The Road to the Somme: Men of the Ulster Division Tell Their Story Philip Orr (Author)

 

 When the Ulster Division left Picardy after the Battle of the Somme in July 1911, they had lost over two thousand men, and more than three thousand had suffered injuries. Their tragic story, and great bravery, has since become iconic in Ulster Protestant tradition and mythology. This new updated edition of Philip Orr's definitive book traces the events that led up to the Somme - from the birth of the Ulster Volunteer Force in 1912 to the division's formation, training and journey to France - to the battle itself, and its aftermath, when local newspapers were filled with the long lists of victims and the Twelfth parades were replaced by a five-minute silence across Ulster at noon. Based on Philip Orr's interviews with Somme veterans, this is the soldiers' story, told in their eloquent voices, exposing the reality of that bloody summer and its devastating and far-reaching impact on a close-knit community.

 

Product details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Blackstaff Press Ltd; 2nd Revised edition edition (1 Oct 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0856408247
• ISBN-13: 978-0856408243

Fantastic details in the book, background to the history and formation of the UVF is very concise and how this developed into the 36th Division shows the natural progression of the men's desire to not only defend their culture but also many had no other jobs to do, so the army seemed the natural option.
Builds very slowly, the training goes from boy scout amateurish to the first mobile army with semi special companies, and the hour by hour build up to 1st July was compelling.
The battle writing is deliberately fast and chaotic to give a sense of the chaos on the day.
Most interesting fact was that more Nationalists (Catholics) served in British WW1 regiments than Unionists (Protestants), a fact largely overlooked for modern day political purposes.
Excellent and very readable book on the 36th