The history of the Irish soldier - from the Battle of the Boyne to Helmand told in their own words.

For hundreds of years, Irish soldiers have sought their destiny abroad.

Leaving his birthplace, he traveled with hope, sometimes wanting to bring a liberating revolution to his fellow countrymen. Often seeking adventure, the Fighting Irish have been found in all corners of the world. Some sailed to America and joined in frontier fighting or demonstrated their loyalty to their new homeland in the American Civil War. Others took the opportunity to carry on their home-borne disputes with campaigns against the British Empire. The Irish soldier has been in the thick of war during the twentieth century-facing slaughter at the Somme, surviving prison camps in Korea, desperate last-stands in the Congo-and continuing sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In The Fighting Irish, Tim Newark tells their tales in the dramatic words of the soldiers themselves, gathered from diaries, letters, journals, and interviews with veterans in Ireland and across the world.