Peter Cottrell
Encyclopedia
Major
Peter James Cottrell (Born 1964 in RAF West Raynham
, Norfolk
, UK). Anglo-Welsh soldier
, sailor
, writer
, educator and revisionist
military
historian
of the Irish War of Independence
and Irish Civil War
.
1913-23' which challenges traditional nationalist interpretations of the Easter Rising
; the role of the Royal Irish Constabulary
and the popularity of the IRA
campaign whilst supporting the view that the conflict was as much an Irish civil war as a struggle for independence from the UK.
He grew up in the village of Kenfig Hill
, Mid-Glamorgan in South Wales
where he attended Kenfig Hill infants, junior and comprehensive schools. Between 1981 and 2008 he served in the ranks of the British
Territorial Army and as an officer in the Royal Navy
and British Army
. During his service career he qualified as a parachutist; undertook loan service in Saudi Arabia
; was Deputy Team Leader of the UNMO
team based in Mostar
and saw operational service in the Middle East
, Bosnia, Afghanistan
and Northern Ireland
.
He gained a BA(Hons) in Humanities
from Wolverhampton Polytechnic, a PGCE
from University College Swansea and an MA
(Distinction) in History from the Open University
. After qualifying as a teacher he was commissioned into the Royal Navy
Instructor
Branch and underwent initial office training at Britannia Royal Naval College
, Dartmouth
reaching the rank of Lieutenant
RN
. In 1995 he transferred into the British Army
and ended his Regular Army
career as a Major
in the Educational and Training Services Branch
. In 2008 he retired from active duty
and was transferred to the Regular Army
Reserve
of Officers
in order to pursue a career as a writer
, teaching English
, History
and Classics
as well as lecturing on the Anglo-Irish
Troubles in Ireland
and the UK.
MA Thesis 2002)
Myth, the Military and Anglo-Irish Policing 1913-1922 (British Army Review No 133, Winter 2003)
The Anglo-Irish War, The Troubles, 1913-23 (Osprey Publishing
2006) ISBN 9781846030239
The Irish Civil War
1922-23 (Osprey Publishing 2008) ISBN 9781846032707
The War for Ireland
1913-23 - Editor and principal contributing author (Osprey Publishing 2009) ISBN 9781846039966
I Am Soldier - Contributing author (Osprey Publishing 2009) ISBN 1846035155
Lies, damned lies and statistics: a British perspective of policing the Anglo-Irish War: Paper delivered to the Military History Society of Ireland
/National Museum of Ireland
Conference marking the ninetieth anniversary of the outbreak of the Anglo-Irish War, Dublin, October 2009
England's Janissary (Robert Hale Ltd, February 2012) ISBN 0709093306 - An historical novel
set during the Anglo-Irish War
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Peter James Cottrell (Born 1964 in RAF West Raynham
West Raynham
West Raynham is a village in the county of Norfolk. Located close to the A1065 road, some 5 miles SW of Fakenham and is the largest village on the Raynham estate. The river Wensum flows nearby...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, UK). Anglo-Welsh soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
, sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, educator and revisionist
Historical revisionism
In historiography, historical revisionism is the reinterpretation of orthodox views on evidence, motivations, and decision-making processes surrounding a historical event...
military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
of the Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
and Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
.
Biography
Peter Cottrell is the author of the best-selling military history 'The Anglo-Irish War: The TroublesThe Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
1913-23' which challenges traditional nationalist interpretations of the Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
; the role of the Royal Irish Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
and the popularity of the IRA
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
campaign whilst supporting the view that the conflict was as much an Irish civil war as a struggle for independence from the UK.
He grew up in the village of Kenfig Hill
Kenfig Hill
Kenfig Hill is a village in Bridgend County, South Wales. It is bordered by Pyle to the south-west, Cefn Cribwr to the north-east, North Cornelly to the south and Moel Ton-Mawr mountain to the north....
, Mid-Glamorgan in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
where he attended Kenfig Hill infants, junior and comprehensive schools. Between 1981 and 2008 he served in the ranks of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Territorial Army and as an officer in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. During his service career he qualified as a parachutist; undertook loan service in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
; was Deputy Team Leader of the UNMO
UNMO
A United Nations Military Observer is an observer for the UN. They have been described as, "the eyes and ears of the security council." Several Observer missions have been executed...
team based in Mostar
Mostar
Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
and saw operational service in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Bosnia, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
He gained a BA(Hons) in Humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
from Wolverhampton Polytechnic, a PGCE
Postgraduate Certificate in Education
The Postgraduate Certificate in Education is a one-year course in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for undergraduate degree holders that allows them to train to be a teacher....
from University College Swansea and an MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
(Distinction) in History from the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
. After qualifying as a teacher he was commissioned into the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Instructor
Instructor
Instructor may refer to:In education:* Professor of a technical subject like dance or civil engineering at a university* A teacher of a specialised subject that involves skill**flight instructor**drill instructor**Physical Training Instructor...
