Faith Under Fire: Anglican Army Chaplains and the Great War: Amazon.co.uk: Edward Madigan: Books

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'This is an impressive first book that, aside from its contribution to the history of Christianity, is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the British army in the First World War.' - Gary Sheffield, Twentieth Century British History

'Edward Madigan has stripped away from the padres of the Great War old clichés and replaced them with a powerful study of the ways men of the cloth served the men at the front. No crusades or revivals here: but something more lasting - brotherhood and consolation. An important addition to the historical literature on Britain at war.' - Jay Winter, Yale University, USA

'Madigan's book brilliantly explodes the myth that Anglican chaplains had a 'bad war'. Using a broad range of sources and a critical historical sympathy, Madigan sets these men back into the context from which they came, and in the process illuminates their expectations for the coming conflict, the part they played in the war culture of the British army on the Western Front, and how the myth of their inadequacy developed. The result is a star-shell of a book that illuminates the history of male religiosity as well as the human experience of the First World War.' - Dan Todman, Queen Mary, University of London, UK

'A nuanced and balanced account that dispels a number of stubborn myths about Anglican chaplains through careful reading of published and unpublished sources. This is an important contribution to our understanding of the Church of England during the war.' - Adrian Gregory, Pembroke College, University of Oxford, UK

'A major contribution to studies of the First World War … any further work on the subject is bound to draw on this elegant and erudite study.' - William Whyte, St. John's College, Oxford

'The whole issue of combatant faith is brilliantly and incisively analysed by Madigan … Faith Under Fire is an excellent and completely absorbing study of a wide range of issues relative to wartime chaplaincy. It is easy and compelling to read, carefully and closely argued, and a model of sound scholarship.' - History Ireland

'Madigan's book provides a valuable contribution to military history and to the history of the First World War. It is well researched and uses a diverse array of primary sources to build its argument. The book is especially valuable as a contribution to the understanding of life in the trenches and to the social history of warfare … and would certainly be of value to anyone interested in the British experience of war.' - Cercles, Revue Pluridisciplinaire du Monde Anglophone

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In the years following the end of the Great War, a number of texts were published by British veterans that portrayed the Anglican army chaplains with whom they had served in an extremely negative light. The writers who produced this literature painted a picture of a group of ineffectual cowards who lacked spirituality and conviction, and who served no useful purpose at the front. Faith under Fire explores the wartime experiences of Anglican padres and argues that while this bad press was perhaps inspired by very real impressions, the picture it provides is far from complete. Drawing on a wealth of fascinating original sources, this detailed study examines the role of army chaplains on active service, their impact on troop morale, views on the faith of the soldiers who bore the brunt of the fighting, personal relations with these men, and the social and political projects they pioneered in post-war Britain.

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index