This book was received for free from LibraryThing’s Early
Reviewers in return for a review.
In 1916 World War I, while raging, had devolved to attrition
in the trenches. Any news received from the front for public consumption was
censored, sanitized and reframed in such a way that most people on the home front
had no idea what conditions were really like. Fortunately soldiers kept
diaries, providing first-hand accounts of their own experiences. RH Rabjohn was
one such soldier, signing up at 18 with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. In
possession of an arts background he put his skills to use, illustrating what he
saw, seeing action in such battles as Vimy Ridge, Arras and Passchendaele.
His drawings have a kinetic feel to them, most with figures in
motion whether on the clock or on leave. But he doesn’t shy away from death or
the aftermath of battle. These scenes provide a real sense of the horror he and
others must have experienced, a true telling of the cost of war.
The book is divided up chronologically in terms of battles
and locations, allowing the reader to see what Rabjohn did and where he was.
This is further divided into categories such as “mud” and “POWs”. The book is
clearly an abridged version of the diary but it’s unclear if only sections with
accompanying illustrations were included or if the choice was random.
One confusing aspect was the font choice. Alongside the
diary entries are additional notes written by the book’s author. The entries
though use a more modern font while the author’s contributions look more
archaic. Normally I would have expected this to be reversed to reflect and
reinforce the differing time periods in which Rabjohn and Wilson wrote. The
fact that this isn’t the case, sometimes led me to start reading Wilson’s
portions as if they were Rabjohn’s.
Overall an enjoyable read that provided a personal look into
one soldier’s experiences, peeling back the layers of time on events quickly
receding into history.
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