Branch and underwent initial office training at Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
, Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
reaching the rank of Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
RN
RN
RN or Rn may stand for:* rn , a Usenet news client* RN the code for County Roscommon, Ireland* RN, the published memoirs of American President Richard Nixon* Air Horizons's IATA code...
. In 1995 he transferred into the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and ended his Regular Army
Regular Army
The Regular Army of the United States was and is the successor to the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional military establishment. Even in modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army...
career as a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the Educational and Training Services Branch
Educational and Training Services Branch
The Educational and Training Services form part of the Adjutant General's Corps and have done since 1992 when this Corps of the British Army was formed...
. In 2008 he retired from active duty
Active duty
Active duty refers to a full-time occupation as part of a military force, as opposed to reserve duty.-Pakistan:The Pakistan Armed Forces are one of the largest active service forces in the world with almost 610,000 full time personnel due to the complex and volatile nature of Pakistan's...
and was transferred to the Regular Army
Regular Army
The Regular Army of the United States was and is the successor to the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional military establishment. Even in modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army...
Reserve
Military reserve
A military reserve, tactical reserve, or strategic reserve is a group of military personnel or units which are initially not committed to a battle by their commander so that they are available to address unforeseen situations or exploit suddenly developing...
of Officers
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in order to pursue a career as a writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, teaching English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
as well as lecturing on the Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
Troubles in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and the UK.
Works
The Militarisation of Policing in Ireland: 1913-22 (Open UniversityOpen University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
MA Thesis 2002)
Myth, the Military and Anglo-Irish Policing 1913-1922 (British Army Review No 133, Winter 2003)
The Anglo-Irish War, The Troubles, 1913-23 (Osprey Publishing
Osprey Publishing
Osprey Publishing is an Oxford-based publishing company specializing in military history. Predominantly an illustrated publisher, many of their books contain full-colour artwork plates, maps and photographs, and the company produces over a dozen ongoing series, each focusing on a specific aspect of...
2006) ISBN 9781846030239
The Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
1922-23 (Osprey Publishing 2008) ISBN 9781846032707
The War for Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
1913-23 - Editor and principal contributing author (Osprey Publishing 2009) ISBN 9781846039966
I Am Soldier - Contributing author (Osprey Publishing 2009) ISBN 1846035155
Lies, damned lies and statistics: a British perspective of policing the Anglo-Irish War: Paper delivered to the Military History Society of Ireland
Military History Society of Ireland
The Military History Society of Ireland promotes the study of military history, and in particular the history of warfare in Ireland and of Irishmen in war....
/National Museum of Ireland
National Museum of Ireland
The National Museum of Ireland is the national museum in Ireland. It has three branches in Dublin and one in County Mayo, with a strong emphasis on Irish art, culture and natural history.-Archaeology:...
Conference marking the ninetieth anniversary of the outbreak of the Anglo-Irish War, Dublin, October 2009
England's Janissary (Robert Hale Ltd, February 2012) ISBN 0709093306 - An historical novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
set during the Anglo-Irish War
External links
- http://www.ospreypublishing.com/authors/peter_cottrell
- http://www.spectator.co.uk/books/21880/part_3/tales-and-truths-of-the-troubles.thtml
- http://www.independent.ie/national-news/iconic-image-not-a-pictureperfect-symbol-of-irish-struggle-after-all-2199762.html
- http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-4169088-iraq-aid-limited-to-umm-qasr.do
- http://www.cda-cdai.ca/cdai/uploads/cdai/2009/04/douglas02.pdf
- http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.operations.mod.uk/telic/sandy8.pdf
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-175089/Aid-limited-Umm-Qasr.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmet_Dalton
- http://www.mhsi.ie/index.htm
- http://www.thecornwallisgroup.org/cornwallis_2009/6-Pattison-CXIV.pdf
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eamon_Broy
- http://www.drb.ie/more_details/09-03-27/Getting_Them_Out.aspx
- http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5088&st=25
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland_and_World_War_I
- http://www.readireland.ie/booknews/booknews9/issue344.html
- http://www.reviewscout.co.uk/1846030234
- http://www.elearnity.com/EKCLoad.htm?load=byKey/DWIN74QH6C