Passchendaele: Canada's Triumph and Tragedy on the Fields of Flanders: An Illustrated History.

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

The year 2007 marked the 90th anniversary of one of World War I’s bloodiest battles, Passchendaele, an engagement in which Canadian troops played a major role. The passage of time has meant that there are no Canadian survivors of that battle, and consequently books like Leach’s Passchendaele are important reminders of the importance of the Great War in awakening Canadian nationhood. The word illustrated in the subtitle, coupled with the book’s brief length, underlines that Leach’s work is not a comprehensive treatment of this event but rather is a book directed at the average Canadian juvenile or adult who wants to become better informed about this 1917 battle for Passchendaele Ridge in Belgium, during which some 16,000 Canadian soldiers out of a force of 20,000 were killed or wounded. In the main, each pair of facing pages serves as a chapter. Leach treats his subject matter chronologically, and appropriately he does not start with the battle itself. Instead, he begins with the troops’ training in Canada and Britain and their involvement in earlier battles, such as Vimy Ridge and Ypres, which served as preparation for Passchendaele. Most generously illustrated with captioned full-colour and black and white period photos, some full-page, the book’s two-column text is also interrupted by quotes from the war’s participants. The nine Canadians who were awarded Victoria Crosses for their bravery at Passchendaele are also highlighted. The book’s endpapers, which provide a panoramic view of the devastated battlefield, serve as an excellent introduction to this well-designed and written history. Highly recommended.