Citizen soldiers : the Liverpool Territorials in the First World War / Helen B. McCartney.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McCartney, Helen B., author.

Series:

Studies in the social and cultural history of modern warfare ; 22.

Studies in the social and cultural history of modern warfare ; 22

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Great Britain. Army. King's Liverpool Regiment.

Great Britain.

Great Britain. Army--Military life.

World War, 1914-1918--Social aspects.

World War, 1914-1918.

Soldiers--England--Liverpool--Social life and customs.

Soldiers.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xv, 275 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

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 2005 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, whilst their civilian backgrounds helped them challenge those in command if they felt they were being treated unfairly. The book examines the soldier not only in his military context but in terms of his social and cultural life. It will appeal to anyone wishing to understand how the British soldier thought and behaved during the First World War.

Contents:

Pre-war Liverpool and the Territorial Force

'Cuff and collar battalions': social change and its impact on the unit

'Common ties at home and strong county pride': the persistence and importance of county uniformity

Links with home: communication between the home front and the fighting front during the Great War

Command and consent in the trenches

Discipline, punishment and the Territorial ethos

The experience of active service on the Western Front

The aftermath of war.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references (p. 258-269) and index.

ISBN:

1-107-15290-9

1-280-30896-6

0-511-13730-3

0-511-13436-3

0-511-20151-6

0-511-31169-9

0-511-49711-3

0-511-13513-0

OCLC:

252487788