Key work built on interviews with dozens of former prisoners and relatives of the 50 prisoners of The Great Escape who were shot. Updated for the 75th anniversary of the mass breakout
Jonathan Vance Book order
Jonathan Vance explores how wartime experiences and their aftermath shape collective memory and meaning. His work examines the ways in which cultural events and technologies influence the national imagination and identity. Through meticulous research, he seeks to understand and portray human experiences during pivotal historical moments. His writings illuminate the complex relationship between the past and the present, and how societies commemorate their triumphs and tragedies.
- 2019
- 2018
A Township at War
- 308 pages
- 11 hours of reading
This book recreates one corner of rural Canada, the southern Ontario township of East Flamborough, during the First World War. Drawing from rich narrative sources, this work uses the local to understand the national, revealing what rural people were like a century ago - how they saw the world, what they valued, and how they lived their lives.
- 2009
Unlikely Soldiers
- 320 pages
- 12 hours of reading
The narrative follows two exceptional young Canadians, Ken Macalister and Frank Pickersgill, who transition from academia to becoming soldiers during World War II. After volunteering for the British Special Operations Executive, they undergo rigorous training before parachuting into France. Their mission takes a dark turn as they face betrayal from double agents within the Resistance, leading to their capture, torture, and a harrowing transport to Germany. This true story highlights courage, intelligence, and the complexities of wartime espionage.