An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 37 Author: Trevor Dickson Publisher: The Black Staff Press ISBN: 9781780732398 Pages: 144 Price: €22.99 "Photographers don't take sides, they take pictures" PAUL FAITH "We were under no illusions that what we were doing was very, very important. It was crucial. The message had to get out" - CRISPIN RODWELL This book is based on the critically acclaimed documentary, Shooting the Darkness (2019), directed by Tom Burke and produced by Thomas Kelly for Broadstone Films. It is the story of the local press photographers in Northern Ireland who, when the Troubles broke out, were thrust on to the front line of daily shootings, bombings and murders, becoming war correspondents in their home towns. Seven r enowned photographers – Stanley Matchett, Trevor Dickson, Alan Lewis, Hugh Russell, Martin Nangle, Crispin Rodwell and Paul Faith – reflect frankly on their experiences, from the trauma of covering hundreds of funerals and being first on the scene after an atrocity, to the ways the different paramilitary groups chose to work wi th the press, the dangerous situations in which the photographers found themselves, and why their work was so profoundly important. Included are the stories behind iconic images such as Father Edward Daly waving a blood-stained handkerchief on Bloody Sunday in 1972, Sean Downes being shot and killed by an RUC plastic bullet in 1984, and the brutal attack on Corporals Derek Wood and David Howes in March 1988. The result is a unique and landmark book, recognising at last the achievement and contribution of the photographers who were shooting the darkness for more than thirty years. Key Points: • Based on the critically acclaimed Broadstone Films documentary • Follows from 'Reporting the Troubles' which has sold 10,000+ copies • Covers many of the key events of the Troubles • Presents the stories behind the iconic imagery that defines the conflict • Approx. 100 historic, and often visceral, photographs of the Troubles • Prominent, respected and well-known photographers share their experiences of the Troubles for the first time • Guaranteed wide media coverage, given that all contributors are eminent photographers Press release by The Black Staff Press SHOOTING THE DARKNESS Iconic images of the Troubles and the stories of the photographers who took them IRISH SERVICEWOMEN IN THE GREAT WAR Author: Barbara Walsh Publisher: Pen & Sword History ISBN: 9781526767943 Pages: 224 Price: £19.99 Highlights • The story of the Irish women who responded to the call for volunteers on the Western Front in 1917. • This is the history of those women who joined the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps from every class, creed, family background and ability. • Their willingness to help has been woefully overlooked in the following years of political unrest. • Irish Servicewomen looks to redress this imbalance, and restore the rightful recognition of their contribution to the war effort. When the call went out in 1917 for volunteers willing to serve both at home and on the Western Front in a newly founded Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, young women from every province of Ireland responded just as eagerly as those from homes in Scotland, England and Wales. Drawn from every class, creed, family background and ability, the girls who came forward to join the WAAC from Ireland had often suffered equal heartbreak over the loss of husbands, brothers and friends killed or wounded in France. Yet, their willingness to help bring about an end to the slaughter was a narrative that became ignored in popularised versions of that politically volatile era and it is hoped that this study will now go some way to restore a rightful recognition of their army service days within the historiography of twentieth-century Irishwomen. Their work as office workers, cooks and caterers, motor transport drivers, cryptanalysis and hi-tech telecommunication personnel are examined. Close investigation is made of the Irishwomen seconded to the Royal Engineers from branches of the General Post Office in Ireland and elsewhere. Attached to Signal units, they became key players in ensuring the Western Front's crucial, high-security army Lines of Communication remained viable. The story of these Irish servicewomen in the Great War winds up within the interwar period that followed. Had often dangerous war experiences affected these women's postwar life-changing decisions and aspirations? Compare/contrast experiences in the postwar era are cited. There were new careers, migration, home and family life. How many had foreseen that twenty years hence, Irish women 'veterans' of the Great War would once more rally at a time of fresh crisis? About the Author When Irish author and historian Barbara Walsh gained a doctorate in history from Lancaster University in 1999, she had already enjoyed a long and productive career which had encompassed a number of creative outlets as a writer, artist, broadcaster and multi-media producer. Barbara went on to develop a particular interest in researching neglected early twentieth century historical topics which she presents as ground-breaking building blocks to introduce new themes and fields of research. Each subsequently well- received publication of her work has allowed these topics to be successful developed and expanded by international scholars. Press release by Pen & Sword History

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