This account of Ireland during World War II years challenges a few entrenched perceptions as well as providing new photographs of the bombed scenes at East Wall in Dublin and elsewhere. As always, historian Helen Litton writes in a lively and engaging style to tell the human story on the ground as well as that of the politicking behind the scenes. Using eyewitness accounts, newspaper reports, speeches, and a mass of illustrative material, Litton illuminates an often confusing period in her clear and informative manner. In The World War II Years, the question of De Valera’s role and of Ireland’s neutrality is explored along with a full assessment of the Irish contribution to the war in terms of soldier volunteers and special expertise. Litton looks at the Irish situation in the context of the wider world and leaves the impression that this particular period of Irish history still has significant ramifications today.