IRISH JESUIT CHAPLAINS IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR Edited by Damien Burke Messenger Publications, 2014   This fascinating book tells the stories of ten of the thirty-two Irish Jesuits who served as chaplains in the First World War. These brave men served alongside the troops on the battlefields of France, Belgium, Egypt nd Mesopotamia, and were vulnerable to the same fate as those involved in the battles.   This earned them the respect and admiration of the soldiers, and it is against this backdrop that the accounts of the men's lives are shared.   The story of each chaplain is interspersed with photographs, diary entries, leJ:ters to the Jesuit Provincial, and documents which form part of the social history of the time. These additions bring a sense of immediacy to the lives and the contexts depicted. While each life-story is different, there is a shared sense of loyalty to the national call to support those in service, as well as to the higher call to the spiritual accompaniment of the soldiers through the battles.   The writers of the accounts skilfully blend historical detail with insights into the men at the core of the book. The editor brings it all together in a manner which facilitates either a continuous reading of the book, or a reading of individual accounts in isolation. Interestingly, Fr John Delaney SJ, who features in the first book reviewed here, is featured in this book also, with the same writer, Fr Thomas J Morrisey, painting in words the picture of this heroic Jesuit.   Two very interesting reads, both for those who are experts in the field and for those who develop their understanding of significant world events by looking at the experiences and narratives of people who have been immersed in those events, often at their own expense ...
Dr Ruth Forrest
Intercom
"fascinating book...The writers skilfully blend historical detail with insights into the men at the core of the book. 
Dr Ruth Forrest
Intercom