- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: Doubleday Canada; First Edition edition (Oct 15 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 038565846X
- ISBN-13: 978-0385658461
- Product Dimensions: 61.5 x 43.7 x 2.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 839 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#32,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8 in Books > History > Military > United States > Veterans
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
Testaments of Honour was born by chance. Blake Heathcote had set out to archive his grandfather's wartime scrapbooks and sketches, only to realize what a treasure the documents were. He decided to set out in his car to record the memories of other World War II veterans across Canada before it was too late. Over several years Heathcote contacted hundreds of veterans from the so-called Silent Generation, men and women who had never told their stories before, often not even to their own families. Many had come back dramatically changed, unable to communicate with loved ones. "Sometimes," Heathcote writes, "it took fifty years for them to come out again." The book's intensity comes from the fact that Heathcote lets the veterans tell their stories in the first person, full of bravery, humour, and tragedy. Much has been written about how the courage of the wartime generation transformed Canada from a small rural society into one of the world's main armed powers. But if there is a unifying thread in Heathcote's book, it is that war is a horrifying thing that must be avoided at all costs. "I would advise my sons not to ever get involved in a war, because politicians control it," says Joe Gelleny of Aurora, Ontario, who was an elite commando trained to jump from a plane, kill silently, and withstand terrible torture. John Stroud of Toronto, who was captured by the Japanese in Hong Kong in 1941, says, "I still have nightmares; most of us do. You can't get it out of your brain. There's no heroism in war; there's nothing but grief." In bringing together such voices, most never heard before, Blake Heathcote has made a valuable contribution to the literature of war. --Alex Roslin
Review
"Tears fill my eyes as I think of these men and women, and read their stories in this volume. Thank you to them from the bottom of my heart, and thank you to Blake Heathcote for his remarkable service to posterity, to truth and to Canada." -- Toronto Sun
"Compelling." -- Maclean's
"An absorbing read." -- London Free Press
"Devastatingly eloquent." -- Calgary Herald
"An invaluable record." -- Quill & Quire
"Inspiring... powerful." -- Edmonton Journal
"An astonishingly touching book." -- Ottawa Citizen
"Compelling." -- Maclean's
"An absorbing read." -- London Free Press
"Devastatingly eloquent." -- Calgary Herald
"An invaluable record." -- Quill & Quire
"Inspiring... powerful." -- Edmonton Journal
"An astonishingly touching book." -- Ottawa Citizen
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
wonderful book!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Testaments of Honour: Personal Histories from Canada's War Veterans (Hardcover)
I can't say enough about this beautiful book. Mr. Heathcote has done a remarkable job in collecting the amazing histories of these brave soldiers who put their lives on the line for their country. The book is beautifully presented and full of wonderful, touching memoirs of some amazing men and women.My grandfather fought for Canada in WWI and WWII and I'm thrilled that the men he fought with will be remembered always thanks to Mr. Heathcote's obviously passionate research and hard work. If you're interested in military history, especially in the more rare Canadian perspective of war, buy this book!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Some Remarkable People,
By Blake Heathcote (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Testaments of Honour: Personal Histories from Canada's War Veterans (Hardcover)
Full confession - this is my book, which came about after my interviewing hundreds of WWII veterans across the country. They are a remarkable cross-section of that extraordinary time in the our recent past, and their stories deserve to be heard.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review) 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
wonderful book!,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Testaments of Honour: Personal Histories from Canada's War Veterans (Hardcover)
I can't say enough about this beautiful book. Mr. Heathcote has done a remarkable job in collecting the amazing histories of these brave soldiers who put their lives on the line for their country. The book is beautifully presented and full of wonderful, touching memoirs of some amazing men and women.My grandfather fought for Canada in WWI and WWII and I'm thrilled that the men he fought with will be remembered always thanks to Mr. Heathcote's obviously passionate research and hard work. If you're interested in military history, especially in the more rare Canadian perspective of war, buy this book! |
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