Book Review: “Liverpool Territorials in the Great War", written by Paul Knight.
A review of “Liverpool Territorials in the Great War”, written by Paul Knight.
Reviewed by Nigel Marshall
In keeping with my own interests in Territorial Force battalions in the Great War, I read this book for pleasure before I needed to use it professionally to plan a tour for a client to follow a Great Uncle’s experience of war with 1/5th The King’s (Liverpool) Regiment.
Because of the numerous Territorial units supported by Liverpool before and during the Great War, you would be forgiven for thinking that the tackling of such a big subject in a single volume might not have been wise, but you would be mistaken.
The book is sensibly laid out and gives the reader a logical progression through the battalions, and the units of Corps associated with the city.
As a book for reading for pleasure, it is nicely written. The language is crisp and clean, delivered in a manner that flows and makes the read enjoyable.
As a book from which to plan a tour, the book has all the essentials which act as a framework on which to build.
The book fulfils both purposes very well.
Paul Knight has ably supported his text with the liberal use of maps drawn from various sources. Further support is added by the inclusion of endnotes and a very impressive bibliography, showing that the research that has gone into this book is solid in breadth and depth.
It would have been nice to have seen more quotations from the officers and soldiers in their own words, but those that are included are worthy of their inclusion, and the book loses nothing for their scarcity in it.
To finish, the book is indexed really well, using sub-headings to segregate associated items.
An important addition to any collection of unit or formations histories for the Great War student or researcher.
Very highly recommended.
Nigel Marshall
“Liverpool Territorials in the Great War” was
written by Paul Knight.
Published by Pen and Sword Military, 2017,
Barnsley.
ISBN: 978 1 47383 404 0
293
pages, including appendices and index.
Illustrated throughout with photographs and maps.
Cover
price: £25.00
Widely
available in bookshops and through online retailers.
