Learn more about the Second World War in Northern Ireland with our recommended reading

The WartimeNI recommended reading list features academic works, memoirs, and fictional tales that paint a picture of life in Ulster between 1939 and 1945.

Recommended Reading

Visitors to WartimeNI often ask where we get our information or what resources we use for research. We recommend the books below to help you learn much more about the Second World War in Northern Ireland.

Featured image for A Nurse in the Belfast Blitz : The Diary of Emma Duffin 1939-42

A Nurse in the Belfast Blitz : The Diary of Emma Duffin 1939-42

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9th April 2020

Emma Duffin was a nurse who saw service in both World Wars and wrote in great detail in journals during this time. This is her account of wartime Belfast.

Featured image for Bombs on Belfast: The Blitz 1941

Bombs on Belfast: The Blitz 1941

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10th April 2020

'Bombs on Belfast: The Blitz 1941' presents a collection of photographs from the Belfast Telegraph archives offering an insight into city life in 1941.

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Culture, Northern Ireland, and the Second World War

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26th March 2020

Life in Northern Ireland changed dramatically during and after World War Two. Guy Woodward examines the impact on culture, art, and literature from 1939.

Featured image for D’ye Mind The Day…

D’ye Mind The Day…

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3rd April 2020

'D'ye Mind The Day' by John Pepper is a collection of snippets from the archives of the Belfast Telegraph, a newspaper published daily in Northern Ireland.

Faraway Home

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31st July 2019

Marilyn Taylor's debut historical fiction novel 'Faraway Home' tells the story of young Kindertransport refugees sent to a farm in Millisle, Co. Down.

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Home Away From Home: The Yanks in Ireland

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1st April 2020

With an introduction by Walter Kronkite, who spent time in Ireland, 'Home Away From Home: The Yanks in Ireland' tells the tale of a special relationship.

Life-line to Freedom: Ulster in the Second World War

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25th March 2020

This book provides an overview of Ulster during the Second World War from 1939-1945 when Northern Ireland provided the Allies with a life-line to freedom.

Featured image for My Time in the War: An Irishwoman’s Diary

My Time in the War: An Irishwoman’s Diary

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24th March 2020

'My Time In The War: An Irishwoman's Diary' by Romie Lambkin offers an interesting female perspective on life in Northern Ireland in the Second World War.

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Northern Ireland in the Second World War

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27th March 2020

'Northern Ireland in the Second World War' is a 1995 work by Brian Barton exploring the politics, industry, and day-to-day life in wartime Northern Ireland.

Overhead and Over Here

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2nd April 2020

'Overhead and Over Here' written by Ernie Cromie of the Ulster Aviation Society focuses on US military aviation in Ulster during the Second World War.

Pardon Me Boy: The Americans in Ulster 1942-45

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30th March 2020

Pardon Me Boy: The Americans in Ulster 1942-45 captures the spirit of wartime Northern Ireland when up to 120,000 American servicemen were based in Ulster.

Featured image for Passing Through: The 82nd Airborne Division in Northern Ireland 1943-44

Passing Through: The 82nd Airborne Division in Northern Ireland 1943-44

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31st March 2020

John P McCann's 'Passing Through', tells the story of the United States Army 82nd Airborne Division in Northern Ireland and beyond during World War Two.

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Post 381

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6th April 2020

'Post 381' is the Second World War memoirs of James Doherty, a volunteer Air Raid Warden in North Belfast during the Belfast Blitz of April and May 1941.

Featured image for The Belfast Blitz: The City In The War Years

The Belfast Blitz: The City In The War Years

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7th April 2020

'The Belfast Blitz: The City In The War Years' is the most comprehensive work on the period of the attacks during the Belfast Blitz of April and May 1941.

Featured image for The Belfast Blitz: The People’s Story

The Belfast Blitz: The People’s Story

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8th April 2020

Stephen Douds uses diaries, memoirs, newspapers, and eyewitness accounts to retell the story 'The Belfast Blitz: The People's Story' of the events of 1941.

The Rifles Are There

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23rd March 2020

'The Rifles Are There' by David Orr and David Truesdale follows 1st and 2nd Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles throughout Europe during the Second World War.

Yes! We Have No Bananas

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6th May 2022

'Yes! We Have No Bananas' is a series of stories and reminisces of 24 people who experienced life during the Second World War in Northern Ireland.