Belfast Boys: How Unionists and Nationalists Fought and Died Together in the First World War

by Richard S. Grayson

This is the story of men from either side of West Belfast's sectarian divide during the Great War. Richard S. Grayson follows the volunteers of the 36th and 16th divisions who fought on the Somme and side-by-side at Messines, recovering the forgotten West Belfast men throughout the armed forces, from the retreat at Mons to the defeat of Germany and life post-war. In so doing, he tells a new story which challenges popular perceptions of the war and explains why remembrance remains so controversial in Belfast today.

272 pages, Hardcover

First published October 20, 2009

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is first and foremost a book about war, about the sacrifices and losses and about the bravery and triumphs of the men sent to the front during the First World War. It tells the tales of the individuals, friends, relatives and communities of the whole of Ireland and in particular of West Belfast as both sides of the divide set aside their differences and fought side by side. Grayson uses the stories of individuals and battalions to take the reader through the fights, battles and war of these men and their families as it was told to him, with their own bias and bigotries without condemning or judging. Grayson doesn't avoid the difference between these men nor does he make them his focus, he simply tells how they put them aside for those years when it really mattered but he also tells how some just couldn't reconcile the beliefs with joining a British Army, no matter what the cause, without acting as judge or jury. He allows the reader to make their own judgements based on the experiences of those who lived and died during the War and in the following years.

Although this is a difficult subject Grayson keeps everything as simple as possible, explaining the origins of and the reasons for the different battalions and the beliefs held both those involved in such a way that it is not only readable but understandable. The reader gets a true sense of life on the front line, behind the line and at home and how the politics of Ireland coloured how each community remembered its dead. An insightful, accessible yet sensitive work that shows how sectarianism doesn't have to rule if the will is there to fight for the greater good (a lesson many in the modern 'paramilitaries' would do well to learn).

[Brian Curragh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that could have been much more. The statistical analysis that lies behind Grayson's volume is impressive, albeit that the author admits its limitations (missing records combined with a politically-driven and deliberate myopia towards service by Irish nationalists), but is only really teased out in the closing chapters on remembrance and methodology. After a good opening which looks at recruitment and training, the bulk of the narrative is spent on a chronological listing of the actions that the men from West Belfast were involved in with many individuals being specifically referenced. The listing will be more or less familiar to any scholar of the regiments from Ulster so the addition of the presence of individual soldiers does little to enhance the story. Professor Grayson is to be highly commended for the creation of the West Belfast database of 8,500 individual men but its real value will come out of the statistical analysis that is now possible and will lead to a better understanding of the implications of religion and political beliefs and their effect on recruitment and attitude of the men from both communities in West Belfast.

[Senioreuge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this on a Dublin book store shelf in 2011, when I flicked through it I discovered some of my relatives who's lives were depicted in the pages along with some family photographs. The information in the book came from a cousin of my father who spent a lot of time researching the family history as it related to WW1. His work and that of others is a valuable source of information for which we are all indebted. Contrary to the recent narrative of WW1 it was not a glorious adventure which somehow magically unified the opposing unionist and nationalist factions in Ireland. In military terms it was a slaughter of the working class to further the colonial ambitions of the 19th century powers of Europe. No-one went off to war to sacrifice their lives and few if any who returned glorified the horror visited on them in the name of King or Kaiser. It is however a worthwhile reminder of the ordinary men expended in a cause not of their making.

[Sjur · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book does compile much of the information in an easy readable way. Although I must admit it fails to encourage further curiosity as the language comes across as rather dull. Might just be my expectations that are too high though. (I find A. J. P. Taylor and Garry Sheffield's language to be far more compelling.) Although the author of this book is a very encouraging person to talk to so it is a bit of a let down to find out the book is not a reflection of that enthusiasm. (Written by one of his former students.)

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with any history book, this took longer than usual to finish, but well worth it. My grandfather fought with the 9th Battallion of RIR and was from the Court Ward the author speaks about, so it was fascinating to see his comrades and officers described. A brilliant book for any Belfast or WW1 buff, and nice to see a recommendation from my old history lecturer, Prof Jeffrey, there.

[Leif Bodnarchuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, and as far as I can tell completely unbiased. Not exactly a riveting read; more of a study book. The text is dry, and dense with information on soldiers' names, their battalions, regiments, and divisions.

Big paragraphs make the 205 or so pages of main body text seem like 300 pages. But like it says on my paperback copy, it 'Should be read by all those with an interest in the history of Britain, Ireland, and the First World War.'

I found the chapter Remembrance to be the most interesting, as it contained many names in Northern Irish politics that we know today.