Courage, Sacrifice and Betrayal provides a detailed account of the day-to-day operations of the 60th Battalion and the lives of its many soldiers. The 60th is one of only 50 battalions to actually fight as a unit as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War I.

It was the 60th Battalion that captured, on day two of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the villages of Vimy and Petit Vimy. Engagements at Vimy Ridge, Sanctuary Wood, the Somme, and Regina trenches are set against the backdrop of the broader Canadian, British, and French combat operations against the Germans and their allies. Author Richard Pyves skillfully brings readers into “the moment of war” through many long-forgotten personal accounts and letters included in the book.

Rich in historical fact, Courage, Sacrifice and Betrayal provides an intimate portrayal of life in the trenches and reveals the destructive emotional impact of war.

Richard Pyves is an avid historian and genealogist. He grew up in Montreal and is a graduate of McGill University. He now lives near Toronto. Night Madness is the story of his father.

Richard Pyves' profile page

“In his superb history of Montreal’s 60th Battalion (Victoria Rifles of Canada), Richard Pyves has set a new gold standard for regimental histories … Demonstrably, Pyves’ work shows that many histories of First World War battalions need to be re-written, so that Hale and the 600,000 men from Vancouver to Halifax needn’t fear being forgotten in the 21st century.” — Winnipeg Free Press

“This is a terrific book: a well researched and well written history of an ill-fated unit of the Canadian Expeditionary Force … [Pyves] has scoured official, published and local unpublished sources to produce a vivid account of the war as experienced by the ‘Silent 60th.’ … The narrative is valuable as a record; the statistics and analysis help us to make sense of context; and the inclusion of many individual stories and respectful description of the death and wounding of many men, make this an exemplary study.” — The Long, Long Trail Blog

“In all, Courage, Sacrifice and Betrayal is an excellent work. It provides a snapshot of a Canada that no longer exists as well as a fresh perspective on Canada and the Great War. Given the enormous impact that the First World War had on developments in Canada and Canadian society — an impact that continues to reverberate today –– it is a book that all Canadians must read.” — The Canadian Army Journal