A NEW book entitled 'Chester's Military Heritage' will be published next month.

Local authors Adrian and Dawn Bridge chronicle the city’s military history across the centuries in the latest instalment of Amberley Publishing's 'Military Heritage' series.

They begin with the impact of the XXth Legion – Legio Vigesima Valeria Victrix – and go on to explore the Dark Ages, Viking, Saxon and medieval eras right through to the twentieth century, with both World Wars, and beyond.

Chapters focus on themes including local, national and foreign conflicts, military personalities, honours and awards, military units, and buildings and memorials.

Both lesser and well-known aspects of the city’s military heritage are featured to present a balanced perspective.

In addition, the authors highlight women, as well as men, on the front line and the home front.

Famous Chester military heroes such as Bomber Command’s Leonard Cheshire VC, and the Korean War’s Kenneth Muir VC feature with lesser-known but equally distinguished local people such as John Dolphin (Head of S.O.E’s Section IX during the Second World War).

The Cheshire Regiment looms large in any discussion of Chester’s military units.

Its origins immediately after the 1688 Glorious Revolution are discussed together with the regiment’s history up to its modern merger with the Mercian Regiment.

The publication date is July 15.

About the authors:

Adrian L Bridge was born in the local area and has a BA in history, an MA, a PGCE, and was a postgraduate research scholar with the British Academy.

He lectured in history for nearly 20 years, at various further and higher-education institutions. Although semi-retired, Adrian continues to work on a part-time basis as a senior assessment specialist with the Cambridge Assessment wing of the University of Cambridge.

Dawn L Bridge is a history graduate, originally from Stoke. She is a specialist in women's history, having organised and delivered exhibitions on the subject.

Dawn has delivered a number of local history talks to Cheshire Women's Institutes and Mothers' Unions.