From the West Coast to the Western Front: British Columbians and the Great War
By Mark Forsythe and Greg Dickson
(Harbour Publishing)
The way that authors Mark Forsythe and Greg Dickson chose to relay the history of British Columbia’s involvement in World War I is surprisingly personal and detailed in From the West Coast to the Western Front: British Columbians and the Great War.
The two authors collaborated on a previous book, The BC Almanac of Greatest British Columbians, and they clearly have a love and respect for the history of our province. They have both worked for CBC for decades: Forsythe, recently retired, hosted the radio show Almanac, and Dickson is a historian, journalist, and producer.
Upon first glance, this book appears to be a heavy read. It resembles a textbook required for a Canadian History class, which isn’t really my idea of casual reading.
I’m glad I gave it a chance, though, as I otherwise would have missed out on dozens of personal stories collected from CBC listeners.
Soldiers and their loved ones tell their unique and heartfelt stories about their experiences and their relatives’ contributions to one of the most devastating wars in history.
From the West Coast offers a refreshing British Columbian perspective and touches on aspects of the war that aren’t usually told in most history books.
It’s so common to feel disconnected from stories from the past, but Forsythe and Dickson give a voice to those who suffered through not only the horrors of war but also the thick history of racism and slavery in Canada. It’s difficult not to feel the physical presence of the storytellers.
Perhaps it’s because my great-grandfather is a WWII veteran, or perhaps it’s my interest in human rights and the struggles of the past, but I found this book to be surprisingly difficult to put down, and it should appeal to more than just history connoisseurs.