Book Review, Journal of British Studies, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2021.

Abstract

In The Disparity of Sacrifice, drawing on archives in England, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and on hitherto unsolicited daily newspapers, Timothy Bowman, William Butler, and Michael Whatley seek to determine whether the Great War united Ireland with Great Britain or if the century-long bitterness between the two islands and the question of Home Rule cemented ongoing divisions in Britain’s hour of need. They deserve praise for offering what is the first comprehensive book-length study of recruiting during the Great War and for their equal-handed debunking of both nationalist and unionist myths. […] The book offers a fertile breeding ground for further studies. It represents a valuable historiographical contribution through its engagement with nationalist and unionist responses to the war effort, while simultaneously distancing itself from the well-entrenched conviction that the United Kingdom was a kingdom united during the conflict.