Padres in No Man's Land, First Edition: Canadian Chaplains and the Great War (McGill-Queen’s Studies in the Hist of Re)

by Duff Crerar

Tracing the growth of the Canadian Chaplain Service from its chaotic and controversy-ridden early days to its maturation as an efficient field force, Duff Crerar highlights both the role of the Service on the battlefield and the personal experiences of the chaplains. Refuting the widely held view that chaplains serving overseas were cloistered from front-line realities, Crerar describes the padres' experiences in camps, hospitals, and on the battlefield. He examines how they maintained their faith in the face of death and destruction, and explores the bonds forged between chaplains and troops. Padres in No Man's Land concludes in the postwar era with the decline of the chaplains' hopes for spiritual renewal upon their return to Canada - their dreams dashed not by the war, but by the subsequent peace.

Genres: Nonfiction, European History, Canada, History

424 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea how big a role that Chaplains played in the armed forces. The author is also a class act who signed my library's copy!

[Marc Leroux · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a pretty interesting read. It details the role of the Clergy from Militia time to the aftermath of the war. I contains a pretty basic list of those that served, limited to the Canadian Expeditionary Force, but has extensive end-notes. I picked this up to look for reference to a specific man, but quickly found myself absorbed in the growing influence the Clergy played. It's the only book on the subject that I'm aware of, and I would recommend it.

[Gwnhwyfer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of the role Christian clergy (from various denominations) played from the beginning to the aftermath of the Great War. Includes extensive notes, a good bibliography as well as a comprehensive list of the clergy (names, denomination and location(s) of service) who served with the CEF.