"The Battalion: Citizen Soldiers at War on the Western Front" A Discussion with Dr. Ian Isherwood

Dr. Isherwood returns to the podcast to talk about his new book "The Battalion: Citizen Soldiers at War on the Western Front." From Casemate Publishers: "How did ordinary citizens become soldiers during the First World War, and how did they cope with the extraordinary challenges they confronted on the Western Front? These are questions Ian Isherwood seeks to answer in this absorbing and deeply researched study of the actions and experiences of an infantry battalion throughout the conflict. His work gives us a vivid impression of the reality of war for these volunteers and an insight into the motivation that kept them fighting. The narrative traces the history of the 8th Battalion The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), a Kitchener battalion raised in 1914. The letters, memoirs and diaries of the men of the battalion, in particular the correspondence of their commanding officer, reveal in fascinating detail what wartime life was like for this group of men. It includes vivid accounts of the major battles in which they were involved – Loos, the Somme, Passchendaele, the German Spring Offensive, and the final 100 Days campaign. The battalion took heavy losses, yet those who survived continued to fight and took great pride in their service, an attitude that is at odds with much of the popular perception of the Great War. Ian Isherwood brings in the latest research on military thinking and learning, on emotional resilience, and cultural history to tell their story." Follow the First World War Letters of H.J.C. Peirs, a digital history project at Gettysburg College: https://www.jackpeirs.org Where to buy "The Battalion: Citizen Soldiers at War on the Western Front" - https://www.casematepublishers.com/9781526774224/the-battalion/ The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social: https://bsky.app/profile/ww1podcast.bsky.social and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at [email protected] with any questions, comments, or concerns. Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! :)