Book Description

The Political Writings of Eva Gore-Booth is a compilation of writings by this important Irish political activist. This is the first time that Gore-Booth's writings have been published together. The volume includes a fascinating array of letters, political pamphlets, newspaper articles and poetry relating to key aspects of Irish and British events of the early twentieth century. The volume is presented in three sections focussing on Women's suffrage and women's trade unionism; Pacifism and Conscientious Objection during World War One and Irish Nationalism before independence. The writings are transcribed in full and include detailed contextual footnotes. The vast majority of these writings are out of print and difficult to source. Many of the writings were published by independent sources or radical political organisations as penny pamphlets and copies are therefore rare. Some of the writings are previously unpublished or, due to strict codes of wartime censorship, were never widely circulated. Publication of these writings provides a greater understanding of Gore-Booth's work but perhaps even more importantly, this publication adds greatly to the body of research available on issues which are, to date, often under researched. Topics which were viewed as controversial in the early twentieth century such as conscientious objectors in WWI, the death penalty in Ireland and England and the development of women's trade unions, have often suffered from a lack of available source material. The Political Writings of Eva Gore-Booth adds greatly to a perspective of Irish identity, both in relation to Irish history and Irish influences on English political movements.