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Occupied St John'sA Social History of a City at War, 1939-1945 |
eBook Available
The stories and memories of those who lived through the Second World War in Newfoundland.
In January 1941, the hulking twenty-one thousand ton troopship Edmund B. Alexander docked in St John's harbor, carrying a thousand American soldiers sent to join the thousands of Canadian troops protecting Newfoundland against attack by Germany. France had fallen, Great Britain was fighting for its survival, and Newfoundland - then a dominion of Britain - was North America's first line of defence. Although the German invasion never came, St John's found itself occupied by both Allied Canadian and American forces.
Occupied St John's reveals the profound impact that the war years had on the city's inhabitants, thrown into a conflict where the "home front" was also the "war front." Weaving together interviews with residents who lived through the upheaval as well as archival material, this collection reconstructs the memories of people coping with extraordinary circumstances.
Lavishly illustrated and engagingly written, Occupied St John's is a remarkable look at the effects of the Second World War on the city, opening another chapter in Newfoundland's fascinating history.
Occupied St John's reveals the profound impact that the war years had on the city's inhabitants, thrown into a conflict where the "home front" was also the "war front." Weaving together interviews with residents who lived through the upheaval as well as archival material, this collection reconstructs the memories of people coping with extraordinary circumstances.
Lavishly illustrated and engagingly written, Occupied St John's is a remarkable look at the effects of the Second World War on the city, opening another chapter in Newfoundland's fascinating history.
Details
336 Pages, 8.5 x 10
152 b&w photos
ISBN 9780773548176
December 2016
Formats: Paperback, eBook
"This original and highly readable study of an international city at war greatly expands what we know about the home front during the Second World War as well as Canadian-Newfoundland relations. It will no doubt fascinate anyone interested in Newfoundland, the Second World War, Canadian veterans and their families." Suzanne Morton, Department of History, McGill University
"This is an impressive work - and a gorgeous one. From its striking cover to its abundance of illustrations, it is crisply designed and visually engaging. From its categorical table of contents to its calibrated notes and footnotes it is a trove of information." Newfoundland Quarterly
"Clearly, this has been a productive collaboration drawing on a range of expertise from grantsmanship to archival sleuthing, interviewing and writing. The result is both balanced and graphic, and gives the impression of having been written seamlessly by a single author...This volume goes a long way in demonstrating how public opinion, memory and family stories contributed to this perception." The Northern Mariner
“The oral testimonies of more than 50 Newfoundlanders who lived through the period add a personal touch to the narrative and refresh the authors’ central argument that the war did not produce a clear separation between the home and war fronts. The book is visually stunning - with more than 100 photographs - and well researched, and will appeal to both the general public and undergraduates.” Newfoundland and Labrador Studies
"This is a somewhat unique project for Canadian academics: a volume that looks like a classic coffee table book but reflects solid academic research and is aimed at both a popular and scholarly audience." American Historical Review
"The essays are rigorously researched and meticulously documented but also written in an accessible and lively style. An excellent collection comprising high-quality papers that make a fitting tribute to this ‘City at War’ as well as noteworthy additions to Canadian military, social, local, and Maritime history." Canadian Historical Review
"This is an impressive work - and a gorgeous one. From its striking cover to its abundance of illustrations, it is crisply designed and visually engaging. From its categorical table of contents to its calibrated notes and footnotes it is a trove of information." Newfoundland Quarterly
"Clearly, this has been a productive collaboration drawing on a range of expertise from grantsmanship to archival sleuthing, interviewing and writing. The result is both balanced and graphic, and gives the impression of having been written seamlessly by a single author...This volume goes a long way in demonstrating how public opinion, memory and family stories contributed to this perception." The Northern Mariner
“The oral testimonies of more than 50 Newfoundlanders who lived through the period add a personal touch to the narrative and refresh the authors’ central argument that the war did not produce a clear separation between the home and war fronts. The book is visually stunning - with more than 100 photographs - and well researched, and will appeal to both the general public and undergraduates.” Newfoundland and Labrador Studies
"This is a somewhat unique project for Canadian academics: a volume that looks like a classic coffee table book but reflects solid academic research and is aimed at both a popular and scholarly audience." American Historical Review
"The essays are rigorously researched and meticulously documented but also written in an accessible and lively style. An excellent collection comprising high-quality papers that make a fitting tribute to this ‘City at War’ as well as noteworthy additions to Canadian military, social, local, and Maritime history." Canadian Historical Review
Steven High is Canada Research Chair in Public History and co-director of the Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling at Concordia University.
Illustrations and Tables vii
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction 3
PART 1 NORTH AMERICA ’S FIRST LINE OF DEFENCE
1 | Building a Wartime Landscape 21
Christopher A. Sharpe and A.J. Shawyer
2 | From Defended Harbour to Transatlantic Base 81
Paul Collins
PART 2 REMEMBERING WARTIME ST JOHN ’S
3 | The Children’s War 113
Barbara Lorenzkowski
4 | Rethinking the Friendly Invasion 151
Steven High
5 | Gate Keeping and Newfoundland Popular Culture 191
Jeff A. Webb
6 | Mona Wilson and the Canadian Red Cross 220
Gillian Poulter and Douglas O. Baldwin
PART 3 CONCLUSION
7 | The Occupation of St John’s in Global Perspective 251
Ken Coates and William R. Morrison
Notes 271
Bibliography 303
Contributors 311
Index 313
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction 3
PART 1 NORTH AMERICA ’S FIRST LINE OF DEFENCE
1 | Building a Wartime Landscape 21
Christopher A. Sharpe and A.J. Shawyer
2 | From Defended Harbour to Transatlantic Base 81
Paul Collins
PART 2 REMEMBERING WARTIME ST JOHN ’S
3 | The Children’s War 113
Barbara Lorenzkowski
4 | Rethinking the Friendly Invasion 151
Steven High
5 | Gate Keeping and Newfoundland Popular Culture 191
Jeff A. Webb
6 | Mona Wilson and the Canadian Red Cross 220
Gillian Poulter and Douglas O. Baldwin
PART 3 CONCLUSION
7 | The Occupation of St John’s in Global Perspective 251
Ken Coates and William R. Morrison
Notes 271
Bibliography 303
Contributors 311
Index 313
Honourable Mention
C. P. Stacey Award
Best Book in Canadian Military History (2010)
C. P. Stacey Award
Best Book in Canadian Military History (2010)
