One of the great joys of this sort of book is the discovery of new facts about a familiar area. For me the biggest surprise was the presence of a small German POW camp at Wasdale Head (although a post-war visit makes this sound like a rather relaxed camp, with the POWs living in dormitaries in one of the old farms, with no barbed wire), and a slightly larger one on the edge of the fells.

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History of War

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C J Campbell - YouTube Blog

This book covers Whitehaven and the surrounding areas for sometimes quite a few miles around; it is the product of much research and is well referenced. To anyone living in the southern part of West Cumbria, or its considerable diaspora, there is interest to be found in the stories it uncovers. To read rolls of honour or war memorials is to see lists of names, however a book such as this which puts stories to names, and sometimes faces, is illuminating and gives humanity to what would otherwise be sterile. So many heroes and heroines that I have never heard of have their exploits recorded here; so many personal stories, punctuated with events in the area during the war and at the front. It tells of prisoner of war camps, Belgian refugees, football matches and is a little selection box of local history. I particularly liked the story of the people of Whitehaven flocking down to the harbour to wave at a German U boat as it corroborates what my grandfather told me many years ago, and I never knew whether to believe it or not until I saw it confirmed here. Any marra could read this book and enjoy it; and many others beside. It made me quite proud of the part my home town played in the Great War. It's a good 'un and written by someone who knows what she's doing.

Amazon review - John Little

As mentioned in

Workington Times & Star

There's plenty packed into the 140+ pages here.

Who Do You Think You Are?

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The Whitehaven News