A Coward if I Return, A Hero if I Fall

Book excerpt: IRELAND'S FORGOTTEN LEGACY In 1914-1918, two hundred thousand Irishmen from all religions and backgrounds went to war. At least thirty-five thousand never came home. Those that did were scarred for the rest of their lives. Many of these survivors found themselves abandoned and ostracised by their countrymen, their voices seldom heard. The book includes: - The first Victoria Cross - Leading the way at Gallipoli and the Somme - North and South fighting side by side at Messines Ridge - Ireland's flying aces - Brothers-in-arms – heart-rending stories of family sacrifice - The lucky escapes of some; the tragic end of others - The homecoming – why there was no hero's welcome Includes over 300 photographs and items of memorabelia from the lives of these brave men and their families. An important book that opened up the conversation in Ireland about our role in World War I. Updated, and with a new introduction.