Shortlisted, 2018 Forest of Reading Golden Oak Award

Most Canadians are familiar with John McCrae through his iconic poem “In Flanders Fields,” which was penned on the battlefields of the First World War and remains a symbol of remembrance to this day. Although he will always be remembered as a war poet, the Guelph, Ontario, native was a physician, a university professor, and a veteran of the Second Boer War before he ever laid eyes on the carnage at Flanders Fields. Citing rarely seen diary entries and letters, as well as never-before-published photos of McCrae’s early life, military historian and McCrae enthusiast Susan Raby-Dunne tells the complete story of John McCrae—a man whose final chapter of life made him immortal, but who accomplished so much and helped so many in the decades before.

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.

Susan Raby-Dunne's profile page

• Short-listed, Golden Oak Reading Award

“Although John McCrae is primarily associated with his poem “In Flanders Fields,” this small book shows how his life encompassed so much more. This, Raby-Dunne’s second book on McCrae, details his contributions and his significance - both as a Canadian medical doctor and as a soldier.”

Canadian History Books for Schools 2017-2018