Daniel Francis

Reading the National Narrative

Geist 97 Out

Jul 6, 2015

A new issue of Geist magazine (#97) is at the newsstands, and in it a column by yours truly about a new book on the history of war resisters in Canada.

Worth Fighting For is a collection of essays that argue that resistance to war is very much a Canadian tradition. I am particularly interested in the piece by David Tough, an historian at Trent U, that suggests that during World War One it was the anti-war folks who were really fighting for democracy, not the warriors. "Canada emerged from the war a more democratic society not because of what occurred in Europe but because of what occurred at home."

The magazine has lots of other good stuff as well. Run out and pick up a copy, or read my column online.