Northern Ireland, the United States and the Second World War - by Simon Topping (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In Northern Ireland, The United States and the Second World War, Simon Topping analyses the American military presence in Northern Ireland during the war, examining the role of the government at Stormont in managing this 'friendly invasion', the diplomatic and military rationales for the deployment, the attitude of Americans to their posting, and the effect of the US presence on local sectarian dynamics. He explores US military planning, the hospitality and entertainment provided for American troops, the renewal and reimagining of historic links between Ulster and the United States, the importation of 'Jim Crow' racism, 'Johnny Doughboys' marrying 'Irish Roses', and how all of this impacted upon internal, transatlantic and cross-border politics. This study also draws attention to influential and understudied individuals such as Northern Ireland's Prime Minister Sir Basil Brooke and offers a reassessment of David Gray, America's minister to Dublin. As a result, it provides a comprehensive examination of largely overlooked aspects of the war and Northern Ireland more generally, and fills important gaps in the history of both.

Northern Ireland, The United States and the Second World Waris essential for students and scholars interested in the history of Northern Ireland, American-Irish relations, the Second World War on the UK home-front, and wartime transatlantic diplomacy.

Review Quotes

I think this is the most important book on US forces in Northern Ireland during the war. This is the most extensively researched, fully explained, and well analyzed study of the subject yet produced. This is a brilliant book that tells the almost unknown story of US forces in Northern Ireland in World War II. I learned something new on almost every page.
Francis M. Carroll, Professor Emeritus, St. John's College, University of Manitoba, Canada

It is a very good book about an interesting subject. It is well-researched and finely judged. There is no comparable text. There are many interesting and original angles. It contains a good combination of general analysis and narrative and particular stories and illustrative material. It will appeal to a wide range of readers. Among books on NI during the war this is easily one of the best.
Geoffrey Roberts, Emeritus Professor of History, Member of the Royal Irish Academy, University College Cork, Ireland

About the Author

Simon Topping is Associate Professor of United States History at Plymouth University, UK. He is the author of Lincoln's Lost Legacy: The Republican Party and the African American Vote, 1928-1952 (2008) which was short-listed for the 2009 Neustadt prize. He has published a number of articles on the importation of American racism into Northern Ireland during the Second World War.