Neither Unionist nor Nationalist

Overview

This book is a major history account of the 10th (Irish) Division during World War I. Unlike the 36th (Ulster) and the 16th (Irish) Divisions, which have been well served by historians in recent years, the history of the 10th has been largely overlooked. The book emphatically rectifies this long oversight and, in so doing, brings to completion the complicated story of the Irish divisions during World War I. Using newly available sources, regimental medal rolls, newspaper reports, obituaries, census returns, and Commonwealth War Graves records, the book subjects the 10th Division to a ground-breaking analysis, unearthing an unprecedented amount of evidence crucial to understanding its formation, composition, and battle history, from Gallipoli to Palestine. Fascinating and vital details - concerning ethnicity, age, religion, employment, and social background - confound expectations and reveal that the 10th Division was neither as Irish nor as nationalist as previously believed. The research sheds new light on the effects of regimental morale and discipline on combat performance. All told, the book can lay legitimate claim to being the definitive account of the 10th (Irish) Division and will be the benchmark against which future histories of the Division are written. [Subject: Military History, Irish Studies, World War I]