They Fought in Colour / La Guerre En Couleur - by The Vimy Foundation (Hardcover)

About the Book

A photographic exploration of Canada's First World War experience, presented for the first time in full, vibrant colour, with complementary essays by some of our country's leading public figures.

Book Synopsis

Iconic photos from the First World War, newly colourized.

See seminal images of Canada's First World War experience in a new light -- offered in full colour for the first time -- with contributions from Margaret Atwood, Tim, Cook, Charlotte Gray, Paul Gross, Peter Mansbridge, and many others.

Canadians today see the First World War largely through black and white photography. Colourizing these images brings a new focus to our understanding and appreciation of the role Canada played during the First World War. It makes the soldier in the muddy trench, the nurse in the field hospital, and those who waited for them at home come to life. Immediately, their expressions, mannerisms, and feelings are familiar. They become real. They Fought in Colour is a new look at Canada's experience during the Great War. A more accessible look. A more contemporary look.

Review Quotes

Scrawled in chalk on a rusty brick Toronto wall - "Don't Forget Us." Five wounded Canadian soldiers, only one willing, or able to smile, sit beneath the graffiti. This is but one of the extraordinary glimpses of Canadians at home and at the front filled with the tones, tints, and hues of life and death during the First World War. The text and the photographs, in colour for the first time, educate and then haunt us; they are, in fact, quite unforgettable.-- "Linda Granfield, historian"

Canada's Great War comes vividly to life in this superb collection of colourized photographs of the battlefield and the homefront. The texts too add much to this nation's saga of mobilization, sacrifice, and victory. This book is one to pore over again and again.-- "-- J.L. Granatstein, author of The Greatest Victory: Canada's One Hundred Days, 1918"

Emmener mes trois fils à Vimy pour souligner le 100e anniversaire de la bataille a été une des expériences les plus significatives de toute notre vie. Nous avons également réalisé que si nous avions vécu au Canada 100 ans plus tôt, mes garçons auraient été des soldats, et non des touristes, et que certains d'entre eux ne seraient peut-être pas rentrés à la maison. Chaque génération doit raconter et répéter l'histoire du rôle important du Canada pendant la Première Guerre mondiale. Ce livre raconte cette histoire de façon brillante et fraîche.-- "Steve Paikin, présentateur, L'Agenda avec Steve Paikin sur TVO"

La Guerre en Couleur jette un regard nouveau et dynamique sur le rôle important du Canada pendant la Première Guerre mondiale. Les images et le texte rendent cette histoire vivante!-- "La très honorable Adrienne Clarkson, 26e gouverneure--générale du Canada"

Showcasing the incredible efforts of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War, They Fought in Colour connects us to the daily life of the soldiers and their families in an entirely new way. This unique book will ensure the service and sacrifice of those who served Canada a century ago are never forgotten."-- "-- General (Ret'd) Rick Hillier, OC, ONL, CMM, MSC, CD"

Taking my three sons to Vimy on the 100th anniversary of the battle was one of the most meaningful experiences of all of our lives. It also occurred to us that had we been living in Canada 100 years earlier, my boys would have been soldiers, not tourists, and some or all of them might not have come home. Every generation needs to tell and re-tell the story of Canada's important role in the First World War and this book does it in a brilliant and fresh way.-- "-- Steve Paikin, anchor, The Agenda with Steve Paikin on TVO"

They Fought in Colour is a remarkable achievement, breathing new life into the black-and-white photographs that have, until now, shaped our understanding of the Great War. This incredible colourization project is truly a gift to all Canadians interested in our nation's military history.-- "Mark Reid, Editor-in-Chief of Canada's History"

They Fought in Colour is an exciting and new look at Canada's important role in the First World War. The images and the text bring everything alive!-- "-- The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson, 26th Governor General of Canada (1999-2005) and Colonel-in-Chief of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry"

This book's moving essays and vivid images blow dust from the pages of history. Together, they present an up-close, very personal and moving look at a war and a time that continue to shape Canada - and the world.-- "Anthony Wilson-Smith, Historica"

About the Author

The Vimy Foundation is a registered Canadian charity, founded in 2006, with the mission to preserve and promote Canada's First World War legacy, best symbolized by the victory at Vimy Ridge in 1917.