Shetland and the Great War

A NEW BOOK examining how the First World War affected Shetland gets its launch at Lerwick Town Hall later this week.

‘Shetland and the Great War’ by Linda K. Riddell, based on extensive research of original documents and a wide range of secondary historical analysis, aims to provide a new insight into Shetland a century ago.

Among the key themes are how the effects of the war on Shetland were determined by the islands’ location, along with how Shetlanders related the war to the local community, themselves and their families.

The book explains that, although the demands of king, country and empire were paramount, Shetland had deep emotional meaning for islanders of that era.

• The launch of ‘Shetland and the Great War’ will take place in Lerwick Town Hall at 7.30pm on Wednesday (23 September). Linda Riddell will be signing copies of the book in the Shetland Times Bookshop on Saturday (26 September) between 2-4pm.