers enlisting in the United Kingdom during the First World War is equally unknown, even in military circles. Much more material is now coming to light, such as the oral testimony of veterans, and the author has researched widely to gather fresh and original material for this fascinating book ranging from primary documentary sources in archives to private material kept in the metaphorical (and actual) shoeboxes of descendants of Black Tommies. Reflecting the global nature of the conflict, Black Tommies takes us on a journey from Africa, the Caribbean and North America to the streets of British port cities such as Cardiff, Liverpool and the Tyneside area. This exciting book also explodes the myth that Second Lieutenant Walter Tull was the first, or only, black officer in the British Army, and endeavours to give the narrative of Black British soldiers a firm basis for future scholars to build upon by tackling an area of British history previously ignored. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Whose War? 17

2 The Invisible Army - The Search 45

3 Black Volunteers - The Empire and Beyond 67

4 Black Officers, White Soldiers 97

5 The Black Empire Arrives - Conscription 113

6 The Return of the Heroes 133

7 Epilogue 163.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 197-210) and index.

ISBN:

9781781380185

178138018X

9781781380192

1781380198

OCLC:

934937672