British Journal for Military History - Somme issue

[The Ibis]

For those unfamiliar with it, the BJMH is a free, peer reviewed journal. The newest edition has several articles on the Battle of the Somme. The editor wrote:

 

Quote

Volume 2, Issue 3 - EDITORIAL

Time to don your tin hats! Here comes the First World War centenary… again!

1 July 2016 will mark 100 years since the opening of the Battle of the Somme. Amidst the many questions that will be asked of the conduct, bloodshed, and legacy lies a golden opportunity for historians to explore themes that rarely get an airing. Pals, mud and machine guns dominate public perceptions while newspapers, documentaries and books recycle the same emotive tropes. Yet these Anglo-centric narratives, as important as they are, can overshadow the international contributions that were made to one of the most important battles of the twentieth century.

The BJMH is proud to bring you three articles on the battle of the Somme from three international scholars. The French commitment to the battle, so often overlooked, is vividly brought to life by Elizabeth Greenhalgh who has skilfully charted the important role played by Ferdinand Foch. Meleah Hampton has produced a magisterial account of the Australians on the Somme, which offers some serious and trenchant criticism of our cover star Hubert de la Poer Gough. And in a fine work of micro-history, Bill Stewart has artfully unpicked the attack of the 44^th Battalion of the 4^th Canadian Division on 25 October 1916 shedding light on the Canadian participation in the latter stages of the battle. The historical duckboards of the Somme may be well-trodden, but these articles offer a challenge to simple parochial, national views of that seminal battle and provide genuinely original insights which we are proud to showcase here.

If the centenary of the First World War is beginning to feel a little too similar to the attritional slog of the war itself, then let Philip Abbott, Paul Donker, and Kenton White provide a little nineteenth century respite. Looking at the diverse effects of the Napoleonic War on art, military thought and mapping they showcase the enduring resonance of that conflict just over two hundred years on.

While the centenary of the First World War will probably rumble on in predictable ways, the BJMH will continue to publish fresh and original research produced by historians from across the globe. We hope you enjoy this issue.

 DR STUART MITCHELL, EDITOR BJMH

 

The link to the issue is:  http://bjmh.org.uk/index.php/bjmh/issue/view/6

Edited 1 July , 2016 by The Ibis

[MaureenE]

Thanks for posting The Ibis. I was not aware of this Journal

 

The other issues also have articles on the Great War, in addition to other periods. I found the following article interesting:

 

"The Search for Answers on the Missing in the Great War: Lt Hugh Henshall Williamson and His Parents’ Struggle with Officialdom, 1916-2001" by Michael Durey  Vol 2, No 1 (2015)

http://bjmh.org.uk/index.php/bjmh/article/view/72

 

Cheers

Maureen

 

 

[lostinspace]

Great find Ibis. Looking forward to reading through the other articles as well.
 

Dave 

[Doug504]

Thank you for bringing this to my attention Ibis, like the earlier postings I was unaware of the existence of this journal, a diverse range of topics covered.

 

Doug

[CPhillips]

Members may be interested to know that the latest issue of the journal was released earlier today. Although this particular issue does not contain any articles specifically on the First World War, there are a number of reviews of First World War books from the past couple of years that might be of value.

 

http://bjmh.org.uk/index.php/bjmh/issue/view/7

[The Ibis]

Some more good stuff in the latest edition of the journal, including "The Handy Man of the Division: Assessing the effectiveness of the pioneer battalion concept in the First Australian Imperial Force" by William Westerman and "The Handy Man of the Division: Assessing the effectiveness of the pioneer battalion concept in the First Australian Imperial Force" by Bret Holman.

 

http://bjmh.org.uk/index.php/bjmh/issue/view/8

 

[Derek Black]

The most recent edition has a piece by Gary Sheffield:
"Shaping British and Anzac Soldiers’ Experience of Gallipoli: Environmental and Medical Factors, and the Development of Trench Warfare"

 

http://www.bjmh.org.uk/index.php/bjmh/article/view/193

 

Derek.