In 1914, as the world prepared for war, thousands of men enlisted in Scotland. But thousands more Scots, and those of Scottish descent, joined up across the world. As the optimism of 1914 gave way to the grim reality of years of conflict, the human cost of fighting the First World War became a foundation of national consciousness - for Canada at Vimy Ridge, for Australia and New Zealand at Gallipoli, for South Africa at Delville Wood. Based on the exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland (11 July to 12 October 2014) the book explores how military service was related to other expressions of Scottish identity. And, following the structure of the exhibition, personal story vignettes, based on National Museum Scotland and on international collections, will reinforce the main themes of migration, multiple identity and loss.

About the Author

Stuart Allan and David Forsyth are Senior Curators in the Department of Scottish History and Archaeology, National Museums Scotland.

Reviews
'The book is most successful as a material history analysis of the artefacts, the objects serving as poignant reminders of the units' and soldiers' desire to combine their Scottish heritage with their new homelands.' (War in History); ' ... this book also looks beyond overt, traditional, displays of military Scottishness to uncover hidden aspects of the Scottish influence on dominion forces during the Great War.' (Journal of Scottish Historical Studies); 'This book is very well researched and written (fortunately without too much academese) ... (The Volunteer Journal of the New Zealand Military Historical Society); ' ... a timely reminder of the part played by those of Scots descent in winning the war. It provides a valuable insight into the experience of those citizens of Empire who served.' (The Caledonian)



Book Information
ISBN 9781905267910
Author Stuart Allan
Format Paperback
Page Count 160
Imprint NMSE - Publishing Ltd
Publisher NMSE - Publishing Ltd
Weight(grams) 559g
Dimensions(mm) 244mm * 188mm * 12mm