The Battle for Berlin Ontario: An Historical Drama

Dennis Blake is a high-school history teacher with the Halton Board of
Education.

In any modern history course on Ontario or Canada, the debate over
Berlin’s name is used to provide insight into World War I on a number
of different levels. Chadwick’s vivid re-creation of the furor that
erupted in 1916 Berlin serves as a welcome expansion upon past
scholarship, and as a gentle artistic reminder that the past is not
simply fodder for an academic debate but also the grist for a meaningful
chronicle of real lives.

As a published poet/playwright and professor of drama at the University
of Waterloo, Chadwick brings to this topic an author’s sensitivity and
passion. He brings to life the foibles of human endeavor on a modest yet
profound level. What it means to be caught culturally and morally
between one’s ethnic heritage and adopted country is a debate of
modern currency. With timely poignancy, Chadwick explores crises of
identity and confidence that faced ethnic German-Canadians in World War
I Berlin.

This colorful book addresses a complex debate that can potentially be
expanded, in the Canadian historical context, to include the treatment
of Jewish refugees and enemy aliens in both world wars. It is an
accessible work of much merit to the novice and professional alike.