Isn't All This Bloody?

As in the rest of Britain, the outbreak of hostilities in 1914 was met in Scotland with excitement and relief. In the field of literature too, the initial response was positive. Kailyard fiction and the Celtic Twilight were left behind as artless verses, patriotic articles and short stories flooded into print. But as the war progressed things changed and a more complex picture emerged - the patriotism and braggadocio was counterpointed by writers who saw the futility and horror of war. In this book, acclaimed military historian Trevor Royle introduces a huge range of literary material - including poetry, prose, fiction, non-fiction, letters and articles - by Scottish writers. The result is a fascinating picture which shows how war affected not only those who fought at the front, but also those at home, and how it led to profound changes - not least in the forging of the Scottish literary Renaissance and the rise of nationalism. Writers include; John Buchan, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Douglas Haig, Ian Hay, Harry Lauder, Hugh MacDiarmaid, Naomi Mitchison, Neil Munro, John Reith, Saki (H.H. Munro)

Trevor Royle is an outstanding historian of war and empire. His books include Facing the Bear: Scotland and the Cold War, The Flowers of the Forest: Scotland and the First World War and A Time of Tyrants: Scotland and the Second World War. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a member of the Scottish Government's Advisory Panel for Commemorating the First World War.