Ghosts Have Warm Hands.

[uncle bill]

I bought this book a couple of weeks ago at the Vimy Ridge centre. A great no nonsense read by someone who was at the sharp end. I especially liked the descriptions of the battles in the later phases of 1918.

[paul guthrie]

I think this one is as good as any. It's amazing how many fine WW1 books came from Canada. Ghosts Have Warm Hands, Will R Bird, Journal of Private Fraser, Donald Fraser, Best O' Luck Alexander McClintock, Only THis James Pedley. 50th Battalion In No Man's land Victor Wheeler. Letters of Agar Adamson also quite good. All of these are in reprint now.

[mordac]

It's amazing how many fine WW1 books came from Canada.

Hi Paul:

I agree with you about the books you mentioned, published by CEF Books. Here's a five more CEF produced books that I recommend:

'Thirteen Years After' and 'The Communication Trench' by Will R. Bird. 'The Communication Trench' is a book of Great War ideas, poems, humor, and statistics that came from magazine articles Bird wrote in 1933. Of particular interest is a feature called "War Books for a Veteran's Library" that appear throughout the book.

'The Great War As I Saw It' by Frederick G. Scott

'Lights Out!: The Memoir Of Nursing Sister Kate Wilson, Canadian Army Medical Corps, 1915-1917'

'Silhouettes Of The Great War: The Memoir Of John Harold Becker'

A link to CEF Books web site can be found here.

Garth

[paul guthrie]

Garth I can't believe I left out Canon Scott's book because ALexander McClintock - see below- is the man who helped him dig up the body of his son Captain Henry Hutton Scott on the Somme. I had of course read Alex's account of this in his book. He did not know Scott's name or did not name him calling him an elderly padre. Then I read Scott's book ans saw Alex's story was true, he was the man. Scott did not name him either.

I began my research on Alex from his headstone here and did not know he had written a book at the time.The research resulted in a Stand To! article and research of all the men named in the book resulted in the afterward to the book. I think it's also my research in the forward though Norm Christie credits me only for the former.

I agree about the other Bird books and have ordered the Becker book and nurse memoir.

[mordac]

Hi Paul:

Your last post mentions two people that I truly respect.

Norm Christie has done more to bring the Great War to the forefront of Canadian awareness that anyone else in the last twenty years. He is passionate about the subject and has taken on considerable personal financial risks in starting CEF Books. Also, his six part TV series 'For King & Empire' is a smashing success in Canada and is always being replayed on the History Network. It was Norm Christie that started my involvement in researching Canada's role in WWI.

What can you say about Canon Scott. His name keeps appearing in books, letters, newspapers, and magazine articles from the period. He was really loved by the CEF troops for his compassion and willingness to be on the front line during pitch battles. I think I've run across Canon Scott's name more than any other Canadian involved in the Great War; including Author Currie.

Garth

[mordac]

Sorry, I should also have mentioned the eight part 'For King & Empire' series of books that Norm Christie wrote and has published. They're a fantastic set of books that follow the CEF from Ypres in 1915 to Mons in 1918. I'm planning our visit to the Western Front next year based on Christie's books.

Garth

[paul guthrie]

For those of you in the UK who want these CEF books it may be easier to get them from Ray Westlake.

Garth extensive reading has led me to the conclusion that Canon Scott was the best loved man in the Canadian Army. I am surprised Alex McClintock did not know him but he probably had heard of him but did not know his face. We will not know.

[Terry]

Mordac,

I e-mailed Norm Christie a few weeks ago, and a ninth book in the series in due out shortly, with two more to follow. Topics are Newfoundland's efforts; Canadian Great War cemetaries; and a general one on "other" battles 1915-17, not covered by the original eight books.

[David Blue]

Norm once told me that a book in the series 'St. Eloi' was in the works. (To cover the battles of March-April 1916 at the craters). Yet I have never seen any sign of it. Has anybody heard word of this one?

[mordac]

Mordac,

  I e-mailed Norm Christie a few weeks ago, and a ninth book in the series in due out shortly, with two more to follow. Topics are Newfoundland's efforts; Canadian Great War cemetaries; and a general one on "other" battles 1915-17, not covered by the original eight books.

Hi Terry:

Thanks for the update. I'll keep my eyes open for their release.

David - I'd love to see a book on St. Eloi added to this series.

Garth

[andigger]

I e-mailed Norm Christie a few weeks ago, and a ninth book in the series in due out shortly, with two more to follow. Topics are Newfoundland's efforts; Canadian Great War cemetaries; and a general one on "other" battles 1915-17, not covered by the original eight books.

Brought this back to the top so that some of those who had been interested in books regarding the 1918 offensive might look into Ghosts.

Also since I am just following up on this now I was curious if any of Christie's new books had come out and if other Pals had read them.

Andy