Morrison

The Long-lost Memoir of Canada’s Artillery Commander in the Great War

Edited by: Susan Raby-Dunne
By (author): Edward Morrison
ISBN 9781772032147
Softcover | Publication Date: November 22, 2017
Book Dimensions: 6 in x 9 in
288 Pages

About the Book

The never-before-published memoir of Major-General Sir Edward Morrison, a true Canadian hero of the First World War.

The First World War marked a turning point in Canadian history and in Canada’s self-identification as a nation. Yet in memorializing the iconic events and battles of the War, certain key individuals who participated have been lost in our collective memory. One of those individuals is Major-General Sir Edward Morrison.

Morrison was instrumental in the Canadian Army’s efforts and achievements throughout the War, but especially from 1916 until 1918, when he commanded all Canadian artillery, including at the battles of Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele. An accomplished journalist who was the editor of both the Hamilton Spectator and the Ottawa Citizen, Morrison recorded his experiences, strategies, darkly humourous observations, and insights into the nature of modern warfare in a memoir that he completed but never published before his death in 1925. Now, with the permission of his estate, Morrison’s words are made public for the first time, with a thought-provoking introduction by military historian Susan Raby-Dunne. Morrison: The Long-lost Memoir of Canada’s Artillery Commander in the Great War is a fascinating and highly readable historical document that brings a rawness and immediacy to a century-old conflict.

About the Author(s)

Susan Raby-Dunne is a military historian, composer, veterans’ advocate, First and Second World War battlefield guide, and the author and editor of numerous books including John McCrae: Beyond Flanders Fields; Morrison: The Long-lost Memoir of Canada’s Artillery Commander in the Great War; and Hell Burned Through: The Art and Story of a Lancaster Rear Gunner. Her musical version of the poem “In Flanders Fields” debuted on CBC radio and internationally in 2006. She is the Canadian representative of the US-based charity, Soldier’s Heart. After years of ranching and breeding horses, she now devotes herself to writing.

Reviews

"This remarkable story left me with a strong sense of the things in our military profession that endure, and the lessons that transcend time: good leadership, innovation, courage, humility, professionalism, patriotism, and, last but not least, a good sense of humour.” —From the cover, Major-General Simon C. Hetherington, OMM, MSC, CD, Senior Serving Gunner, The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
"Morrison is a terrific read because it advances multiple understandings and appreciations of personhood and nationhood." —Michael Sasges, Ormsby Review
"This book is highly recommended for those who want to read more about Canada’s artillery during the war. Furthermore, anyone interested in the views of senior leaders in the First World War will find this book enlightening"
Canadian Military History