The First World War lasted for four years and three months. And when it ended on November 11, 1918, the people of Pine Street, a sleepy avenue on the outskirts of Winnipeg, came to a startling realization. During the course of the conflict, young Leo Clarke, Robert Shankland, and Fred Hall, all from their street, had each received the Victoria Cross, the highest award for bravery at that time. Such a phenomenon has never been repeated anywhere in the former British empire.

Accessing original documents in his research—such as the wartime diary of Leo’s brother, Charlie, official war records, and general history—author John Nadler constructs a story of the three heroic soldiers, their families, and the enormous impact of WWI on a young Canada. This historic concurrence was so meaningful that a statue was erected in Winnipeg in tribute to these three ordinary soldiers, and their street was renamed Valour Road in their honour.

John Nadler is a Canadian author, journalist, and feature writer who has lived in Europe for the last two decades. He is also the author of two previous books, Searching for Sofia and A Perfect Hell. As a journalist, Nadler has contributed to Time, Sports Illustrated, Variety, Daily Telegraph of London, the European, Budapest Week, Maclean's, the Economist Intelligence Unit, the Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, and Postmedia News. While in Europe, he served as the Postmedia correspondent during the Kosovo conflict (1998 and 1999), the NATO airstrikes against Yugoslavia (1999), and the Serbian revolution in 2001, experiences that provided the material for Searching for Sofia. He currently lives in Budapest with his wife and son. 

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“Raw and engaging." - Winnipeg Free Press