Welcome to Great War 100 Reads.
One hundred years later, the legacy of the First World War lives on.
I am commemorating the centenary of the war by learning more about it and reflecting on its continuing influences. From July 2014 to early 2019, the First World War was the exclusive subject of my leisure reading. The books are all reviewed here. Mostly fiction. Some memoirs, diaries and non-fiction mixed in. And while the centenary is over, some WW1 books still cross my path.
My explorations go from the causes through to the consequences. Honouring soldiers, nurses, ambulance drivers, spies, suffragists, pacifists, propagandists and those serving on the home front. Comparing Canadian perspectives with those from other countries. Seeing how perceptions have changed over time.
In between the book reviews, I share photos of First World War tributes from my travels near and far, in Monday Monuments and Memorials. I take an expansive view of what belongs – statues, cenotaphs, plaques, grave markers, sculptures, war art, ephemera and many other remembrances of the war. I seek them out wherever I go. Sometimes they present themselves to me out of the blue. You can click on Monuments and Memorials (above or in the main menu, depending on your devise) to see the list.
It’s a daunting challenge. Will you join me?
Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile, reflections on seven years of Great War 100 Reads
Rosemary, for Remembrance, reflections on six years of Great War 100 Reads
An Interview with Tamra Thomson, reflections on five years of Great War 100 Reads
A Long, Long Trail, reflections on four years of Great War 100 Reads
My Little Wet Home in the Trench, reflections on three years of Great War 100 Reads
I Didn’t Raise My Boy to be a Soldier, reflections on two years of Great War 100 Reads
Oh! It’s a Lovely War, reflections on one year of Great War 100 Reads
A Whizz Bang Welcome, launch of Great War 100 Reads
Great War 100 Reads 
September 3, 2016 at 22:46
Very cool subject. In my travels, the monuments to World War I — whether in Canada, the U.S. or in Europe — always stand out for their elegance compared to so many other war memorials. Perhaps that was because the magnitude of that tragedy for its time was literally monumental.