2025 was probably the biggest year yet for Je me souviens and its sister program Honoring Bravery: new exhibits, new activities, and most importantly, lots of new schools visited! So it’s no surprise that we’re welcoming the holiday season with open arms! And when we say holidays, we mean rest… and time to read! 

It’s a new edition of our recommended reading list! With so many new books and old ones we finally got around to visiting, we’re excited to present our selection! Several partners have also published their own books this year, and Anthony, Julien, and Marina were happy to compile them into our list! Is this corruption? Yes. Check out our recommendations for the year 2025!

In a hurry? Take a quick look at our personal selection from Anthony, Julien, and Marina:

Books

First World War

• A Township at War (Jonathan F. Vance): Far from the trenches and from no man’s land, a small town in Ontario was also experiencing the war. A Township at War reminds us that World War I was a global event that affected every sphere of Canadian society. In his book, historian Jonathan F. Vance takes a bottom-up approach to history in order to dissect the Canadian rural world’s view of the war. A fascinating read!
• Corps-à-corps : Le combat rapproché pendant la Première Guerre mondiale (Dimitri Chavaroche): According to many, there was nothing more terrifying than hand-to-hand combat during the war! While several accounts recount these terrible clashes, few studies have focused closely on this frightening aspect of combat, until now with this study from Dimitri Chavaroche. Note that the release in Quebec is not scheduled until January 2026, but it is already available for purchase in digital format!

• Poor Bloody Murder: Personal Memoirs of the First World War (Gordon Reid): This book brings together a selection of curated stories and quotes from soldiers who lived through World War I. These accounts provide immersive and vivid insight into the experience of those who served at the front.
• Reliving the Trenches: Memory Plays by Veterans of the Great War (Alan Filewod): While John McCrae shed light on the practice of writing poetry in the trenches, several soldiers also engaged in other creative pursuits, notably playwriting! In this book, the author presents, for the first time, the complete scripts of three plays written during the war. By contextualizing the writing process and the history of the original authors, Filewod seeks to highlight a previously unknown artistic corpus.
• Through Their Eyes: A Graphic History of Hill 70 and Canada’s First World War (Matthew Barrett et Robert C. Engen): It’s not often that we get the chance to present a comic book! Just a few days after the victory at Vimy Ridge, the Canadian army turned its attention to capturing Hill 70. The battle was fought in appalling conditions, with both armies making extensive use of poison gas to slow down their opponents. Through Their Eyes allows readers to relive this battle through striking illustrations, while placing it in its historical context. A perfect gift for history buffs!
• The Bantams: The untold story of World War I (Sidney Allinson): This book tells the story of the “Bantam” Battalions during World War I; battalions of men who were originally considered too short for service. A few bantam battalions were formed in Great Britain, and the practice was later adopted by the Canadian Army shortly thereafter. Far from being marginal, these units distinguished themselves brilliantly on the front lines!

Second World War

• Canadian Entertainers of World War II (W. Ray Stephens CD): One of the lesser-known aspects of the war machine is entertainment for the troops! This book compiles several plays and musical pieces organized for the troops. It also includes reviews from the time to see what the soldiers thought of them! With an account, the book is available to read via the Internet Archive.
• Endgame: The Secret Force 136 (Catherine Little et Sean Huang): Catherine is a major contributor to Honouring Bravery, and we are delighted to recommend her book! According to Anthony, this book is perfect reading for young students, highlighting a little-known episode in Canadian history: the Secret Force 136! What’s more, the illustrations by artist Sean Huang are magnificent! For more information, check out our blog post on the subject to learn more!
• L’Expédition allemande à l’île d’Anticosti (Hugues Théorêt): We know that the German navy ventured far into the Atlantic during World War II. There are also several rumors that submarines ventured deep into the St. Lawrence River. But did you know that the first German mission took place on Anticosti Island… in 1937? Historian Hughes Théorêt explores this little-known episode of the war! A book that might change your perspective of Quebec’s implication during the war.
• Soldier Poetry of the Second World War (Jane & Walter Morgan): Soldiers didn’t just write poems during World War I! This anthology compiles a large selection of poems written during its unfortunate sequel. Divided into different themes such as “fear/death,” “daily thoughts/living,” and “hope,” these poems are sure to leave a lasting impression!
• S.S. Nerissa, the Final Crossing: The Amazing True Story of the Loss of a Canadian Troopship in the North Atlantic (William Dziadyk) : Did you enjoy our article on the S.S. Nerissa and would you like to learn more about the subject? William Dziadyk has written a comprehensive book on the topic! Dziadyk explores the Nerissa’s entire journey during the war, until it was sunk by the German navy. In 2021, a second edition was also published to complete this research. It’s an extremely informative book for learning more about the inner workings of the Canadian and Allied navies at the time!

Movies

• Finding Fred Lee (dir. Jack Gin): The experiences of Chinese-Canadian soldiers during World War I are unfortunately still largely unknown. Finding Fred Lee aims to change that. This short documentary attempts to trace the journey of soldier Fred Lee, who died during the fighting around Hill 70. With no known family, Lee fell into anonymity, his story almost buried, until this documentary was created. Finding Fred Lee is still a work in progress and the film is currently being shown on a closed circuit, but check out their website to stay up to date with the project!
• We Lend a Hand (dir. Colin Field): We touched on the subject of farmerettes — Canadian women who worked directly in the war effort — in our exhibition Mobilizing a Country: Canada and the First World War. Fortunately, this topic is being studied more and more (and we should point out that we were just following the trend!). The documentary We Lend a Hand thus presents the history and significant contributions of these women! The film is currently being shown on closed-circuit television, but stay tuned via their website.
• Out Standing (dir. Mélanie Charbonneau) : Sandra Perron’s story is both inspiring and frightening. One of the first women to join the regular forces as an infantry soldier, Sandra Perron was nevertheless the victim of terrible bullying and discrimination. Out Standing recounts this difficult period in her life, as she was torn between serving her country and confronting her attackers. It is a dramatic film to watch, but particularly important for understanding the difficult path women had to take to be truly accepted in the military.

Happy reading from the Je me souviens team!