An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 37 Author: Conor McNamara Publisher: Irish Academic Press (March 2018) http://irishacademicpress.ie/ ISBN: 9781785371608 Pages: 250 Price: €16.99 PB, €44.99 HB "The people generally are out for a Republic and they propose to get it." – County Inspector RIC, West Galway, July 1920 The period 1913–22 witnessed extraordinary upheaval in Irish society. The Easter Rising of 1916 facilitated the emergence of new revolutionary forces and the eruption of guerrilla warfare. In Galway and elsewhere in the west, the new realities wrought by World War One saw the emergence of a younger generation of impatient revolutionaries. In 1916, Liam Mellows led his Irish Volunteers in a Rising in east Galway and up to 650 rebels took up defensive positions at Moyode Castle. From the western shores of Connemara to market towns such as Athenry, Tuam and Galway, local communities were subject to unprecedented use of terror by the Crown Forces. Meanwhile, conflict over land, an enduring grievance of the poor, threatened to overwhelm parts of Galway with sustained land seizures and cattle drives by the rural population. War and Revolution in the West of Ireland: Galway, 1913–1922 provides fascinating insights into the revolutionary activities of the ordinary men and women who participated in the struggle for independence. In this compelling new account, Galway historian Conor McNamara unravels the complex web of identity and allegiance that characterised the west of Ireland, exploring the enduring legacy of a remarkable and contested era. Dr Conor Mcnamara has written extensively about the history of the Irish revolution and rural society. He was previously a winner of the National Library of Ireland, History Fellowship (2009) and was awarded the 1916 Scholar in Residence at NUI Galway (2015-17). He was a Moore Institute, NUI Galway, Visiting Fellow (2017) and this is his fourth publication; he is co-editor of The Dublin Lockout, 1913: New Perspectives on Class War & its Legacy (with Pádraig yeates; Irish Academic Press, 2017). war and revolution in tHe west of ireland: Galway, 1913–1922 el alamein 1942 turninG point in the Desert Author: Richard Doherty Publisher: Pen and Sword ISBN: 9781526700797 Pages: 288 Price: €35.00 El Alamein 1942 Turning Point in the Desert; provides us with an in-depth and clinical analysis of what many historians would argue was a pivotal moment of WW2. The units, formations and commanders along with precise details of each battle are recounted meticulously including some very informative illustrations of deployments for each of the three battles. The war in North Africa had to this point ebbed and flowed with the very real possibility that the Italian German alliance would overrun the Allies; the acute political and military implications are well spelt out. Montgomery and Romell are the commanders that spring to mind when El Alamein is mentioned and although they are the main protagonists the author provides an excellent account of the contributions played by others not so commonly known. In particular the critical part played by Auchinleck in preparing the 8th Army prior to Montgomery's appointment; much of which the author tells us Montgomery tried to deny after the War. The harshness of the conditions endured by the combatants especially the ferocity of the tank battles and artillery barrages as described by vivid eyewitness accounts make for compelling reading. Montgomery's caution to the point of stubbornness coupled with Rommel's sustained logistical problems and the eventual victory by the 8th Army gives the reader a real insight to the complexities of the battles. In an interesting final chapter the author viewing the battles in retrospect outlines the extent of intelligence provided to Montgomery by the code breakers at Bletchley Park; he argues it was significant but that Montgomery drove home this advantage. Reviewed By owen Foley

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