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And We Go OnA Memoir of the Great War |
eBook Available
A lost classic on the First World War, as haunting today as it was when it was first published.
In the autumn of 1915 Will Bird was working on a farm in Saskatchewan when the ghost of his brother Stephen, killed by German mines in France, appeared before him in uniform. Rattled, Bird rushed home to Nova Scotia and enlisted in the army to take his dead brother's place. And We Go On is a remarkable and harrowing memoir of his two years in the trenches of the Western Front, from October 1916 until the Armistice.
When it first appeared in 1930, Bird's memoir was hailed by many veterans as the most authentic account of the war experience, uncompromising in its portrayal of the horror and savagery, while also honouring the bravery, camaraderie, and unexpected spirituality that flourished among the enlisted men. Written in part as a reaction to anti-war novels such as All Quiet on the Western Front, which Bird criticized for portraying the soldier as "a coarse-minded, profane creature, seeking only the solace of loose women or the courage of strong liquor," And We Go On is a nuanced response to the trauma of war, suffused with an interest in the spiritual and the paranormal not found in other war literature. Long out of print, it is a true lost classic that arguably influenced numerous works in the Canadian literary canon, including novels by Robertson Davies and Timothy Findley.
When it first appeared in 1930, Bird's memoir was hailed by many veterans as the most authentic account of the war experience, uncompromising in its portrayal of the horror and savagery, while also honouring the bravery, camaraderie, and unexpected spirituality that flourished among the enlisted men. Written in part as a reaction to anti-war novels such as All Quiet on the Western Front, which Bird criticized for portraying the soldier as "a coarse-minded, profane creature, seeking only the solace of loose women or the courage of strong liquor," And We Go On is a nuanced response to the trauma of war, suffused with an interest in the spiritual and the paranormal not found in other war literature. Long out of print, it is a true lost classic that arguably influenced numerous works in the Canadian literary canon, including novels by Robertson Davies and Timothy Findley.
Details
Part of the Carleton Library Series (number 229 in series)
276 Pages, 6 x 9
ISBN 9780773543966
October 2014
Formats: Paperback, eBook
“And We Go On, originally published in 1930 and reissued to mark the 100th anniversary of the Great War, proves that Bird is a neglected master. As University of Manitoba English professor and unabashed fan David Williams argues in his introduction to the new edition, Bird ‘should be required reading for all students of Canadian history and literature’…The writing in And We Go On is taut and filled with foreboding. Bird’s vivid descriptions and detailed, moment-by-moment recounting of his harrowing experiences immerse readers in the hellish world of trench warfare.” The Chronicle Herald
Will R. Bird (1891-1984) was a prolific author of history, travel writing, and fiction, best known for his books on the First World War and on the history of Nova Scotia.
David Williams is professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba.
David Williams is professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba.
Introduction
David Williams vii
Preface 3
I France and Vernon Carter 6
II I Shoot a German 25
III The German Officer 48
IV Passchendale 65
V Thou Shalt Not Kill 86
VI The Longest Trip 109
VII In a German Trench 126
VIII Parvillers 145
IX Jigsaw Wood 164
X The Student 182
XI Raismes Forest 200
XII And We Go On 218
Afterword
David Williams 232
Works Cited 241
David Williams vii
Preface 3
I France and Vernon Carter 6
II I Shoot a German 25
III The German Officer 48
IV Passchendale 65
V Thou Shalt Not Kill 86
VI The Longest Trip 109
VII In a German Trench 126
VIII Parvillers 145
IX Jigsaw Wood 164
X The Student 182
XI Raismes Forest 200
XII And We Go On 218
Afterword
David Williams 232
Works Cited 241
9780773545977
$40.95 CAD
Paperback
