Portobello and The Great War is a charming book packed with letters, photographs and first-hand diary accounts of the residents of the area during World War I.
The area is most famous for being the capital’s seaside resort and this new perspective on the town is sure to be of interest to anyone who enjoyed holidaying there.
Portobello grew from a settlement founded around 1750 on the Figgate Whins, a desolate area of scrubland three miles east of Edinburgh.
It took its name from Puerta Bella, the port in Panama that was captured from Spain by the British in 1739 and is best known as a popular beach resort.
What is less well-known is that during the First World War it was home to thousands of British troops, some of whom were billeted in a former pleasure garden and others in a chocolate factory. The story of wartime Portobello makes for fascinating reading.
Many Portobello residents lost their lives in the conflict, and are now commemorated by memorial monuments throughout the town.
In Portobello and the Great War, authors Archie Foley and Margaret Munro document the impact of the First World War on local lives through personal heart-felt diary entries from the era.
Portobello and The Great War, by Archie Foley and Margaret Munro, published Amberley, £12.99.
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